Naidu imparts lesson on hard work

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said that he would build his State and its new Capital through hard work and strategic thinking.

Addressing the students of SRM University at its 11th convocation here, Mr. Naidu recalled the challenges faced by Andhra Pradesh after a painful process of bifurcation. “We are left with a huge Rs 16,000 crore revenue deficit. We don’t have a capital city. We do not have infrastructure, nor do we have institutions. We do not have enough office space to work from,” he noted.

The tech-savvy Chief Minister said he had begun five campaigns focussing on poverty, farmers, schools, water and Swachch Andhra Pradesh.

“History has placed a great task on our shoulders. The people have given me a mandate to lead them from the front to build a new State. Andhra Pradesh is in the process of creating history. We are conscious that the entire world is watching how we are building our state brick by brick.

And how are we meeting the challenges that history has placed before us? Hard work, strategic thinking, and good wishes from all of you will make us succeed in our task,” he said.

Stating that India has underperformed as a country over the last six decades, Mr. Naidu said that this century would be India’s century despite the huge challenges facing the country’s leadership.

“It is an exciting time for India. India is the most happening place on the globe today. People are saying that this is Asia’s century. I would like to say that this is India’s century. It should rather be India’s century. We need to make it India’s century,” he said.

“I feel if we drive our economy with deftness, we could be the number one economy in the world,” he added.

Urging the students to play a role in nation building, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said, “India’s future is on your shoulders. If you grow, India grows. If you innovate, India innovates. If you shine, India shines. If you build entrepreneurial culture, India becomes an enterprising nation.”

Trichy feasts on turkey biryani this Diwali Gokul Rajendran,TNN | Nov 8, 2015, 12.47 AM IST

TRICHY: Like every year, this time too the foodies in town are lapping up their favourite Diwali delicacy — turkey biryani.

This specialty dish is trending in Trichy now with several restaurants offering the tasty festive treat to customers for the next few days till Diwali.

Unlike other cities in Tamil Nadu, Trichy restaurants have been following the trend for nearly two decades now after a restaurant in Palakkarai introduced turkey biryani, people say. "It has been nearly 20 years since turkey biryani has become famous among the food lovers in Trichy city. A paratha stall in Palakkarai was the pioneer. Since then, there is a craze among people to have the mouthwatering dish," says B Kamal, a restaurant owner on Vayaloor road who sells a plate of turkey biryani for Rs150.

Turkey biryani is usually served at few high-end restaurants in normal days, that too in limited quantities, for a much price higher than for mutton and chicken biryanis. It is different during Diwali because several restaurants serve the dish. This time they are inviting customers with mouth-watering offers like — one tandori chicken free with one plate of turkey biryani for Rs 200.

The foodies say turkey biryani, brings to this city, in some form, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner hosted in the US and Canada in which roasted turkey is the centerpiece of the ceremony.

The restaurant owners in Trichy district buy turkeys from a few farms in areas like Kavalkaranpatti and some farms in Villupuram district.

"Turkeys are available in large numbers in Villupuram district where farm owners rear the bird for a year till Diwali. We order for the turkeys weighing 8 kgs to 10 kgs a few weeks before Diwali. The response in increasing year by year because people want to taste a new dish during the festival season," says A Dharmaraj, a restaurant owner in the city.

For the people in Trichy, tasting turkey biryani is part of the festival celebrations. "The shopping trip usually also include a visit to a restaurant which offers turkey biryani. We feel like we are missing something if we don't have it," says a shopkeeper S Reeta in the city.

Smartphones, double salary, home appliances for Noida maids this Diwali TNN | Nov 7, 2015, 04.54 PM IST

NOIDA: Noidawallahs have moved beyond the usual sari and sweets as Diwali gifts for their domestic help - some by choice and some out of fear of losing their maids. This Diwali, Noida residents have decided to be a bit more generous than usual. And no, we're not talking about their shopping plans, which are usually grand and equally chaotic, anyway. This time, it's the domestic help who are enjoying their generosity, with big bonuses and costly gifts. While some have demanded particular things, others have received more than what they had asked for. Noidawallahs tell us how they've planned to make Diwali special for their maids. While some have given in to their maids' demands for the fear of losing them, others have readily decided to be bade dilwaale this festive season.

Induction stove and mixer-grinder for Diwali:

If you were thinking of giving your maid an old pressure cooker you no longer use this Diwali, drop the idea. She might leave you for another home where the owners are gifting home appliances. Shruti Mittal, founder member of NoidaMoms, says, "Now, you can't give just a box of sweets and a few hundred bucks as Diwali gifts. The maids don't settle for that much. So, I'm thinking of giving my maid a juicer and a mixer-grinder as her Diwali bonus. Of course, the demand will be of a more expensive gift next year. But does one really have a choice? We can't do without our maids and can't afford to lose them."

Vineeta, a senior manager at an MNC in Sector 58, adds, "I usually gift my maid some new clothes, such as a sari or a shawl. But I felt that I needed to do more in order to thank her. She has been working for us for almost a decade now. So, I decided to gift her an induction stove because she keeps saying she doesn't get the time to cook for her own family after working all day at our home."

Ritu Singh, a resident of Sector 26, says, "Both my husband and I are working, so we are almost entirely dependent on our maid. Naturally, I can't afford to lose her. So, this Diwali, all her demands for a bonus have to be met. She has asked for a gift and not cash. So, I'm going to gift her a dinner set along with some utensils."

Smartphones for the tech-savvy domestic help:

But it's not always the fear of losing the maid that is driving Noidawallahs to shower gifts on their maids. Ananya Sharma, a resident of Sector 50, says, "A few people in my building are pooling money and gifting our maid a smartphone this Diwali. Basically, we want her to have a WhatsApp-enabled phone so that we can reach her easily. It's a gift for her and a convenience for us as well."

Divyangana, a resident of Greater Noida, says, "In Noida, maids are your lifeline, particularly for working couples. So, giving just a little cash for Diwali doesn't seem very suitable. I plan to give our maid a month's salary as a bonus. In addition, whatever firecrackers I buy for my children, I will buy exactly the same amount for her kids. After all, everybody should have fun on Diwali."

Ekta Singh, a resident of Sector 120, says, "I'm giving my maid a cycle as a Diwali gift in addition to the usual bonus of cash and sweets. Our biggest issue with her is that she comes to our house late very often because she lives some place far from our home. To solve that problem, I guess a cycle would come in handy. Moreover, it's convenient for her as well. She won't have to walk all the way."

BU announces search for new vice-chancellor TNN | Nov 8, 2015, 01.04 AM IST

COIMBATORE: Almost two months after the retirement of the former vice-chancellor of Bharathiar University, the search panel has announced the search for the new vice-chancellor on Saturday. The first advertisement was released in the newspapers and the announcement was made on the university's website.

The three-member search panel, headed by the Anna University vice-chancellor M Rajaram, met in Chennai on November 5, and decided to begin the process of searching the new vice-chancellor, sources in the university said.

"During the meeting, it was decided that the newspaper advertisements shall be released and applications from candidates shall be called for. The last date for submitting the application is November 27," said the source.

The next meeting of the search committee will take place in November end or December first week. "The applicants can send the resume to all three members of the committee. And, after November 27 a meeting will again be held to scrutinize the applications," a university official said.

According to the university sources, the responsibility of releasing the advertisements is given to the registrar K G Senthil Vasan. "The advertisements will be released by the registrar through the department of information and public relations," the source said.

As per the advertisements, any candidate not more than 67years, with minimum 10 year experience as professor or associate professor is eligible to apply for the post. If university sources are to believed, the entire selection process should be completed by January, and the new vice-chancellor should be announced in January or February next year.

Perungalathur: A traffic bottleneck, than a gateway TNN | Nov 8, 2015, 12.55 AM IST

CHENNAI: Perungalathur, considered the southern gateway to the city, offers everything apart from a smooth access to Chennai.

The GST Road from Tambaram and the Chennai Bypass Road converge here and traffic during peak hours moves only by inches. Such is the congestion that omni bus operators from the city to the southern parts are planning to take a detour and avoid the stretch. If the traffic snarls were not enough, residents at Perungalthur have to put up with noise and dust thrown up by vehicles.

"Omni bus drivers park vehicles here for hours together. The situation is chaotic in weekends as vehicles pile up from Irumbuliyur Bridge. It takes commuters nearly an hour to cross Perungalathur," said M Sakthivel of nearby Peerkankaranai.

S Renugambal, who owns a building next to the bus terminus, said: "Many have to bear the incessant noise as the drivers keep on honking. A bus bay should be constructed as there are only steel barricades and some drivers who are in a hurry remove the barricade and jump queue causing traffic jams."

Mohamed Samad a shop owner in Perungalathur said the trouble starts from early evening and at nights the omnibus drivers park their vehicles for long periods of time waiting for commuters and this leads to slow movement of vehicles on the main road and the situation is worst during the weekend''.

Some SETC drivers said after starting from the Koyambedu terminus they are held up at the Perungalathur bus stand for more than an hour as not only is the traffic a bottleneck, even passengers who book advance tickets fail to turn up on time.

has to wait for their turn. There is another problem with passengers who make online booking but do not turn up on time and repeated announcements over the public address system is another problem.

Commuters to southern districts who use the Perungalathur bus stand said the government should plan an alternate bus terminus beyond Vandalur and if necessary acquire land to build a new terminus to accommodate the rush and volume of buses.

Plea seeks CBI probe into admission process of a Bengaluru based medical college.... P Vasanth Kumar,TNN | Nov 7, 2015, 07.16 PM IST

BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court has ordered for issuing emergent notice to the state government, RGUHS, the CBI, Ananda Social and Educational Trust, which manages Dr Ambedkar Medical College and others in response to a petition seeking CBI probe.

Both the petitioners are residents of Bengaluru and claim that there are serious irregularities in the admission process of the medical college.

"There has been huge misappropriation of funds by respondents by indulging in fraudulent process of admission. The respondents have very strong political clout and the local investigating authorities will not initiate any action.

In spite of the second complaint with all material documents to prove the commission of offences by the accused named in the complaint by the petitioner, the local police have not registered FIR. Therefore the CCB, will not be able to conduct a fair investigation" the petitioners have said while pressing for CBI probe.

11 Indians held in Kuwait for holding 'noisy' puja TNN | Nov 8, 2015, 05.42 AM IST

MANGALURU: Holding a Sathyanarayana puja in a hall in Kuwait, around a fortnight ago, has landed eleven Indians in police custody there. The Indians - most of whom are from the coastal region - are members of the Navachethana Welfare Association, Kuwait. Members of the association, reports say , have been organizing the event for the past decade.This time, it is learnt, they did not apply for permission.

Indian ambassador to Kuwait Sunil Jain told STOI over telephone on Saturday: "Eleven men who were conducting a puja were taken in for questioning by police after the neighbours complained. All... are still under detention."

Diplomatic sources said that loud noise during the puja had attracted the attention of neighbours, who in turn called police.

Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, who is in touch with ambassador Jain in Kuwait, told STOI that according to his information, Kuwaiti authorities are not forthcoming with details of the incident.

"Kuwaiti authorities are not cooperating with the Indian embassy's request for information on their detention," she said, adding they were reportedly arrested for organizing a religious event without permission.

Quoting her interaction with Jain, Karandlaje said as per Kuwaiti law, a person arrested for any offence has to be produced before a court within 10 days. "They have been detained for 13 or 14 days now." They have not been produced in court yet."Jain also has no word from local deportation authorities on the fate of those detained, and on whether they will be deported to India, as is the norm there."

The only question Kuwaiti authorities asked organizers of the event, led by association president Ashok Kumar, was if they had organized a puja, Shobha said.

Those detained with Ashok Kumar are Yadav Poojary, Anil Kumar, Kumar Vamanjoor, Sathish Beluvai, Umesh Shetty , Arun Shetty , Prashanth Shetty and Purushottam Kukyan. "Their families are worried about their fate," Karandlaje said.

Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said in addition to raising the issue with minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj, he and Karandlaje have kept Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers Ananth Kumar in the loop. A nanth Kumar is monitoring the situation with Sushma," Kateel told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting on railway issues on Saturday. "The arrest of Indians from this part of the state is a matter of concern."

Kateel recalled that Swaraj had recently managed to get seven Indians arrested in the Gulf released, and hoped the puja organizers, too, would be freed at the earliest.