Doctors slam WhatsApp home remedies for Nipah

Chethan.Misquith@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru: 25.05.2018

Boil six leaves of night-blooming jasmine (parijatha) in 200ml of water and prepare a 100ml kashaya. Add black pepper powder and three drops of lime juice. Consume the mixture thrice or four times a day; consume honey with onion extract regularly. This is one of the ‘home remedies’ against the Nipah virus (NiV) doing the rounds on social media.

While researchers are yet to find a cure for the deadly virus, messages on the ‘power of Indian herbs’ has caught the attention of social media users, especially WhatsApp.

“These home remedies should be condemned outright,” said Dr Srinivas Kakkilaya, a consultant physician. “Nipah is a serious infection involving the brain and it causes encephalitis. Such patients need immediate hospitalisation and intensive care. Most patients require artificial ventilation until the virus subsides.”

Kakkilaya claimed only one antiviral drug has proven effective so far. According to newspaper reports, the Kerala government has procured 2,000 such tablets and has ordered for another 8,000 tablets.

Dr Edmond Fernandes, CEO, CHD Group, also rubbished the home remedies. “Let alone any home remedy, there is no treatment for NiV,” he said. He urged the public not to believe such messages and refrain from circulating them.

“The messages circulating on social media and also the promotion of alternative forms of medicine to cure NiV must be ignored,” Fernandes said. “Any development of illness during such times is best attended to by the medical community only.”

Ayurvedic doctors, too, said there is no treatment as yet for NiV. “Any medicine has to satisfy certain criteria to be released in the market. There is no treatment for NiV in Ayurveda as yet,” Dr Gautham Alva of Alva’s Ayur Care said.

Fake alumnus in IIT circle cons students and faculty

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: 25.05.2018

The IIT community has raised alarm bells against persons who pose as its alumni and fraudulently garner loans, never to be repaid. Niladri Sarkar’s happens to be one such case. Sarkar socially engineered his way into the IIT circuit by claiming to have been a student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras at different points in time. Sarkar, who appears to be in his late 20s, even claimed to have pursued research at MIT .

“We have heard of an issue regarding some Mr Niladri Sarkar who appears to have made claims of doing MS under professor P K Das of mechanical engineering. Professor Das has confirmed that he has not supervised any such student by this name. We have accordingly intimated the police,” IIT Kgp director Partha Chakrabarti told TOI.

Before the fraud came to light, Sarkar had begun to add IITians as friends on Facebook and was extremely active on social platform Quora.

His answers on Quora about the “time” he had spent at IIT and his explanation on why James Bond liked his martini shaken and not stirred earned him 39,500 followers. Soon, he began to personally message first- and second-year IITians to seek financial help, and duped many who sympathised with him.

“A few months ago, when he was on the Kgp campus, he began to approach faculty members stating that he was an alumnus of IIT Kgp and willing to collaborate with alumni for his MIT project. However, when confronted by one of our alumni who suspected foul play, he took down most of these claims from social media,” noted the IIT Khg student body in its campus publication. When the concerned MIT professor was contacted, “it was also found out that his MIT claim was totally fake,” it added. When TOI contacted him, Sarkar said he was innocent and denied being an IIT Kgp alumnus.

“He would write to us saying that his mum’s funeral was taking place and he was short on funds or that his sister was applying to medical schools and she needed money for applications. Each time, he would promise to return the money next month,” said an IIT Kgp student who lent him ₹15,800.

IITians and former students have responded to IIT Kgp’s fraud alert. Students have also written to the dean of student affairs Somesh Kumar. When TOI contacted Kumar, he referred the publication to student vice-president Vishal Singh, who said, “We have received complaints from students on our campus and some people have contacted us from Bengaluru, too, about being conned. We are looking at collecting some additional documents and then filing a case.”

“I am among the many who have paid him money regarding his various emotional family issues, which have now been proved to be fraudulent. I have collected proof against him and contacted many people who are his victims. Money amounting to over INR 50,000 has been looted by him from one of our friends and many others have provided him amounts ranging from INR 1,000-30,000,” read a letter to the dean. “We helped him based on his interactions with us and the profile he had created for himself on social media platforms by masquerading as an IIT Kgp alumnus, which has been confirmed as false.”

“We now feel helpless and have therefore thought of requesting your attention in this matter. As a matter of fact, the image of IIT Kgp is at stake and a lot of money from different students has been fraudulently gathered in the name of trust,” the letter added.

Sarkar’s fraudulent claims included have three research papers, none of which are available online. He also claimed to have a Research Quality Index certificate showing a score of 100/100 in research and an All India Rank (AIR) 1, jointly issued by IIT Kanpur. According to him, this certificate is issued once in five years. However, there is no such index or program by any IIT or IISc. His Facebook profile displayed a mail from MIT dean expressing his willingness to participate in the Indian Research. Quality Index Conference to be organized by him at IIT Kgp. No such conference took place.

Madhavaram terminus to be opened in a month
Kilambakkam Bus Facility Still In Limbo

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai 25.05.2018

: The intercity bus terminus at Madhavaram for services to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is set to be inaugurated in a month, but the proposed facility in Kilambakkam for operations to the southern districts remains stuck due to lack of clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Officials said work at the Madhavaram terminus which has been built over an area of eight acres was completed at a cost of ₹95 crore.

The facility will have the capacity to accommodate 100 buses at any given time and will operate about 315 services to Tirupati, Nellore, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Puttaparthi, Visakhapatnam, Bhadrachalam and Hyderabad every day. Around 12,500 passengers are expected to use the facility on a daily basis.

CMDA officials said they had written to the ASI seeking its consent for the Kilambakkam terminus as a portion of the land is adjacent to a site under the purview of the custodian of centrally protected monuments. “We are yet to get approval from the ASI for going ahead with the construction,” a CMDA official told TOI.

The state government had initially earmarked 88 acres at Kilambakkam on the busy GST Road two years ago for establishing the satellite bus terminus before scaling down the quantum of land for the facility to 35 acres in the face of opposition from the ASI. However, ASI clearance is still required for a parcel of land.

A consultant is preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the terminus that will be built at an estimated ₹300 crore. The DPR, which is likely to be ready in a month, will also provide the design for the terminus that includes a dedicated location for Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses to pick up passengers travelling to different parts of Chennai.

CMDA officials said a plan to link the Kilambakkam bus terminus with the Urapakkam Railway Station through a subway is unlikely to materialise. Noting that the 500m distance cutting across GST Road includes a water body, an official said the subway was likely to be inundated during the monsoon. “So, this plan was not pursued. Also, no flyover can come up in the light of the proposed elevated corridor on GST Road,” the official said.

Experts are exploring options to connect the two facilities through other means. 

BRAVE ART OF MAKING BIOPICS IN A MINEFIELD OF CONTROVERSIES

Directors Need Artistic Freedom, Right Cast & Informative Script To Produce Successful Films

Neeraja.Ramesh@timesgroup.com 25.05.2018

Nadigaiyar Thilagam’, the biopic on yesteryear actress Savitri that recently hit the screens has received rave reviews from audience and critics alike for being a respite from masala movies. But Tamil film industry has not been quite forthcoming in making biopics.

Is it the industry’s inclination towards commercial scripts or filmmakers’ apprehension towards audience response to the genre that makes biopics a rarity? Experts say both are conjectures, especially when audience’s fetish for unrealistic cinema is passé. They say a filmmaker mulling a biopic today is more worried about the controversies it may invite and the legal hurdles he may have to face, than audience response.

Biopics like ‘Periyar’ (2007), ‘Bharathi’ (2000) and ‘Ramanujan’ (2014) may have not been hits, but they catered to niche audiences. The biopics inspired many to read about Bharathi and Ramanujan. After Periyar’s release, youth enrolled themselves in Dravidian parties.

Gnana Rajasekaran, director of the above films, also a three-time national awards winner, feels biopics give filmmakers an opportunity to use cinema as a platform to educate audience. “For ‘Bharathi’, I read close to 50 books. But not all had what I was looking for. Most had information that was already known, while some adulated the poet too much and some were too negative about him. I wanted a balanced account of Subramania Bharathi and lesser-known facts about him. If not for Bharathi’s relatives, the movie would have been a damp squib,” he says.

Abhinaya Vaddi, actor and grandson of Gemini Ganesan and Savitri, who played the title character in ‘Ramanujan’, says the content of a film has to be correct and convincing for it to strike a chord with the people. “When I signed ‘Ramanujan,’ people asked me why I was starting my career with such a film. But I felt it was the right start. I may not have become a commercial hero, but playing Ramanujan gave me immense satisfaction”

But, not all are bold enough to present a biopic in its truest form, says Khusbhu, who played the role of Maniammai in ‘Periyar’. “Art films do not get enough profits, hence the hesitation. Fringe elements were up in arms about my casting (as Maniammai), but the producer stuck to his decision. The movie made decent profits. I received compliments from the likes of Kalaignar Karunanidhi and Periyar’s grandson EVKS Elangovan. That was like receiving Oscars to me. But, the fact remains that if the right cast and script are in place, a biopic could be a filmmaker’s delight,” Khusbhu says.

Kutti Padmini, who is working on J Jayalalithaa’s biopic for an international firm, says directors and producers who make period films usually land up in courts due to opposition by political groups or relatives of the featured person.

Nag Ashwin’s ‘Nadigaiyar Thilagam’, for instance, has received its share of brickbats. Even as Gemini Ganesan’s daughter Kamala Selvaraj expressed her displeasure over her father’s portrayal in the film, Vaddi feels otherwise. Lauding the film, he says it had enough research material on Savitri to do justice to her character. “She (Kamala) is entitled to her opinion as a daughter but, I feel the movie has done justice to the character. In case of ‘Ramanujan’ we did not have enough material. The mathematician died when he was in his early thirties. The children of his friends helped us with the data which was sketchy,” he adds.

Inability to exercise their artistic freedom also discourages many filmmakers from doing biopics, feels Khushbhu. “Look at ‘Padmavaat’. How will producers explore sensitive topics if every period film is criticised? Trust and freedom in cinema is the need of the hour.”

For biopics to be accepted, Rajasekaran says, the Tamil film industry has to progress from being hero-centric to being script-centric. “Things have to change here. My own castings have been very low key. In ‘Bharathi’ for instance, I chose the lesserknown Sayaji Shinde for the role as I wanted to erase the image of S V Subbaiah as Bharati’s screen representative from the audience’s mind. My castings were widely appreciated.”

Email your feedback to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com 

Proximity alert helps pilot avert mid-air collision

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 25.05.2018

A proximity warning alert helped a pilot avert a midair collision on Monday as a Vizag-Bengaluru IndiGo aircraft and an Indian Air Force (IAF) airplane came dangerously close somewhere between Bengaluru and Chennai.

The IndiGo pilot steered away after the proximity alert sounded in the cockpit.

The aircraft came within 300ft of each other as the passenger jet entered Chennai flight information range on May 21, sources said.

A statement from IndiGo said: “An IndiGo flight 6E- 647 (Vizag-Bengaluru) was involved in a resolution advisory (RA) at flight level 24,000 feet at 9.50pm on May 21.”

“The pilot followed standard operating procedures. This matter was immediately brought to the notice of the regulator as per the prescribed protocol [and is] being investigated by the regulator,” it said.

RA is an auto-generated warning in the cockpit for the pilot to avoid collision. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) investigating the case. An AAI official said the aircraft approached each other closer to Bengaluru than Chennai but in the Chennai air traffic control space (flights above 20,000ft in the southern region).

Four women rob senior citizen of gold at temple

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 25.05.2018

A gang of four women cornered an octogenarian at a Vinayagar temple in Kanagam, Taramani, sprinkled some chemical powder on her and decamped with her gold chain last week.

The elderly woman in her police complaint said she blacked out for a few minutes. When she regained conciousness and returned home, she realised that her 2 sovereign gold chain was missing.

The police registered a case and launched a search for the suspects.

Police said Rejitha, 85, was from Kerala and is now residing in Kanagam with her son and daughter-inlaw. Last week, during a temple visit, a woman came forward and introduced herself as a native of Kerala. Rejitha told police that though the woman claimed to be from Kerala, her Malayalam was poor. At that moment, Rejitha momentarily blacked out. When she came to, one of the women was supporting her with a hand around her shoulders. When Rejitha objected, the group left the temple in a hurry. When Rejitha returned home and her daughter-in-law enquired about the chain, she realised that it was missing.

Preliminary inquiries reveal that the gang had targeted another woman, who runs a beauty parlour in the locality, the same day. But the woman sensed something was wrong and left the parlour in time to escape their trap. She saw the suspects walk toward the Vinayagar temple nearby, where the women targeted Rejitha.

The police have started to probe for suspects with past records and a similar modus operandi. The Guindy police registered a similar case against some women and arrested few of them, they found.

Central-airport metro ride to cost ₹70 

Cheaper Than Auto, Cab, Say Commuters

U.Tejonmayam@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 25.05.2018

Starting from Friday, a direct metro service between Central and the airport will cover the 25-km journey in about 60 minutes. The ride will cost ₹70.

Six stations on two key underground lines between Nehru Park and Central Metro and from Little Mount to AG-DMS will open on Friday, after missing deadlines by more than two years.

The direct service will operate across two corridors to link Central Metro and the airport as the stretch between May Day Park and AGDMS, which will link the airport through a single corridor, is yet to be completed.

“Though a direct train from Central to the airport will now take a roundabout route through Shenoy Nagar, Anna Nagar and Koyambedu, we will still spend less time and money when compared to taking a cab or an autorickshaw,” R Sundar, a regular commuter, said.

Central Metro will link passengers heading out of suburban and MRTS stations as well as Chennai Central Railway Station, where long distance trains stop, to CMBT and the airport. Commuters arriving at Egmore Railway Station by long distance trains can also take a ride from Egmore Metro to the airport for ₹60. A ride from Egmore to CMBT costs ₹40.

Ticket fares in the city are the second highest among all metro rail services in the country but have been capped at ₹70.

“Considering future expansion, the ticket fares were capped at ₹70 because hiking fares later will be difficult and could also result in loss of patronage,” a former metro rail official said.

At Central Metro, the upper track, connecting corridor 2 between Central Metro and St Thomas Mount, and the concourse level will be opened. The lower track linking Washermenpet to the airport via Anna Salai is not yet ready.

Along with the line linking Central, a part of Anna Salai between AG-DMS and Little Mount covering 4.5km will also open. Commuters can take a ride from DMS to the airport for ₹50. Commuters on the Central-St Thomas Mount route can shift corridors at Alandur metro and head towards AG-DMS.

The new lines are part of phase-1, which is partly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A release from the Japan consulate-general here said the metro rail services will be punctual, have high frequency and provide passenger comfort. “Japan feels a sense of pride in supporting the construction of the Chennai metro,” it said.