A solo drive across the country, for a ‘clean’ mission

Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani
Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani

NRI spreads awareness on Swachh Bharat

“Tamil Nadu is the 29th state I’m visiting. I’ve been driving through the country for around 183 days and have covered 41,000 km,” says Sangeetha Sridhar, rattling off numbers when asked about her journey.

An NRI from UAE, Ms. Sangeetha, who originally hails from Coimbatore, has been driving through the country in her modified Tata Hexa for her initiative – ‘Clean India Trail’.

“I wished to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and undertake this trip as a goodwill journey. Gandhiji always dreamt of a clean and safe India for women and I planned this trip systematically to show that this doesn’t have to be a faraway dream,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha began her trip from Mumbai on August 12 and has been travelling solo since then, visiting over 290 cities. Her travels, she says, have taught her self-reliance and sustainability while allowing her to soak in different cultures and have engaging conversations with interesting people.

Sanitation audit

“Through this journey, I’ve been auditing the condition of sanitation facilities available and creating awareness about the Swachh Bharat Mission. I drive a vehicle that is made in India and only use products and technology that are home-grown,” she says. Her car is fitted with solar panels and the middle seat has been removed to ensure that she can sleep inside. “At night, I ensure that I find a safe place to park my vehicle – either inside the compound of a residential complex or a police station. I sleep inside the vehicle and use the public sanitation facilities available,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha has also been engaging with nearly 59 signature industries across the States she has travelled through and has also visited various heritage sites. Collaborating with a start-up, she explains that all the information she collects are documented on an app in her phone. “For my audit of the sanitation facilities, the app provides me with a log and I also can record voice notes which will be location-tagged so that I can go back to them later,” she says.

With her website www.cleanindiatrail.com detailing her travels, Ms. Sangeetha says that the results of her audit will be handed over to the United Nations Sustainable Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism. “People everywhere have been extremely welcoming. For women who wish to travel and go on long solo road trips, it is extremely important to prepare physically and mentally. Plan your milestones clearly so that you know what it is that you want to see and it is imperative to study everything along your route,” she adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by S. Poorvaja / Chennai – March 02nd, 2019

IIT-Madras and Sankara Nethralaya bring out path-breaking treatment for retinoblastoma

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According to the statement, the research will help in ensuring better treatment for retinoblastoma that affects one in every 1,500 children across the world.

Chennai :

The IIT-M and Sankara Nethralaya researchers have identified pathways by which diseased cells in retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, obtains energy for growth and survival, said a statement issued by the institute.

According to the statement, the research will help in ensuring better treatment for retinoblastoma that affects one in every 1,500 children across the world.

The research study has led to the identification of five more new drug targets that can be used for treating the eye cancer. The research will offer the potential for developing new and more effective drugs with minimal side-effects.

The published work is the first study to use Constraint-Based Modeling (CBM) to predict metabolic biomarkers for diagnosis of Retinoblastoma in Indian patients and to suggest novel drug targets for its treatment.Their work has recently been published in the Journal of Federation of European Biochemical Societies letters. Leading medical and genomics research organizations in India and the US have contributed to this research.

In India alone,1,500 new cases of Paediatric Retinoblastoma are reported daily, adding tremendously to the socio-economic burden of cancer care. Most common symptoms of this disease are appearance of a white dot in the retina and squint. As with most forms of cancer, the key to retinoblastoma management is early detection and treatment.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service  / March 01st, 2019

Startup in Coimbatore to receive funding from local investors

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

More than 800 households in Coimbatore city receive fresh milk at their door step every morning from the villages near Annur. The milk has no chemicals or preservatives added and is tested for quality before it is packed. Sold under VilFresh brand, it is the flagship product of Laymen Agro Ventures, a startup based out of Coimbatore.

Procuring milk from 30 farmers, the company also provides employment to youngsters in the villages. The youth are given two wheelers and they bring the milk to the city and take agro inputs for farmers on their return trip daily.

“We started with an initial investment of ₹30 lakh to enter urban kitchens with fresh agro produce. Apart from milk we also supply grains and pulses,” says Selvakumar Varadarajan, its Chief Executive Layman.

With plans to reach out to nearly 8,000 households in Coimbatore, strengthen its product portfolio, set up a unit to make value added products, and commence operations in cities such as Tirupur, Madurai, Tiruchi, and Salem, Laymen Agro requires funds to scale up. And the funding will come from a group of investors in the State and a couple of investment firms.

Nativelead Coimbatore will bring in ₹65 lakh from angel investors in Tamil Nadu and the rest will come from Upaya Social Ventures and Sangam Ventures, says Sivarajah Ramanathan, Founder and President of Nativelead Foundation.

The organisation chose Laymen Agro as it is buying fresh milk from farmers paying a relatively higher price and the model of business can be replicated in other cities.

“We are doing three investments this month in Coimbatore, Tiruchi, and Tindivanam totalling ₹2.4 crore. Of this, ₹1 crore is for Laymen Agro,” he says.

“We will receive the investment in two tranches with the first one on Wednesday,” Mr. Varadarajan adds.

A function will be held here on Wednesday when a new team of office bearers will take charge at Nativelead Coimbatore and the equity investment will be made by the organisation in the startup. Jayaram Govindarajan, who will be chairman of Nativelead Coimbatore for 2019-20, said the team is looking forward to promoting an alternative investment option for native entrepreneurs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – February 27th, 2019

Dharani dreams big

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

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The story of a fisherman’s son, who taught himself to surf, win championships, and train hundreds of people in the sport

Dharani Selvakumar once snuck into a boat to follow his father to sea. “He’d warned me to keep off the water at any cost,” says the 27-year-old surfer from Kovalam. The instant he saw his son, A Selvakumar, dragged him back home and whacked him. A fisherman, he knew the dangers and uncertainties of the profession, and wanted his only son to grow up far from the whiff of the sea. But the sea runs in Dharani’s blood. Nothing — not even his Computer Engineering degree — could keep him from it. Today, the seven-time National champion and ISA-certified surfing instructor, is in charge of Covelong Point @ Mahabs, the second branch of Covelong Point Surf School.

Dharani was an over-protected 90s kid. Despite his father’s repeated warnings, he did what any kid who lived by a beautiful seaside village would do. He jumped into the water the moment he came back from school and college, spent many afternoons catching crab with his bare hands, and surfing with broken windows and polystyrene boards. And when the surfing culture caught on in Kovalam, Dharani promptly followed suit, borrowing a cousin’s surf board.

“I had a three-month break before I joined Engineering,” he remembers. It was an unforgettable three months. Dharani spent every day hitting the water with the board, conversing with the waves, negotiating the ebbs and falls, falling and rising, until he mastered the art of surfing all by himself. “I was addicted to it,” he says. “But I fell out with my cousin and had to return his board,” he says.

Dharani approached Moorthy Megavan, co-founder of Covelong Point Surf School, who let him use his boards. Soon, Dharani started participating in surfing tournaments.

“The Summer Swell Challenge of 2012 in Puducherry, was the first competition I participated in,” he says. He came first in the semi-finals. In 2013, Dharani came first in the Junior Level at a tournament in Covelong. More successes followed, and Dharani travelled to surfing tournaments in various places, including Vizag, Kovalam (Kerala), Mangalore, and Konark Beach. “I also travelled to Thailand with the sponsorship of Arun Vasu of TT Group, who’s been a big support,” he says. Somewhere along the way, he learned stand up paddling too.

Dharani started teaching at Covelong Point in his free time and enjoyed the process. He’s trained over 6,000 people so far, some of whom are equipped enough to participate in tournaments. The best thing about teaching, for Dharani, is that he gets to see the same unabashed thrill in his students that he experiences every time he rides the waves. “I cannot describe the feeling, but I’m able to share it with someone else, which makes me happy,” he says. Dharani says that he would love to start his own surf school in the future. “But for now, I want to focus on taking the sport to the next level, and involve more boys from Mamallapuram in it,” he adds.

It was not easy making a career out of the very means his father advised against. “People in my village kept badgering him about why I was whiling away my time at sea despite being well educated,” he says. But Dharani’s mother Desam stood by him. She did housekeeping where he taught just to be with him. Gradually, Dharani’s father began to see how much happiness the sea brought his son. On an average day, there may be many people on the beach, admiring Dharani’s moves on the surf board. But he knows that sometimes, his father does too, pausing on his way to work.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Akila Kannadasa / February 27th, 2019

Icons of Coimbatore award presented

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Rathinam Group of Institutions, with The Hindu as media partner, presented the Icons of Coimbatore award here on Monday. A release from the Rathinam Group said Bishar Al Shaar, Deputy Ambassador, and Salam Socar, Cultural and Media Attache, Embassy, Syrian Arab Republic, presented the awards in the presence of Madhan A. Senthil, Chairman of the Rathinam Group of Institutions.

Mr. Senthil said his group has been identifying persons for the award since 2013. Mr. Shaar said Syrian students were keen on pursuing their higher education in India because of the hospitable nature of the people and the culture. At present, there were 400 students in various Indian institutions. He also said that Syria looked forward to rebuilding the country with Indian support.

The recipients of the award were Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation, Manickam Athappa Gounder, Chairman, MAK Group of Companies, Jaya Mahesh, Founder, Jaya Mahesh Body Sculpting Therapy, Vignesh Prabhu, Illusionist, R. Manikandan, coordinator, Kovai Kulangal Pathugappu Amaipu, Manimekalai Mohan, Founder, SSVM Institutions, Nanjil Nadan, Tamil writer, A. Rajkumar, Chairman and Director, Clinical Operations, GKNM Hospital, Rajesh Govindarajulu, jeweller and columnist, R. Sathy, Headmistress, Panchayat Union Primary School, Madukkarai, K. Priyanka, chess champion, A. Kanniyappan, Para Olympian, Balaji, radio jockey, R. Raveendran, Secretary, Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore, and S. Vengojayaprasad, Diabetologist and Consultant Physician, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

R. Manickam, Chief Executive Officer, Rathinam Group of Institutions, presided over the function.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – February 26th, 2019

We never expected an Oscar: Muruganantham

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion
Inspiring people: Arunachalam Muruganantham in Coimbatore on Monday.
Inspiring people: Arunachalam Muruganantham in Coimbatore on Monday.

Arunachalam Muruganantham, a 56-year-old social entrepreneur in Coimbatore, had his handset ringing with congratulatory calls and messages on Monday morning. Period. End of Sentence, a documentary that reflects his work, had won an Oscar in the Best Short Documentary category.

“I am very happy. We never expected an Oscar. The subject (menstrual hygiene) has reached a global audience. Not just in India, but, women in Kenya, Uganda, or Bangladesh can learn about menstrual hygiene through the documentary,” he says.

Pad Man, the Akshay Kumar-starrer inspired by the life of Mr. Muruganantham had created a huge impact in India. The Oscar for Period. End of Sentence will take the subject to more people in different countries, he adds. “I have received several calls from women who have seen the movie and not only started using the napkins but are educating other women too. That is the real award.”

After nearly seven years of research, Mr. Muruganantham started manufacturing machines in 2004 to produce affordable sanitary napkins. The machines are set up mainly in rural areas where women make the napkins and sell them. “I have installed 5,300 machines in India. More than one lakh women are employed and they produce 1,500 different brands of sanitary pads,” he says.

The aim is to achieve 100% use of sanitary napkins among women and provide self-employment opportunities to 10 lakh women. He has also enabled installation of the machines in 24 countries, including six machines in Pakistan and 10 in Bangladesh. He has trained a group of women in Afghanistan. One machine will be commissioned in Chennai on March 8 this year to be operated by 20 hearing and speech impaired women.

According to him, the challenge is not in installing the machinery but in breaking the taboo against use of sanitary napkins. “Several communities have beliefs against use of the pads. Such beliefs exist in many other countries too.” “The Government should include menstrual hygiene in the curriculum,” he says. The Delhi government plans to incorporate a summary of important events in his life in the school curriculum.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – February 25th, 2019

Women entrepreneurs awarded by FICCI FLO

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All

It was a celebration of women, their strengths and achievements at the Hyatt Regency, at the Women Achievers Awards organised by FICCI FLO.

Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit was present  Nakshatra Krishnamoorthy
Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit was present  Nakshatra Krishnamoorthy

Chennai :

It was a celebration of women, their strengths and achievements at the Hyatt Regency, at the Women Achievers Awards organised by FICCI FLO. The chief guest of the event was Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit, and the special guest was Suhasini Maniratnam. They were welcomed by chairperson Anupama Shivaraman.

The theme of the awards this year was Shakti, to honour the strength and patience of women. More than 30 entrepreneurs were present along with their friends and families. “Women have come a long way, by getting recognised in various fields and sectors. In the past, success was affiliated with men alone. Now, this has changed and will balance out in the future,” said Suhasini.

After a three-member jury analysed the participant’s contribution in various fields and sectors, seven were listed as winners. The award for the outstanding women category was given to Sangeeta Sumesh, a high-performance coach, ED & CFO, author, and global professional speaker, and Dr RA Karthika, research scholar and associate professor.

The award for outstanding social entrepreneur was given to Srimati Kesan, CEO, Space Kidz India. The outstanding upcoming entrepreneur award was given to Sruti Harisubramaniam, founder of Goli Soda. The outstanding NGO award was given to Anew.

The outstanding women entrepreneur award was given to Kaveri Lalchand, owner of the Kaveri Cloth line.

“The award should be named ‘Achievers Award’, omitting women, because we have reached a point where women are as strong and empowered as men and it’s time to move beyond comparing platforms,” said Kaveri.

The Governor, while stating how proud he was to witness events where women inspire each other, asked the entrepreneurs to reach out to poorer sections of the society. The event ended with a Kuchipudi and Kathak performance, conceptualised by Jigyasa Giri and performed by S Uma Murali and her team.

Saluting strong women
The theme of the awards this year was Shakti, to honour the strength and patience of women. A three-member jury judged the participants.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Rinreichui Kashung / Express News Service / February 27th, 2019

Chennai’s Senate House opens its doors to the public

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

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The beauty of its Moorish-themed walls and exquisite high ceiling is no longer hidden behind shuttered windows — Senate House is one of the venues of Chennai Photo Biennale

It stands at the site of what was once the Nawab of Arcot’s artillery park. From its shady boulevard guns were fired to greet visitors. Today, Senate House stands a silent sentinel gazing at the Marina as students mill about its grounds, pigeons roost in its eaves and visitors throng the Chennai Photo Biennale’s exhibition held in its ornate halls.

Shuchi Kapoor, founding member, CPB, who was also instrumental in getting permission for venues, says, “We had heard about how beautiful Senate Hall was and how it would lend itself to the Biennale. We started work on getting permissions to host exhibitions in 2017 and through The Hindu, Goethe Institut and the Head of the Department of Journalism were able to access the office of the Vice Chancellor. It took us a year to get the permission. It had been renovated recently but hadn’t been used. Despite low maintenance it was impressive when opened up and we knew it would make for a perfect venue. We hope this will push our ‘adopt a venue’ programme, going forward, that will involve corporates lending support to upkeep these lovely spaces.”

Senate02CF27feb2019

Senate House was completed in 1879. The library and teaching departments were built in similar style to lend it continuity. The fragile beauty of Senate House was the result of the genius of Robert Fellowes Chisholm who as a young engineer at 21 won a contest and was chosen to design Presidency College and a building to house the offices of the University. Chisholm is also credited with designing the Lakshmi Vilas Palace and the Museum in Baroda, Lawrence school in Ooty and the Rangoon Cathedral. In a way, he changed the skyline of Madras and by the end of his tenure in India in 1902 was considered the master of Indo-Saracenic architecture .

The main door of Senate House faces the Centenary buildings and opens to the Great Hall (150 feet long, 60 feet wide and 50 feet high from boarded floor to ornate, canvas ceiling). It was here that convocations were once held, here that students in robes and academic caps celebrated in jubilation before the University expanded and convocations were held at the Centenary auditorium across the road. When the first Assembly was constituted in 1937, it was here that it met.

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Light from the evening sun filters through the arcaded verandahs supported by stone capitals with Indian figurines. The red hand-pressed brick is firm to the touch and cool despite the searing heat. Broomhall’s tiles cover the roofs from where pigeons fly out to wheel over the Bay and back. Windows — shuttered, vertical and circular — covered in stained glass and woodwork lend it the solemn air of a cathedral. Mooresque colours dominate the walls and lecture halls on the floor above are accessed through grand stairways. The minarets and porches lend it a fabled feel. From the star-embossed stone porches one can see the almost-forgotten statue of Queen Victoria seated shrouded under a canopy of wild bushes. Gazing at the sea and the cars parked in front of it with its back to Senate House is the statue of S Subramania Aiyar, first Indian Vice Chancellor.

On the day I visit, work is in progress for the Biennale. The clickety-clack of a typewriter from the Publications office on the ground floor echoes through the hall. Workers erect installations and artists are at work. Dust dances in the sunbeams that light up the floor and lends Senate Hall a touch of fast-fading old world grace. Go before its doors close and its beauty blushes unseen.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Deepa Alexander / February 26th, 2019

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University’s mobile app wins 1.25 lakh USD prize

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

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University’s learning app, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Barbara Bush Foundation’s Adult Literacy XPRIZE competition.

Chennai :

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University’s learning app, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Barbara Bush Foundation’s Adult Literacy XPRIZE competition. It has been awarded 1.25 lakh USD for winning the first round of the competition, said a press release.

Amrita is one of the four teams which demonstrated significant improvement in language skills in both, Native Speakers (NS) and English as a Second Language (ESL) learners during a 12-month test period. The competition will now move on to the next phase – the Communities Challenge – wherein the final four apps will be scaled up to enrol one million users across the US.

The Amrita Learning App was developed by an 18-member team from the university’s Center for Research in Advanced Technologies for Education. The app is available for free on the Google Play Store.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / February 24th, 2019

Chennai college honours under-35 female achievers

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Leaders, Records, All

The second edition of Yuva Sammaan Awards was held on Saturday evening with pomp and show at the MOP Vaishnav College for Women.

The awardees were given a citation and `1 lakh each  D Sampathkumar
The awardees were given a citation and `1 lakh each  D Sampathkumar

Chennai :

The second edition of Yuva Sammaan Awards was held on Saturday evening with pomp and show at the MOP Vaishnav College for Women. The Awards were initiated last year by the college to recognise and appreciate female achievers under the age of 35 in the fields of performing arts, sports and entrepreneurship. The awardees were given a citation and Rs 1 lakh each.

College principal, Lalitha Balakrishnan delivered the welcome address. Kumaravel, founder of Naturals Salons; Rohini Rao, a competitive sailor, and Priyadarsini Govind, a classical dancer, were the chief guests. “I have not only empowered women, but I have been benefitted because of it. I believe that the ability to think differently is the essence of good entrepreneurship. I want all of you to look at every problem as an opportunity to provide a solution,” said Kumaravel.

The jury comprised Ranjini Manian, CEO of Global Adjustments; S Venkatraman, senior consultant in the education sector of UNESCO; S Vaishya Subramaniam, writer; and Thangam Meghanathan, chairperson of the Rajalakshmi Education Trust. Thirty-five nominations were received by the college. Sruti Harihara Subramaniam, director of ‘Harmony with AR Rahman’, founder of Goli Soda and MOP alumna, won the award in the Entrepreneurship category. The other nominees in this category were Varthika Neethi Mohan of Farm@Home; Barkha V Mehta, specialising in advertising and marketing; Mathanghi Kumar, chef and partner at the Summerhouse Eatery; Savitha Chandrasekaran, specialising in robotics and product development; and Prasitha Sridhar, founder of Shopzters.

In the sports category, squash player Deepika Pallikal Karthik bagged the award. She is the first Indian to break into the top 10 in the PSA Women’s ranking. The other nominees in this category were Anitha P, basketball player and gold medalist; K Shamini, table tennis player; Sai Samhitha, tennis player; and MD Thirushkamini, cricketer.

Charumathi Raghuraman, carnatic music violinist, won the award in the performing arts category. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her family ‘for being a support system’. Carnatic vocalist and playback singer Saindhavi Prakash, Bharatanatyam dancer Vaidhevi Harish, and playback singer S Mahasri were the other nominees. Three MOP alumni — Janani Hamsini, carnatic singer; Kavyalakshmi Muralidaran, dancer, and Sudha RS Iyer, violinist/vocalist, — were also nominated.
Super Singer Junior 3 finalist Anu AP performed two songs, The band ‘One Note Stand’ rendered a mash-up of AR Rahman songs.

Performances by students
As part of the event, MOP students performed garba, a contemporary dance performance to the remix of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, and a thillana.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / February 25th, 2019