Rs. 8 crore to reprint Tamil University publications

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THANJAVUR, APRIL 25, 2019 00:00 IST

The State Government has allocated Rs. 8 crore to reprint publications brought out by the Tamil University.

So far, 452 books on various topics and collection of research papers presented in workshops or seminars conducted by the university including books on ‘Bharathiyar poems’ have been published. Books on Subramaniya Bharathi regarding business activities of Tamilians during Sangam period, inscriptions of Chola and Nayak have elicited good response from readers.

Though more than 450 publications have been brought out, only around 250 were available for sale as on date. The government will release fund in four equal instalments over the next four years for reprinting all books and making them available for sale for the benefit of students, researches and book-lovers, Vice-Chancellor G.Balasubramanian said.

It has been proposed to re-print 225 books / publications this year using the government fund and the excess fund, if available, would be used to publish new books. New books and collection of research papers on various topics numbering around 20 were under print apart from 10 publications brought out already during this year using Rs. 13 lakhs received from the University Grants Commission, he said.

Inaugurating the New Year sale of university publications at half-the cover price at the Publications Depot at the Palace Complex here on Wednesday, the Vice-Chancellor said that the book on Copper plate inscriptions of Maratha period was the first publication brought out by the university.

The half-the cover price sale during the fortnight long New Year sale and the month-long sale coinciding with the Foundation Day of the university and birth anniversary of former Chief Minister, C.N.Annadurai (from September 15 to October 15) last year had fetched Rs. 3.50 lakhs to the university as more than 5000 books/publications were bought by book lovers, students and researchers during the 45-day period.

In all, the Publications Division earned Rs. 10 lakhs through sale of books and periodicals during the entire last year.

The New Year half-the cover price sale would be conducted at the Tamil University Publications Division, Palace Complex, Thanjavur, from April 24 to May 8 between 10 a.m. and 5-45 p.m. on all days except on Sundays and government holidays.

Kabaddi to help keep children in tenements off bad habits

Vivek Narayanan

CHENNAI, APRIL 25, 2019 00:00 IST

Healthy diversion:Children at a kabaddi class.

After Perumbakkam, TNSCB plans to take the initiative to other settlements

Fear of their children picking up bad habits has always haunted residents of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenements.

To help teenagers steer clear of the vice trap, the board has now started kabaddi coaching classes for boys and girls.

“The lack of recreational facilities in the colonies put our children at the risk of picking up bad habits,” said Abirami, a resident of Athipattu TNSCB settlement.

To address this issue, TNSCB held a meeting with de-addiction centres, NGOs and police officers recently. They decided to roll out various measures including introducing sports activities and counselling programmes. “We have initially started kabaddi coaching for the boys and girls in Perumbakkam,” said a TNSCB official. “As of now we have started summer coaching in Perumbakkam for kabaddi. Over 20 girls and close to 30 boys are taking part in the camp,” said V. Sathyaseelan from Don Bosco Anbu Illam, which is coordinating the training programme. “Sports will surely deter the children from getting into bad habits,” he noted.

More to come

Similar coaching is also planned at other resettlement colonies including Navalur and Gudapakkam. “We have to improve the playgrounds in the colonies and install goalposts . After this we will start football coaching. Following this, we will hold matches. This will also help the children secure admission to colleges and land jobs through sports quota,” the TNSCB official said.

TNSCB is also planning to hold counselling sessions for children to prevent them from picking up bad habits. “We will be doing this with the help of de-addiction centres and NGOs,” an official said.

Jio overtakes Airtel as India’s No. 2 telco

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:25.04.2019

Nearly two-and-ahalf years after launching mobile phone services, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has overtaken Bharti Airtel’s subscriber base to emerge as the second-largest telecom company in the country.

Jio, which has a customer base of 30.6 crore, now trails only Vodafone-Idea. Airtel has 28.4 crore subscribers while Vodafone-Idea had announced that it had 38.7 crore subscribers in December 2018.

Airtel’s numbers were confirmed by a company spokesperson after TOI sent a query on Tuesday evening.

A telecom industry analyst said that the pace of growth of Jio’s subscriber additions may see the company overtake Vodafone-Idea in the coming quarters. “Vodafone-Idea is the most vulnerable of the three private players in the market, and it may just be a matter of few more quarters, may be three-four, before it is overtaken by Jio,” the analyst said, requesting anonymity as he advises many telecom companies.

For Sunil Mittal’s Airtel, which dominated the Indian telecom space for almost two decades, the fall has been dramatic – it used to be the market leader till the middle of last year before being edged out by the new entity that formed after the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.

The meteoric growth in Jio’s business since it launched services in September 2016 has been fuelled by aggressive and dirt-cheap consumer tariff plans with the company launching operations with free voice call facility. “The remarkable growth of Jio has been unprecedented and the company is expected to dominate the customer acquisition space through aggressive and innovative tariff plans, including bundling of content packages,” said Mohan Shukla, CEO of FinX-Pros, a consultancy firm.

Jio has been adding subscribers at breakneck speed at a time when Airtel and Vodafone-Idea have been weeding out low-paying users. According to a report by JP Morgan, Jio added 2.7 crore new customers between January and March 2019, after logging in 12 crore new members through 2018. Importantly, the company continues to lead the data space through its 4G-only business, and is actively scouting for more customers with cut-throat tariffs. “… we see no prospects of a tariff hike in FY2019-20, unless Jio’s net-additions (of subscribers) come down,” JM Financial said in a just-released report. Jio’s aggressive entry into the telecom business – in Mukesh Ambani’s second avatar in the mobile space – had unshackled the financials of the industry completely. Airtel, which had initially accused Jio of engaging in “predatory pricing” to gain market share, has seen its domestic operations slip into losses, while Vodafone India and Idea were forced to strike synergies and lower operating costs.

In ‘fire season’, poor quality gadgets worse than having nothing
A.Subramani@timesgroup.com

25.04.2019

Summer is the season of fires, and fire safety specialist Khalid Al Khatib shudders to enter highrises with low quality fire safety devices. Uncertified safety gadgets, poor legal backing, absence of training and education, besides weak enforcement have meant that almost every highrise in the country is a sitting duck for fire-related disasters, he said, during a recent visit to Chennai. “Not having any fire safety equipment is better than having substandard equipment,” said Khatib commenting on fire safety in most buildings, including star hotels in Chennai. A random check in the hotel he was staying revealed that the fire emergency door was locked.

The chief executive officer of NAFFCO, a global fire safety firm, tells TOI in an interview that though Tamil Nadu is progressing in all sectors — commercial, residential and industrial — it is not able to fortify its properties from fire accidents.

What does India need to do on the fire safety front?

Price for quality fire safety gadgets and mechanism is less than 3% of the overall building cost. So, stop all unapproved and unlisted products and use products approved by international laboratories. Strict application of NFPA codes and imposition of hefty penalties on violators is needed. No approval should be given for occupancy of a building unless these norms are met. There should be dedicated fire inspectors for approvals. In some countries, I have seen uncertified products being the cause of a fire — due to poor quality of fire alarm cables and panels. Such gadgets have caused the fire instead of detecting the fire.

India is cost-conscious. Do you have any India-specific strategy in mind?

People across the world are economical, but quality too is important. Will you buy an ‘economical’ car, if you are told the brake system may not be effective? Safety is crucial. Yes, we can provide economical equipment, but approved products come at a price, especially since labour cost, logistics and infrastructure is competitive here.

What is the venture proposal you have in mind?

We are here to set up a factory for certified fire protection equipment and systems in India with state-of-the-art engineering. NAFFCO will provide training and begin the journey.

How about your commitments to awareness and training?

Due to the serious nature of fire and its consequences, we takes it as our moral responsibility to educate the public and train engineers on fire safety and the latest technologies to combat it. NAFFCO conducts fire awareness campaigns in malls and parks to teach public how to use a fire extinguisher. We also conduct fire simulation training, drills and evacuation plans for residents of highrises, and for families and children. We have NFPA certification courses for design engineers, consultants and authorities. Also, we have courses for fire safety inspectors, fire risk assessment and recognition of approved and unapproved products. These accreditation courses will help people update their knowledge about latest international techniques.

Khalid Al Khatib

BREAKING RULES TO EXERCISE RIGHTS

Is It A Sense Of Entitlement Or Fan Frenzy That Makes Celebrities Feel More Equal Than Others?
Neeraja.Ramesh@timesgroup.com

Chennai 25.04.2019

Cast your vote at any cost seemed to be the message of some Tamil Nadu film stars on polling day last week. While actor Sivakarthikeyan ‘managed’ to cast his vote despite his name missing from the voters’ list, actor Srikanth, who accompanied his wife, was also able to vote though his name was missing from the list. Theirs was hardly an honest vote and their social media posts about how they ‘fought’ for their right was hardly an example to emulate.

A video clip of the otherwise imageconscious Ajith Kumar jumping the queue to get inked and being confronted by irate women voters went viral. Actor Trisha, an ambassador of a plethora of social causes, came under criticism for having used her grandmother as an excuse to jump the queue. Her parked car blocking the entrance of the polling booth became a topic of discussion on social media. While Tamil Nadu stars seem to be setting a bad example for good conduct this election, in neighbouring Kerala, mega star Mohan Lal patiently waited in queue for an hour to cast his vote.

But in a country where fan frenzy is the norm, celebrity spotting during the biggest carnival of democracy is a reality. In the polling booths where film stars were supposed to exercise their franchise, voters made it their priority to get the celeb selfie right. In some polling centres a few fans were seen chasing actors for a click, while others posed as party workers to get close to them. So does the onus of making the actors feel more at ease around public not lie with the people as well?

The culture of treating actors like demigods could be the root of the problem. Observers say special treatment for celebrities works both ways, it is the entitled star as much as the star-struck fan who is responsible for the idolatry and mindset that no rules apply to them.

Actor-politician Khushbu says every citizen is expected to follow a certain decorum when it comes to places like polling booths. There are places like the airport where, at a premium, celebrities have the option of avoiding attention. The election process, which comes with great responsibility, is a leveller. “In the interest of one’s image and dignity it would be appreciated if celebrities have a responsible approach and follow due diligence during voting,” she says.

Popularity comes with a price, says film critic Subaguna Rajan. “It is hypocritical of actors to cast votes when their names don’t figure on the voters list. Jumping queues shows arrogance and disregard for commoners. It is unusual for Ajith Kumar to behave in this way. He is someone who stands apart from other celebrities and is known for his simplicity and straightforwardness. Perhaps, this time something could have triggered the actor or maybe officials at the polling booth could have wanted to avoid mayhem and forced him to exit the centre quickly,”

says Subaguna Rajan, who voted in the same booth as Ajith in Valmiki Nagar.

While poll officials who allowed actor Srikanth to vote have been taken to task and an election commission inquiry ordered, the actor in his defence says, “I went to do my duty at the booth in Saligramam. Yes, I did change my address and had submitted all the necessary documents. But after waiting for my turn for one-and-a-half hours was told that my name was missing. But officials told me I could cast my vote after I signed a ledger. If at all there is anybody to be blamed for this mess, it is not me but the election officials,” says the actor, who feels celebrities are soft targets.

Agreeing that the perks of being a celebrity also bring the responsibility of using it judiciously, Nadigar Sangam trustee Kutti Padmini says, “Using star power at the right moment is a judgment call. There is nothing wrong in waiting in a queue, but fan frenzy is also a reality. Unpleasant experiences force actors to be on guard. Now more actors come out to vote like any other citizen. This is a positive trend. Stray incidents should not be reason to paint a negative picture of actors.” Mobbing celebrities not only makes the situation uncomfortable for them but also puts them on a pedestal and makes them feel indispensable. A balanced approach perhaps can emerge if priorities are reoriented, she says. Despite repeated calls and messages to Nadigar Sangam president Nasser regarding the issue, there was no response.

Email your feedback to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com

I was tempted to take a selfie with Jyothika, who was with Surya and Karthi. Somehow, I overcame the temptation and did my duty. Actors are like any other professionals, we should learn to respect their space

— Jayanthi Srinivasan | VOTER

I went to the polling booth early in the morning. It is natural to get mobbed by fans who see us in person. But I waited in queue. If I didn’t want a selfie, I politely declined and if I was in a mood I agreed. I made sure I had all papers with me to avoid confusion

— Khushbu | ACTOR-POLITICIAN

Saw video of Srikanth voting: CEO
Had Earlier Said Actor Didn’t Vote

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.04.2019

Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Wednesday said he has sought a report from the Chennai district electoral officer on how actor Srikanth cast his vote in the Lok Sabha elections on April 18, though his name was not on the electoral rolls.

In a U-turn from his earlier statement that the actor did not vote, the CEO said he received a video showing Srikanth casting his vote in a polling booth at Saligramam in South Chennai Lok Sabha constituency. “We have received a video through WhatsApp showing Srikanth voting. Immediately, we forwarded the video to the Chennai district electoral officer asking for a detailed report,” said Sahoo.

He also said action has been taken against an official who allowed actor Sivakarthikeyan to cast his vote, though his name was also not on the electoral rolls. Sivakarthikeyan cast his vote in a booth at a school in Valasaravakkam. His wife’s name was on the rolls and she voted in the same booth. “Now that the vote has been cast, we will take it into consideration as part of the total account. Since the actor voted without his name on the rolls, we have informed the Election Commission. The EC has ordered departmental action against the official,” said Sahoo.

Experts said there are three options for the Election Commission during counting. “During counting, when the margin between the two leading candidates is wide, then the votes polled in the problematic booths need not be counted and the results can be announced by the returning officer,” said former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami.

The other option is to know to which party’s candidate the two actors had cast their votes. “This can happen only when the court says so. Even with the EVMs, we can know through a roundabout way to which candidate the actors have voted for and count all other votes except the two votes,” said Gopalaswami.

The last option is to go for a re-poll in the two booths. “The Election Commission must immediately order repoll in these booths so that there is no confusion during counting and see to it that the two actors don’t vote again in the re-poll,” he said.

DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan wanted the Election Commission to decide on the issue immediately. “Before the EVMs, such votes will be challenged and the ballot paper used to be kept in a separate envelope and not considered during counting. Since both the actors have polled their votes in the EVMs and it has been accounted for, it is for the Election Commission to take a decision on whether to order a re-poll,” said Elangovan.

Meanwhile, additional chief electoral officer V Rajaraman will be visiting Karur to check the security of the counting room after Congress candidate Jothimani filed a complaint seeking better security.

Not more than 40 students in a class, each person to have 10sqft space: Edu dept
Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.04.2019

The department of school education will from the coming academic year strictly enforce the Right to Education Act, 2009, on the number of children who can be admitted in a classroom. Officials said they will make it compulsory for schools to not have more than 40 children in a class.

“It is also mandatory that each student is provided 10 sq ft space as per the norms. This will help them concentrate better,” said an official.

Stuffing more students in classrooms will affect teachers in enforcing discipline and completing their portions early, he added.

The RTE Act prescribes a Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 30:1 and 35:1 at primary and higher classes in every school. Guidelines prescibed for school infrastructure by the Union ministry of human resource development mandate that each classroom have a plinth area of 66 sqmt and secondary schools should have two additional classrooms.

Officials said they will inspect schools across the state to ensure they do not take in more students than they can handle.

Rev Bro K K Thomas, principal and correspondent of Montfort Matriculation Higher Secondary School, said that when implemented, the directive can cause problems. The schools permit up to 50 children in higher classes and up to 40 at the primary level, When asked why, the principal said it was due to increasing demand for admissions. “We have been receiving a rising number of requests for admission from parents. If we deny, they use influence and recommendations from higher authorities. In such circumstances, we are helpless,” he said. “If this rule is implemented, we will need to have a detailed discussion with officials as we cannot drastically reduce our intake suddenly,” he said. “Apart from recommendations, many schools take in more students to get more income so they can pay their staff and meet their yearlong educational expenses,” said S Arumainathan, state president of Tamil Nadu Students and Parents Welfare Association. In such cases, the officials should have a proper interaction with principals of schools and come up with a viable solution, so that children are not affected,” he said.

“We have found that effective teaching is possible with a strength of 40,” said P Vijayalakshmi, principal of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Virugambakkam. She added that when more than two children are seated on each bench they are not able to pay proper attention, resulting in poor discipline and unhygienic conditions. “Many a time, the teacher also fails to remember the names of students when there are more number of students, which is not ideal. Children end up losing out on individual attention. It is laudable that the state has decided to monitor this aspect,” she said.