Ayyappa devotees from TN worry about restrictions at Sabarimala
A Few Have Decided Not To Go At All

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.11.2018

Devotees of Lord Ayyappa from Tamil Nadu, tens of thousands of whom trek to Sabarimala in Kerala each year, are worried about the restrictions there after a Supreme Court order allowed entry of women of all ages. Many who either made a visit after the SC order or plan one said this was the first time they had to book darshan time.

T Ramesh, a former bank official who has been going to the hill shrine for 40 years now, is a little apprehensive this time. The Tamil Nadu government has asked the HR&CE department to set up a help desk for devotees from the state, but many remain concerned.

“We generally go in a group from Chennai. This year I am going from Bengaluru with another 5 people. We are told we must stay in Vandiperiyar and can only go up to Nilakkal, the base camp for Sabarimala,” said Ramesh, who has booked tickets for darshan and bus travel from Nilakkal to Pamba. “The restrictions are not only about allowing women of all ages but also with regard to the way we raise slogans in the name of Lord Ayyappa. We are told we should not raise ‘gosham’ (slogans) and silently pray and get down. We are told not to stay beyond 7pm in the hills.”

T R Ananthapadmanabhan, who walks to the shrine every year from Chennai, hoped there would not be any hindrance. “During a visit in October, I was stopped by police but I told them I was alone and had come to visit my Lord. After a few minutes I was allowed in.” He has even trekked from Varanasi, a distance of more than 3,000km, a couple of times to create awareness on shunning plastic in the hills He plans a vist later this year, walking from Chennai, but fears it could be the last time because of the many restrictions. “Everytime I visit the temple, I do the sayana pradakshanam (rolling along n the ground in wet clothes). I hope I will be allowed do it this time,” he said.

A few others have cancelled visits. M Krishnan, a IT engineer who has been making the annual trek for 15 years, made preparations this year too. “After seeing the issue palyed out on TVs and reading newspapers, I decided not to go. I will visit the local Ayyappan temple. In future, if things are normal I will visit Sabarimala.”


UNDETERRED: Despite heavy rain pounding the Sabarimala region, the number of devotees visiting the hill shrine on Friday recorded a remarkable increase over the past couple of days, say officials

Pallavaram weekly market to shrink by one-third due to highways work

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.11.2018

The 180-year-old Pallavaram weekly market, where about 500 vendors of virtually everything from farm produce and pets and second hand electronic goods congregate on Fridays, will soon shrink to two-thirds its size.

The Cantonment Board, on whose land the market has been functioning since 2011 when it shifted from Bazaar Road, earns up to ₹2.8 lakh every market day. Now, the state highways department, which is planning a grade separator on GST Road, wanted the board to shift the market for construction of the traffic-easing facility.

Citing revenue loss, the board refused to vacate the market located along the Old Trunk Road near the newly opened PVR Cinema complex, but agreed to cut down its sizee by 30%.

“We agreed to bring down the market area from 870sqm to 620sqm, so that buses and other heavy vehicles using the stretch can move freely,” said a board official.

By reducing the market space by 30%, more than 150 vendors will not be able to setup their stalls here. “But we have to do this for the greater good of the public,” he said. The board had finalised hawkers’ tenders for the next 104 weeks only recently. For those violating tender norms, the board has recommended a fine of ₹25,000 and cancellation of licence in case of repeat offenders.

J Balamurugan, who sells coconut at the market, said they were already facing losses because of cyclone Gaja and this move would make things worse.

A highway department official said the grade separator has become a necessity. “To remove traffic congestion at IG Road junction and Alstom signal junction, the market has to go,” he said.

“I buy pare parts here at much cheaper price than the regular shops,” said R Kannan, a buyer at the market. For regular visitors at the market, it is part of their Friday routine.

“Shifting of the market from the other side of the road itself was a shock,” said S Sriram, who has been buying pigeons and pets from the market. “I can’t imagine it being removed.


FOR PUBLIC GOOD: The state highways department which is planning a grade separator on GST Road, wanted the Cantonment Board to shift the market for construction of the traffic-easing facility

TN split over UGC fiat on distance edu courses

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.11.2018

A public notice issued by the University Grants Commission, saying universities running unapproved open and distance learning (ODL) courses would risk getting regular courses de-recognised has divided opinion in Tamil Nadu. In the state, only University of Madras, Anna University, TN Open University and Alagappa University offer recognised ODL courses.

The rest of the public universities, under the purview of the higher education department, obtained a stay order on the earlier UGC directive and continue to offer the courses. The recognition is based on NAAC score of 3.26 and above, which these universities don’t have.

While some educationists feel the UGC notice, issued on November 20, is a step towards enforcing better quality of ODL courses, others feel it is an over-reach by the regulatory body .

The notice gives the link to the approved courses of the universities and warns that any deviation from the UGC (ODL) regulations 2017 and its amendments would entail withdrawal permission or recognition of regular courses as well.

Many feel the UGC is questioning universities autonomy. “This shows it is not trusting the institutions. How will this help maintain standards?” said a senior official from a TN university who sought anonymity.

Others said the notice was justified. Tirunelvelibased Manonmaniam Sundaranar University vicechancellor K Baskar said such strong regulations were needed to improve standards. “But UGC should give time for us to improve standards. Otherwise it would hamper running of courses, which would affect students in rural areas who are dependent on distance learning courses.”

University of Madras vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said they had complied with the UGC’s requirements.

Higher education secretary Mangat Ram Sharma said TN universities which did not meet the required standards had obtained a stay order, but were also working to comply with the regulations.

Rule that running unrecognised distance courses could risk getting regualr course derecognised unfair, say some

Tech Shorts

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro launched in India: Price, features and more
 
The device would go on a Black Friday sale on Mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Home on November 23 at discounted prices for its 2 variants.

IANS 
 
Thursday, November 22, 2018 - 15:54

Twitter / @RedmiIndia

Chinese handset maker Xiaomi on Thursday launched Redmi Note 6 Pro in India for Rs 13,999 for the 4GB+64GB and Rs 15,999 for the 6GB+64GB variants.

The device would go on a Black Friday sale on Mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Home on November 23 at a discounted price of Rs 12,999 (for 4GB+64GB variant) and Rs 14,999 (for 6GB+64GB variant).

"Redmi Note 6 Pro provides meaningful upgrades to the Redmi Note 5 Pro and we hope Mi Fans would be able to enjoy a truly innovative product from Xiaomi," said Anuj Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Xiaomi India.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with a 6.26-inch FHD+ IPS display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass.

There's a 20MP+2MP AI dual camera on the front and a 12MP+5MP AI dual camera setup on the rear with large 1.4µm pixels.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with Xiaomi's own MIUI 10 based on Android 8 Oreo.

"MIUI 10's optimisations mean that Redmi Note 6 Pro offers a bump in battery life as well as features including Wi-Fi passthrough and a completely revamped recent menu that makes best use of available screen space," the company said.

The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor and fuelled by a 4000mAh battery with support for Qualcomm "Quick Charge" 3.0.

The dual VoLTE feature in the device means that users would be covered on the connectivity front as well.

Both variants would be eligible for a discount of Rs 500 via HDFC credit and debit cards and EMI only during the Black Friday Sale.

Meanwhile, Reliance Jio would offer a cashback of Rs 2,400 and up to 6TB of 4G data on the purchase of the device.

Human Interest

A bunch of old letters and why letter-writing holds relevance
 
Every letter has a context, but when looked at many years later, they can actually stand for more than the purpose they were originally written to fulfill.

IANS 
 
Thursday, November 22, 2018 - 17:11
 


We live in an age when technology drives most of what we do in our day-to-day lives. And blessed as we are with tech boons such as smartphones and instant messaging applications, the subtle art of writing letter may seem outdated. But when it comes to giving expression to your deepest thoughts, words pulsing through electronic cables seem inadequate -- which is perhaps why letters retain their relevance and may never go out of fashion.

And two timely offerings -- one by former Indian minister, diplomat and parliamentarian K. Natwar Singh, and the other by prize-winning international bestselling author Simon Sebag Montefiore -- rekindle the joy of writing letters and bring to fore the nostalgia associated with this timeless practice.

In "Treasured Epistles", which released in late September, Singh, a man of many distinctions, states that his life has been enriched immensely by his gift for friendship and personal relations.

The letters also convey more than they were actually meant to. For instance, the letters written by Indira Gandhi, whose image in public memory today is largely based on the Emergency, reflect the kindness with which she addressed Singh.

Singh mentions briefly that he does not want to give the impression that she was soft or unaware of what was happening around her. "She was alert, vigilant, tough -- a state that could make one shiver. Her displeasure had a near paralysing effect on those who attempted to (double) cross her," he writes, acknowledging that life at the top can be lonely and describing Gandhi as one who enjoyed close friendships.

But there is a greater worry that Singh is preoccupied with.

"As a people, we are not given to preserving letters. Our indifference to history is one of the reasons for this shortcoming," he maintains.

His book features letters written to him by E.M. Forster, C. Rajagopalachari, Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru's two sisters -- Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Krishna Hutheesing -- R.K. Narayan, Nirad C. Chaudhury, Mulk Raj Anand and Han Suyin.

On a witty note, the former External Affairs Minister in Manmohan Singh's cabinet, shares that for some strange reason, he got along "exceptionally well" with older women.

"Not that the younger ones were neglected. Far from it. This is not, however, the place to elaborate on my love life," he states in the Preface.

"Written in History: Letters that Changed the World", on the other hand, opens with one of the most famous love letters of all times.

"My mistress and friend: I and my heart put ourselves in your hands, begging you to have them suitors for your favour, and that your affection for them should not grow less through absence. For it would be a great pity to increase their sorrow since absence does it sufficiently, and more than ever I could have thought possible reminding us of a point in astronomy, which is, that the longer the days are the farther off is the sun, and yet the more fierce," Henry VIII wrote to Anne Boleyn in May 1528.

By 1528, Henry was in love with Anne, 11 years younger than him. Although their affair had not yet been consummated, he was utterly enraptured by her, which is evident in his words.

Montefiore, the author, has been published in 48 languages, and in this volume celebrates the great letters of world history, creative culture and personal life. He has selected letters from ancient times to the 21st century and the writers vary from Elizabeth I, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela to unknown people in extraordinary circumstances.

In his note to the readers, Montefiore maintains that nothing beats the immediacy and authenticity of a letter and says that letters are "the literary antidote to the ephemerality of life".

All in all, both of these volumes are precious collectibles. Every letter has a context, but when looked at many years later, they can actually stand for more than the purpose they were originally written to fulfill. As is said often, sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone's door, and reading these offerings may inspire a reader or two to actually write one to a friend or beloved.

"Treasured Epistles" is published by Rupa, and is priced at Rs 500. "Written in History" is published by Hachette India, and is priced at Rs 599. They are available both online and in bookstores.

Sexual Harassment

Angry protests in Chennai SRM varsity after student faces sexual harassment inside campus
 
When the student complained to the warden about the harassment, she was asked to go change her clothes first.

Megha Kaveri
Thursday, November 22, 2018 - 23:33


As the rain stopped pouring over Kattangulathur in the outskirts of Chennai on Thursday night, hundreds of students of the SRM Institute of Science and Technology spilled on to the grounds raising their voice in protest. They were angry that a college mate had been sexually harassed inside the campus and college authorities had reacted with indifference.

Vidya*, a second-year undergraduate student had taken the elevator to reach her room in the sixth floor of hostel at around 3 pm on Thursday. To her shock, a man who was also inside the elevator started masturbating at her.

As she tried to stop the elevator and get out, the man blocked her path. Once the elevator stopped at the fourth floor, she screamed and ran out, looking for help.

The perpetrator, according to students, was a worker in the campus, who regularly uses the elevator and has access to the hostels in the campus. Speaking to TNM, one of the students who did not want to be identified, said that it took two to three hours for the authorities to scourge through the CCTV camera footage to identify the perpetrator. It was only then that the hostel warden believed the student's story.

“One of the first things that the warden told us was to change our clothes. She accused us of wearing short clothes implying that the girl deserved what she got. In fact the first response when we went to file a complaint was to go to our room, change our clothes and sleep. How can they be this insensitive?” asks Kripa*, another student, a friend of the victim.

When the warden refused to listen to their complaints, a bunch of students decided to take up the matter strongly.



Girls and boys from inside the campus came out of their hostel rooms to seek justice and demand action on the complaint. Despite the Director and the Registrar being in the campus, they did not listen to the students' plea and instead chose to ignore their questions, a student alleged.

“When we asked the Registrar to listen to us, he told us to send an email and left the campus. The Director said the culprit will be arrested soon, but when we asked if a police complaint had been given, he ignored our question,” says Anita*, a student who took part in the protest.

Not the first instance of inappropriate behaviour

Kripa* says that this was not the first time the workers in the campus exhibited inappropriate behaviour.

“There are a few rooms in our hostel, which has windows opening into the corridor. There have been a lot of instances when we have noticed workers peeking into our rooms in the night. We have complained about that also, but nothing has changed,” she says.

She also adds that the culture of blaming the girls when they take up such issues was highly prevalent amongst authorities, especially hostel wardens. “When we go and complain, we are told to cover up and not wear shorts,” she says.

Girls don’t feel safe inside the campus

Calling the campus unsafe, Anita says that girls are not allowed to venture outside the campus after 6.30 pm. “We are locked inside our hostel rooms based on a curfew, but then we are now not sure if we are safe even during daytime,” she rues.

Though the university website has information about the Internal Complaints Committee, many students in the campus were not aware who the members were.

As of late on Thursday night, the students are still out on the campus asking the university management to file a police complaint about the incident. Maraimalai Nagar police station under whose jurisdiction the University falls informed TNM that no FIR had been filed. "A complaint has not been received. Police officers have reached the spot and are conducting inquiries," said one police official.

*Names have been changed

SC Sets Aside Madras HC Order Awarding 196 Marks To Those Who Took NEET Exam In Tamil [Read Judgment] | Live Law

SC Sets Aside Madras HC Order Awarding 196 Marks To Those Who Took NEET Exam In Tamil [Read Judgment] | Live Law: ‘Because of a mistake in translation which could have been detected and avoided by the students, we find it unjust that all the students across the board who took the examination in Tamil have been awarded four marks for all the 49 questions without any reference to the answer of those questions.’ The Supreme Court …