Chief minister M Karunanidhi said the state would urge the Centre to name the Madurai airport after Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his birth centenary celebrations. Speaking at Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district, the birthplace of Muthuramalinga Thevar, the chief minister said although naming of airports was a Central subject, the DMK government would take steps to see that the Madurai airport was named after late Thevar.

Labels: Tourism

The Madras high court sought a clarification from the state government on section 24(4) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, after a petition was filed for information on godman Kalki Bhagwan.  The court wanted to know if the exemption granted under section 24 (4) of the RTI Act could be applied to information pertaining to corruption charges. Justice V. Dhanapalan, who heard the case, said, The act precludes the revealing of certain documents. The petitioner, Viswanath Swamy, wanted the high court to direct the police commissioner and Crime Branch–CID police to provide him with information on Kalki Bhagwan.  He had requested three documents from the police under the RTI Act to prove his allegations of corruption and subversion of law against him.  But the CCB had denied his request.

Labels: News

State finance minister K. Anbazhagan on the occasion of the World Thrift Day encouraged people to invest in postal savings schemes as it would help in the development of the country. The programme was organised at the Valliammal College by the National Savings Institute. Although private financial institutions might provide better interest rates on investments, investing in postal savings schemes is more reliable with guaranteed returns. Besides, we would be playing a role in social development, the minister pointed out.

Labels: News

There is a dearth of qualified persons in India to translate scientific texts from English to Indian languages, says Mr Robin A. Lloyd, vice-president and general manager, Lion Bridge India. Mr. Llyod said the translation industry is in need of as many as 10,000 persons, who can work for multinational companies. Our company has been helping the world's leading companies localise their software, product documentation, marketing material, training content and websites to ensure a consistent user experience for their global customers, he said.

Labels: Business

A magistrate court on Monday sentenced Muhaideen Badsha, the owner of a private home for the mentally challenged in Erwadi, in which 27 mentally-ill persons were charred to death in a fire accident, to 196 years of rigorous imprisonment.Pronouncing the judgement, six years after the incident took place, chief judicial magistrate K.V. Raju also imposed a penalty of Rs 30,500 for Muhaideen Badsha. His wife Suriya Begam and relatives Rashak and Mumtaj Begum were sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment with a penalty of Rs 3,500 each.

Labels: Top-Stories

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat clarified that he had no intention of creating a third front in the immediate future. Talking to reporters after calling on chief minister Karunanidhi, the CPM leader also said there was no threat to the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. There is no political crisis," he added. Asked about his meeting with the chief minister, Mr Karat maintained that they had discussed only about the Indo-US nuclear deal. We are interested in all political parties having a common approach to the nuclear issue when it comes up for discussion in the Parliament during the winter session, he said.

Labels: Politics

As many as 30 people have died across the state in rain related incidents, revenue minister I Periyasamy said. Talking to media the minister said chief minister M.Karunanidhi had increased the solatium offered to the family members of the deceased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The government had also increased the compensation for cattle from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.  He said 195 houses were destroyed and 870 houses were partially damaged in the rain. Revenue officials are assessing the damage and adequate compensation will be given all those who are affected by the rain, he added.

Labels: Top-Stories

Nanthivanam (Tamil Nadu), Oct 29 (ANI): Four children were killed in two separate incidents of wall collapse in Tamil Nadu on late Sunday night following heavy rains.

Three girls died when the roof of a house collapsed on the family members of Rajaguru, while they were asleep, in Nanthivanam village of Kumbakonam.

Rajaguru said his three daughters -- Deepa (12), Ezhilarasi (5) and Divya (4) -- died on the spot.

"We all were sleeping when water started pouring from the roof. I was trying to wake up my family members when suddenly the roof caved in. They were buried under the roof and died," said Rajaguru.

In another incident, Gowtham, a three-year old boy, died at Pughazhendi village of Kumbakonam.

Meanwhile, Thanjavur District Collector visited the area where the incidents occurred.

"As soon as the incidents occurred, the government machinery swung into action and special officers were assigned for relief measures," said Vijaya Rajkumar, District Collector.

Fifteen people have been killed across Tamil Nadu due to heavy rains triggered by the north-east monsoon. The State has received 40-50 centimetres of rainfall till now.

Heavy rains have hit train services and power supply in the State. The State Government has declared  Monday a holiday for schools and colleges all over the State.

The State government has stepped up flood relief activities. (ANI)

Labels: Top-Stories

MP: Chennai, Oct 29 (ANI): Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said that Indian markets are well regulated and mature enough to cope with periodic volatility.

"The point is that the market is well regulated. The job of the regulator is to ensure that the market is well-regulated market. In a well-regulated market, there will be periods of volatility. But, I think responsible and mature market players will accordingly adjust their activities in the market in order to reduce volatility,'' Chidambaram said after the launch of Jet Airways' Chennai-Brussels-Toronto flight.

He also said the government had also helped exporters to cope with the appreciation of the rupee by providing an export package of nearly 1.27 billion dollars to 1.39 billion dollars.

"Exports are still growing at about 18 or 19 percent a year. In the long run, exporters have to learn to live with a competitive exchange rate. What we are concerned about is the rapid appreciation of the rupee, and the government has responded. In fact, the government has acted very swiftly in giving them on three separate occasions, relief packages which altogether amounts to approximately 5,000, 5,500 crore," he said.

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India had curbed issuance of participatory notes used by unregistered investors to invest in Indian shares, saying it wanted flows to be transparent.

Earlier, the Minister had said, after the curbs were proposed, that India wanted to moderate inflows to avoid a stock market bubble.

Foreign capital has surged into India this year, attracted by rapid growth, pushing the rupee to its strongest against the dollar since 1998 and powering the stock market to record highs. (ANI)

Labels: Business

Tamil Nadu senior category temple employees association has demanded that all the benefits enjoyed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments should be extended to their members.The state president of the organisation V Eswaran said the government should consider creating a bank exclusively for depositing the revenues generated by the temples, which are under HR&CE control.  He said the vacancies in temples should be filled by appointing qualified temple employees instead of recruiting people from outside. If the government fails to fulfil our demands by November 25, we will organise picketing, he added.

Labels: Top-Stories

The number of persons preferring civil services is falling due to the growing job opportunities in Information Technology and related fields, Prof E. Balagurusamy, member, Union Public Service lamented.  The general aptitude of those  appearing for civil service exams was also not  of the required standards, according to him. The aspirants generally lacked in-depth knowledge, analytical and communications skills, Prof. Balagurusamy said after making a round of the venue where the civil services main examination 2007 was held. Over 600 candidates appeared for the examination in the city. In all about 9,300 students wrote the exam at 19 centers across the country.

Labels: Education

AIADMK MLA and South Chennai district secretary V.P. Kalairajan approached the city police commissioner G. Nanchil Kumaran and sought his intervention in getting a licence to own a gun. Mr Kalairajan, who claimed that he was getting threatening calls at his house, said that he had applied for a gun licence with the city police a year ago. Though I am an MLA, some mobs attacked my native house in Orathanadu. I have also received many threatening calls at my house. My life is in danger. I am also practicing as an advocate for over 17 years. I suspect that the gun licence has been denied due to political rivalry, he alleged.

Labels: Politics

Chief minister M. Karunanidhi denied opposition charges that MDMK functionary Nanjil Sampath was unjustly detained and attacked in custody. He told reporters at the secretariat that Mr Sampath had made derogatory and unprintable remarks against him and his family. His speech provoked a confrontation between the DMK and the MDMK. Cases have been filed against both the DMK and MDMK men and Sampath has been arrested, he said. Asked about the alleged attack on Mr Sampath in prison by the accused in the Dinakaran attack case, the chief minister said he had enquired about it and there was no truth in it. Still I have directed the officials to transfer him to Trichy prison, he said.

Labels: Politics

MP: Chennai, Oct 26 (ANI): International environmental watchdog Greenpeace organised a press conference here on Friday on how to reduce harmful emissions within 10 years to prevent further environmental damage.

Speaking on the occasion, G.Ananda Padmanathan - Executive Director, Greenpeace, said, "Within the next ten years, global emissions of the green house gases, which are responsible for climate change, has to reach the peak and start declining."  

"If this does not decline, scientists are telling us that we will have very dangerous weather changes for centuries to come. So, we are in a strange position where if we do not act in the next ten years to stop the emissions not only us, but our children will have to fact very dangerous consequences," he added.

Padmanathan went on to say that the most important thing that would happen in India is that Himalayan glaciers will disappear. The river Ganges on which 200 to 300 million people of this country depend will be a seasonal river. Even the sea level will rise.

Global warming threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people on the Indian subcontinent -- potentially one of the most seriously affected regions in the world.

Receding Himalayan glaciers could jeopardize water supplies for hundreds of millions of people and rising sea levels menace Indian cities like Mumbai and Kolkata, as well as neighbouring Bangladesh, scientists warn.

Nobel laureate RK Pachuri spoke at length about the harmful effects of global warming at a recent book release function.

Speaking on this topic, he said, "We have now reached a point where the damage and the danger of this are inherent and unsustainable. The danger is not something that is far away, it is something that is happening now."

He said its impacts were largely negative, as they were "cumulative." (ANI)

Labels: Science

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has come down heavily on the Chennai corporation for its deficient planning in collecting property tax. Incorrect classification of non-residential properties as residential properties or partly residential as residential had resulted in a loss of Rs 41. 79 crores in property tax, the CAG report said. There were as many as 11,042 properties, which were partly non-residential and partly residential as per Chennai Metrowater norms, but were treated as fully residential areas by the corporation for taxation purpose.

Labels: Chennai, News

Puducherry, Oct 22 (ANI): A Puducherry Sessions Court today deferred the hearing of the Sankararaman murder case to November 26, in which Kanchi Sankaracharyas, Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi are the main accused. Only eight among the 24 accused were appeared before Principal District Sessions Judge D Krishnaraja. Those, who were absent, included Jayendra and Vijayendra. The Judge then postponed the hearing to November 26Charges of murder have been filed against Jayendra, Vijayendra and 22 other accused.The seer and the co-accused have also been framed with charges of criminal conspiracy, misleading the court by giving false information to protect the offenders and criminal trespass. Sankararaman, Managing Trustee of the Lord Varadaraja Perumal temple at Kancheepuram, was murdered on September 3, 2004, allegedly at the behest of the accused. (ANI)

Labels: News, Puducherry

Twelve persons, including nine men and three women and a ten-year-old boy were killed when a 30-year old building of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board collapsed at Ukkadam here on Friday. Another 11, (eight men and three women) who were injured have been rushed to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital here. The dilapidated structure collapsed on Friday at 6.30 p.m after a heavy downpour lashed Coimbatore city.

Labels: News

Chennai, Oct 21 (ANI): Union Shipping and Surface Transport Minister T R Baalu today asserted that the controversial Sethusamudram project would be completed by November 2008, and the first ship that will cross the Adam's bridge would be flagged off by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The project will be completed in November next year and the first ship will be flagged off by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi," he told reporters here. On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal had said that the UPA Government would abide by the Supreme Court's verdict on the multi-crore-ship channel project.A fresh row erupted last month after the Central Government filed a statement before the Supreme Court on the project, saying that Hinduism's most important texts are not proof of the existence of Hindu gods.But the Congress party led ruling coalition backtracked on the 'affidavit' the next day and sought three months time from the apex court to file an amended one, following threats of nationwide protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Hindu groups have been opposing the 560 million dollar project, saying it would destroy the 'holy' Ram Sethu, a 48-kilometre chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka.According to the Central Government, research has shown that the Ram Setu was a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation, but according to Hindus the narrow link, also known as Adam's Bridge, was built by Lord Rama. The Sethusamudram Project will dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and cutting costs for freight traffic for ships moving from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. Dredging for the project began in 2005, and the channel -- 12 metres deep, 300 metres wide and almost 90 km long -- will provide a crucial link between the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar once completed. (ANI)

Labels: Chennai, News

The Tamil Nadu Assembly temporarily disqualified AIADMK member A.K. Bose representing Thiruparamkundram constituency for insulting the House by throwing a cap on Speaker R. Avudaiappan. He has ceased to be an MLA till the first 10 days of the next session of the Assembly, a resolution adopted by the House said. When the AIADMK members protested the privilege motion against party general secretary Jayalalithaa on Thursday, Mr Bose had snatched the cap from a watch and ward staff and thrown it at the Speaker. If throwing a cap at the Speaker is a crime, snatching a cap from the watch and ward staff is a more serious crime. Insult to the Speaker is an insult the House. He has lost the morality to continue the member of the House. If he is allowed to continue as a member it will not augur well for democracy, said leader of the House and finance minister K. Anbazhagan, who moved the resolution.

Labels: Politics

Coimbatore, Oct 23 (ANI): Civic authorities of Coimbatore today began a demolition drive of old residential buildings following a building collapse in which at least 13 people were killed.The last block of the 30-year old three-storeyed building located near Ukkadam in the heart of the city collapsed on Friday following heavy rain.In order to avoid a similar mishap, the district administration has initiated a drive to demolish around 650 remaining old, dilapidated residential buildings in and around the city."We have advised the people to vacate. We've made temporary arrangements for them to have food etc. in corporation schools. They have to make alternative arrangements for accommodation during this short period. Government has sanctioned 200,000 rupees as compensation for those who died and 25,000 rupees for those injured and 5000 rupees as relocation allowance for people in Vincent Colony," said Neeraj Mithal, District Collector, Coimbatore.While the demolition of 352 buildings has begun, notices have been issued to the residents of another 298 houses belonging to the Tamil Nadu state housing board.Twenty-four families with about 50 people lived in the building that collapsed, killing 13 and injuring several others.Tight security arrangements were also made in view of the demolition drive in the area. (ANI)

Labels: Coimbatore

Chennai, Oct.19 (ANI): An AIADMK legislator has been suspended by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly till first 10 days of its next session for "bringing disrepute" to the house by snatching a cap from the watch and ward staff and hurling it at the Speaker. Leader of the House K Anbazhagan moved the resolution to suspend A K Bose who represents the Thiruparakundram Constituency for the Thursday's incident in the house.A resolution to this effect was unanimously passed by the House in which members of all parties, except AIADMK, MDMK and DMDK, were present.During the suspension period, Bose will not get any privileges, including the salary, accorded to an MLA.Anbazhagan said the AIADMK MLA snatched a cap from a watch and ward staff and hurled it at the Speaker R Avudaiappan, lowering the dignity of the chair and the house.He said the punishment was being meted out to "establish sovereignty of the assembly".Though all members wanted maximum punishment of disqualifying the MLA, the minimum punishment was awarded following Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's request, he said.Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the house on Thursday when AIADMK members made a vociferous protest against the privilege issue raised against the party supremo Jayalalithaa by Local Administration Minister M K Stalin.The house had also passed a resolution suspending all AIADMK MLAs for the rest of the current session. (ANI)

Labels: Politics

Chennai, Oct 17 (ANI): Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said that she would approach court to seek more protection, a day after an intruder was found inside her Poes Garden residence.The intruder was seen approaching the leader’s room when an alarm was raised by Sasikala, leading to the youth’s detention. The youth claimed that he was trying to meet the leader for getting employment."It was due to God's grace that I escaped yesterday,” Jayalalithaa today remarked at a press conference here, and questioned, “Will anyone seeking job come straight to the first floor of my house? How did the police personnel posted on security duty admitted him in?" She termed the Tuesday’s incident as a ‘sinister occurrence’, and indirectly hinted to a conspiracy launched by her political rival, the ruling DMK.“I (have) came to know that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had recently advised his son and heir apparent M K Stalin to keep the present alliance intact till the next Assembly elections,” she said. Quoting her sources, Jayalalithaa claimed that Karunanidhi told his son, "If by any chance, you allow her (Jayalalithaa) to come back to power, you may have to suffer.” “To which Stalin replied that it is to happen only if she is alive at the time of next elections,” Jayalalithaa added. Jayalalithaa was provided with 'Z' plus security by the previous NDA Government in view of perceived threat to her life from Tamil extremist groups. (ANI)

Labels: Politics

Chennai, Sept.6 (ANI/Business Wire India): Chennai-based Huclin Research Limited (HRL) has acquired an order for contract research worth Rs.16 crores from US-based MNC. "Since we are contractually bound by an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), we are unable to reveal the name of our client," said Dr. Mahalingam Vasudevan, Executive Director, Huclin Research Ltd. (HRL). "Our research on the current contract will include Bio-Equivalent Study and Method Development. To fulfil contractual obligations, HRL requires 50 percent of resource utilization. And moreover, 15 Indian and six global companies have audited our infrastructure and we look ahead to two to three orders by this year end," he added. “In the next three years, close to 40 billion dollars worth of drugs will be coming out of their patent period globally. A fact, that augurs well for the industry. In the near future, we expect a sizeable chunk of this business," he said further. (ANI)

Labels: Business

Washington, October 8 (ANI): Chennai-based scientists have discovered a way to make the process of tanning, which is used to transform perishable raw hides and skins into durable leather, far more eco-friendly. The complex chemical process used during tanning causes the discharge of high levels of pollutants into the water. Raghava Rao and his colleagues at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Adyar have now found a cost-efficient method whereby tanning procedure can be made eco-friendly. The researchers say that simply reversing the order of the tanning and post-tanning steps can drastically improve the process. They also say that promoting non-chemical-based pre-tanning methods may help reduce the amount chemicals released by 82 per cent, and make an energy saving of nearly 40 per cent. “The significance is tremendous in the context of environmental challenges being faced by the leather industry,” Rao said. He also revealed that their methods did not reduce the leather quality when compared with conventional tanning methods. The method has been reported in ‘Chemistry & Industry’, the magazine of the SCI. (ANI)

Labels: Science

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Oct 17 (ANI): Forest officials in Tamil Nadu have initiated a drive to regularize and register captive pachyderms in the State by implanting microchips into their skin.The technique, officials said, will give the elephants a unique identification number that will help prevent manipulation of records, check elephant poaching and further domestication of wild animals.The concept will also help the forest authorities in making periodical assessments of the status of the elephants, as well as formulating policies for the protection of the captive pachyderms."In accordance with the directives of the Union Ministry and the warden's order, micro- chipping of elephants in Tamil Nadu has been taken up," said Manoharan, a forest veterinary officer in the state.Approximately 50 per cent of elephants have been embedded with the chip under this drive till now. The microchip, which is of the size of a rice grain, has a 10-digit number inscribed on it and it is inserted behind the left ear of the elephant.Home to 50,000 elephants a century ago, this population has dwindled to just 21,000 in India.Conservationists say the elephant population has fallen rapidly in recent years because of human encroachment into forest areas.The microchip embedded in the body of the animal will remain throughout the life of the animal and will not pose any health hazard."It is also a bio-compatible material which does not affect the animal at all, so there is no health hazard. Once inserted, the chip will remain embedded in the body of the elephant throughout its life time," added Manoharan.Elephants are deeply revered in India, with the elephant-headed god Ganesha being one of the most popular in the Hindu pantheon.But despite their divine status, not all are lucky and hundreds continue to be ill-treated and overworked at illegal circuses and temples where they spend 9-10 hours ferrying tourists and locals and some are also killed by poachers for ivory. (ANI)

Labels: Coimbatore, Science

New Delhi, Oct 22 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil will visit Puducherry on December 21 to inaugurate the Jawaharlal Nehru Science Exhibition. The science exhibition is being organised by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) and the Union Territory Administration. According to official sources, children from different parts of the country will come under one roof to exhibit their scientific inventions. This will be the first visit of Patil to the Union Territory after taking charge of the top post a few months ago. (ANI)

Labels: Puducherry, Science

Puduchery, Oct 7 (ANI): A team of seven engineering students at an all women poly-technique college in Puduchery has designed a mobile phone charger that generates electricity from wind energy. This wind-powered mobile charger replicates the wind turbine principle and consists of a fan, plastic box, battery back up, cordless phone battery motor and charging circuits.

"The turbine consists of a DC generator with a fan that will generate current in your generator. That generator current is stored in battery, internal battery in our project. That battery will again charge our mobile phone battery," said J. Gandhi Mohan, lecturer at the Electronics and Communication Department of the college.

The charger is claimed to prove a major help for train and bus commuters who take up long journeys but fail to locate any socket for recharging their cellular phone batteries. "During traveling, we can use this (charger).

There is no external DC supply to charge a mobile phone. During the train, bus or other journeys, we can use wind to charge this mobile phone," said Ashta Lakshmi, a student and one of the designers of wind powered mobile charger. This model has bagged the first prize at a competition organised by the state ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

India produces 845 megawatt (mw) of wind energy annually, a miniscule portion of its total power generation of 100,000 megawatts, which is nearly 12 per cent less than total demand. (ANI)

Labels: Science

Chennai, Oct.22 (ANI): At least 100 girls belonging to the scheduled caste and schedule tribe communities from rural areas are being trained for Air-hostesses’ job under a course started by the Tamil Nadu Government in association with the Air Hostess Academy (AHA) here.

Affiliated to the Cambridge University, the Air Hostess Academy has offered two—one-year and two-year diploma courses—for young girls. After completion of the respective course and initial training, the girls will be eligible to become air-hostesses. The job would fetch them a handsome salary. “This is the first time that the Tamil Nadu Government has announced this scheme. It is going on in a very good way.

It is being monitored directly by the ministers and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Dravida Association. They monitor it through personal interactions with students and inspections," said Kannan, the Manager with the Air Hostess Academy in Chennai.

"During last six months, there have been a lot of students who have been placed in the airlines industry also. Nearly 20 students have got the job in the airlines and they have started working for these companies,” Kannan added. The air-hostess course is a part of the Tamil Nadu Government's initiative to provide better opportunities in aviation, travel and hospitality for the girls from rural and tribal communities under the banner of The Adi Dravida Housing and Development Corporation Limited (TAHDCO).

Many students at the Air Hostess Academy opine that the course has instilled confidence in them. "This is really a good step taken by the Tamil Nadu Government. I have got to learn a lot more things and have experienced a lot during this time. I am thankful to the Tamil Nadu Government," added Sowmiya, a student of AHA. "This Academy is teaching a lot of things to us. We are learning international languages like German and we are improving our skills," said Arati Vidya, a student of AHA. Parents of the students are happy, as they believe their daughters will have a better standing in society.

"I wanted my children to have higher studies and take up a good job. They got this with the help of the Tamil Nadu Government. It will add to our family’s prestige. My daughter's lifestyle has changed. It makes me really happy," said Gunashekar, father of Sowmiya. Authorities at the Air Hostess Academy say that the earlier scenario when India had only two operators -- Air India and Indian Airlines-- has drastically changed with 17 more airlines operating 571 daily flights.

As such there is tremendous scope for career as an air hostess. The Tamil Nadu Government has sanctioned rupees one lakh for training of each student. Out of the hundred students at AHA, only 10 are from Chennai and the rest hail from interior and rural areas of Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelvali, Coimbatore, Tanjore and Thiruvalur. (ANI)

Labels: Chennai, Education

A 17-year-old college student was arrested by the police for filming his girlfriend having sex with him and later blackmailing her with it. He had sent the video to some of his friends on his mobile and threatened the girl and her father that he would post it on the Internet if they refused to cough up the money. Policemen attached to the cyber crime wing filed a chargesheet against the boy a few days ago at the Juvenile Magistrate Court in Kellys.

Labels: News

The police has stepped up vigil outside the Presidency College and have posted policemen at several other colleges in the city after the violence that broke out at the college on Monday. The situation has been brought under control. We have registered cases against some of the students and will be taking appropriate action, said deputy commissioner of police (Triplicane) M. Ramasubramani on Tuesday.

Labels: Education

An 18-year-old student, son of a city sub-inspector, doing his first year aeronautical engineering in a private college in the city, was allegedly beaten up by his seniors who ragged him in the college bus while they were returning from Pondichery. Fellow students admitted him to the Balaji Hospital in Guindy where he was given first aid.

Labels: Education

Chennai, Oct 23 (ANI): Greenpeace activists on Tuesday painted 'Cut Coal Save Climate' on a coal ship in Chennai to raise awareness about the environmental hazards arising out of coal burning.

The activists demanded strong action on the part of the authorities to reduce coal emissions to prevent further environmental damage.

"We need to reduce the increase in temperature levels to as much extent as possible. We need to keep the temperature rise under two degrees Celsius that has come out very clearly in the IPCC report," said Srinivas Krishnaswamy, Greenpeace activist.

Earlier, the activists had scaled a 250-feet smoke stack at the Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant in West Bengal to highlight the same threat.67 per cent of the country's total power is generated via thermal plants. India is the fifth largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world releasing around 1889 Million tonnes of it. (ANI)

Labels: Chennai, Science

Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu), Oct 2 (ANI): A two-year old sloth bear is receiving special treatment at a wildlife sanctuary in Kundha of Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu after it was electrocuted while trying to climb an electric pole to get to a honeycomb.

The wild bear, which weighs 140 kilograms, is struggling for its life even as officials and veterinarians of the Madumalai Wildlife Sanctuary make every effort to save it.

Rakesh Kumar Dogra, Wildlife Warden at the Madumalai Wildlife Sanctuary said the bear's condition was still critical though all care is being given."We are keeping our fingers crossed because its chances of survival are very bleak," Dogra said.

The bear had sustained serious burn injuries to its face and body after it was electrocuted last week."We immediately notified the electricity board and the forest department about the incident and they rushed here and took the unconscious wild bear for treatment," said Sabapathy, a villager.

Sloth bears are one of the four types of bears found in India. They are also found in the lowland forests of Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. (ANI)

Labels: Tourism

The Southern Railways has decided to install a high-speed ticket printing machine to cater to the passengers at prominent railway stations in Chennai to reduce the time spent waiting in long queues for a rail ticket. According to sources they had received many complaints from commuters, who had to wait in long queues to buy a ticket. Ten prominent city railway stations, which see a heavy flow of passengers, would be identified for entry into the database of the new centrally installed system, which they would be able to access when issuing tickets.

Labels: Tourism

The state tourism department has embarked on a project to popularise the contribution of freedom fighters of the state by organising tours to their birthplaces.The birthplaces have memorials, which include houses in which they were born and many of them have forts of historic significance. The department has identified the five southern districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Madurai and Virudhunagar to launch the Freedom Fighters' Circuit.

Labels: Tourism

Busy suburban railway stations like Avadi, Tambaram and Gummidipoondi, which are daily being used by more than thousands of commuters, will soon be converted into junctions, said union minister of state for railways R. Velu. The minister said that the ongoing construction work at the Velachery railway station would be completed before the end of this month. The MRTS service from Thiruvanmiyur to Velachery would become operational once chief minister M. Karunanidhi gives a date for the inaugural ceremony.

Labels: Tourism

Prompted by CPMs temple entry programme for Dalits, hundreds of party workers of Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchigal led by its leader Thol Thirumavalavan attempted to stage a forced entry into the Draupadi Amman Koil in Salem where dalits are deprived of their right to worship. However, they were taken into custody and later released. Maintained by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) for the past four decades, the temple in Kandampatti that falls under the jurisdiction of the Salem Corporation has remained under lock and key since August following a simmering dispute between the dominant Vanniyars and the dalits of the locality.

Labels: Politics

Chennai, Oct 23 (ANI): World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand shared the limelight with Indian cricketers at the felicitation ceremony organised by the All India Chess Federation (AICF) here on Monday. Asian Chess Federation President Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifah Al Nahyan presented Anand with a memento, but the world chess champ was more than impressed to be in the company of former Indian cricket skipper Rahul Dravid.“The award was very touching and all in all it is a great reception. It was nice to meet him (Rahul Dravid). I also met other colleagues from sports. Many of my friends came from all over India. It was fantastic," Anand said.Along with Dravid, N. Srinivasan, the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former Indian cricketers Krishnamachari Srikanth and W V Raman, members of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association were also present on the occasion.Anand arrived in India on October 15 after winning the global tournament in Mexico City by beating a field that included eight of the world's top ten chess players.Anand, 37, replaced Vladimir Kramnik of Russia as world champion on September 29, winning the tournament on points after tying a match with Hungarian Peter Leko on the 14th day of the contest, which he dominated from the start.The Indian grandmaster had earlier won the World Championship in 2000, but some of the sheen was taken away from that win because the chess world at that time was split between two rival world bodies.This time there was no taking away from his feat as the rival organisations have come under the FIDE.Anand won the world junior title in 1989, becoming India's first Grand Master at the age of 16. (ANI)

Labels: Chennai, Sports

Chennai, Oct.6 (ANI): World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has been rewarded witha cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh for his latest achievement. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi announced the award for Anand. He also announced a total of just under Re one crore for 28 other sportspeople from the state. Anand, who learned the game at age six from his mother because his brothers did not have the patience to play chess with him, won his latest title in New Mexico City earlier this week. Anand became India's junior champion at 13 and at the age of 16, he won the senior title. He was the world's junior champion in 1987 and in 1991 he won the prestigious Reggio Emilia tournament ahead of the Russian masters Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.

In 2000, he became the first Asian to take the world title, but his victory was overshadowed by the chess world's two competing chess titles -- one by the International Federation of Chess and the Professional Association of Chess led by Kasporov.

The stocky, bespectacled Anand divides his time between Madras, the United States and Madrid -- his base for tournaments in Europe.He keeps himself physically fit with daily two-hour workouts, because while mental endurance is important, physical strength "can make the difference," according to Spanish grand master Leontxo Gracia.

During the world championship in Mexico, a marathon of 14 matches, Anand was at the peak of his craft. (ANI with inputs)

Labels: Chennai, Sports