Category Archives: Education

MGS hands over his library to varsity

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Historian M.G.S. Narayanan has donated the reference documents in his possession to the history department of the University of Calicut. The History Library at the university will now have an ‘MGS Collection’ comprising the Kozhikode-based historian’s entire collection.

The reference documents were collected by Mr. Narayanan during his historical pursuit stretched over five decades.

Pivotal role

He had played a pivotal role in the setting up of the university’s history department in 1963 at the Zamorin’s Guruvayoorappan College, Kozhikode.

When Calicut University was formed in 1968, the department was further expanded.

Reference section

A large number of documents on ancient Indian history, archaeology and Kerala  history are part of the reference section donated by Mr. Narayanan.

Among them are historical records of great value such as Travancore Archaeological Series, Ramavarma Research Bulletin, Indian History Congress papers, documents collected by historians of Japan, China and Europe, and compilations of T.V. Mahalingam and Noboru Karashima.

Mr. Narayanan also handed over several records of the British government throwing light on modern history and several reports of the Indian National Congress meetings.

A team of historians from Calicut University led by head of the history department P. Sivadasan accepted the collections from Mr. Narayanan at his house in Kozhikode.

Dr. Sivadasan said that the MGS Collection would be a great motivation for potential researchers in history.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Malappuram – April 18th, 2018

Now, ‘Hamari Malayalam’ comes out in a new avatar

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education
Launch of ‘Hamari Malayalam’ digital text book by Kerala Literacy Mision / Minister C Raveendranath releases digital version of the book

Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority has launched the digital version of ‘Hamari Malayalam’, the text book to teach Malayalam to migrant labourers.
The digital book was released by education minister C Raveendranath who handed over the CD to literacy mission director P S Sreekala at a function held here on Wednesday.

The digital book to be used at ‘Changathi’ (the particular project under the literacy mission) study centres and at junctions where migrant workers usually gather, by making maximum use of available electronic systems, will further popularize the project, said an official release from the Mission.

The digital book was prepared by animation and graphic design students of Aluva Marampally MES College, who were also the instructors of the model ‘Changathi’ project launched at Perumbavoor earlier, with the support of their teachers. The digital book comprises 10 lessons through which Malayalam is taught with the help of Malayalam and Hindi alphabets and words besides pictures.

The lessons are prepared based on the situations migrant workers might confront at their workplace and residential places. “Instead of going directly into alphabets and words, the students are made to learn Malayalam easily through life situations. The lessons are based on various sectors they interact continuously including food, health, travel and equipment,” the release said.

As many as 5,268 migrant workers in the state are now learning Malayalam under the project, which had begun at Perumabavoor with 432 students.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / TNN / April 12th,2018

Freedom fighter Madhavankutty dies

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Kozhikode :

Dr K Madhavankutty, freedom fighter and director of Bharathiya Vichara Kendram, died here on Friday. He was 93.

Madhavankutty was taken into custody for participating in the Quit India movement while he was studying for the intermediate. But he was released as he was a minor.

After completing medical education from the Stanley Medical College in Chennai, he joined as tutor in the same college. He was appointed as professor when the Kozhikode Medical College was established in 1957. Later he became the principal of Kozhikode, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram medical colleges. He was also the chairman of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Kozhikode.

He contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1984 from Kozhikode with BJP support. Again, he fought the assembly elections in 1991 from Beypore as an independent supported by both BJP and UDF. The strange political alliance is a point of debate in political circles even now. Madhavankutty had authored many books, including the autobiography ‘Mayillee Kanakaksharangal’.

He is survived by son C Jayaram and Dr C Jayasree. Cremation will be held at Puthiyapalam at 10am on Saturday. tnn

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Kozhikode News / TNN / March 30th, 2018

A life lived less ordinary

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Philanthropist V Damodar faced vicissitudes bravely and came out trumps on his terms

Sharjah, 1975: From a settlement with small palm-frond ‘arish’ houses hugging the creeks, the region, no more than a village-like city, was slowly moving towards development. That is when V Damodar landed there. In the 11 years he worked there, Damodar saw the Emirate grow into a centre of culture and industry, a growth in which he had a significant role.

“The Indian population, mostly Malayalis, in Sharjah was hardly 20,000. Only one restaurant there dished out Indian fare, which forced many like me to go to Dubai for lunch every Friday. There were just a few tarred roads and a couple of multi-storied buildings. I had to make adjustments to cope after having relocated from Bombay, a huge city even then,” says Damodar, who rose from humble beginnings to become the vice-president of GGP Group of Companies, one of the major business groups in the UAE.

This was a roller-coaster phase in Damodar’s life – along with success, fame and fortune, he slid down the road to desperation, forcing him to leave the Emirate, destroyed but not defeated.

Like his autobiography titled Fortitude, thoughts flow, unbroken, when Damodar talks. Shorn of political correctness and hypocrisy he allows memories to tumble. “Writing about my life was something I had not dreamed of. If it were planned I would have kept a diary. It was impulsive, the contents purely based on memories, and available records like photographs. There’s no attempt to edit my thoughts,” says Damodar, whose signal contributions include founding the Sharjah Indian School and Indian Association Sharjah.

As Finance Manager of the company, Damodar had to oversee numerous capital projects in keeping with the developments in Sharjah. “Almost simultaneously we were working on the construction of a modern airport and over a dozen high-rise buildings to be called Rolla Square. We had new divisions within the company and our Sheikh, who was the brother of the Ruler, was building a 11-storey tower for himself. Our organisation was also growing, diversifying into transport, aluminium, carpentry and also a travel agency, Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA). And all of them prospered.”

Founding the Indian Association Sharjah in April 1979 as a service organisation for the welfare of the community especially in Sharjah and establishing the Sharjah Indian School remain Damodar’s enduring contributions to the Indians in particular and the Emirate in general.

For the people

“We started the school on September 3, 1979 with 346 students and had classes from nursery to the fifth standard. We upgraded it to eighth standard the next year. In four years time the first batch wrote the public examination successfully. We constructed our own building on the land provided to us by the Ruler. The school has progressed steadily and presently has about 15,000 students. The Indian Association Sharjah, as a community organisation, owns and manages the school.”

Getting Air India to commence operations to and from Sharjah in 1981 was possible only through Damodar’s persistence. “It began when I was snubbed by the then regional director of Air India who termed my idea as ‘ridiculous’. I decided to pursue it. Meeting Ravindra Varma, then Minister of Labour and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, was the turning point. I managed to convince him to visit Sharjah and took the Minister and his entourage to the airport and met the Director General of Civil Aviation. I also showed him the correspondence I had with the Air India Chairman. The Minister returned to Delhi and did not forget his promise. And soon things fell in place and in March 1981 the first Air India flight landed in Sharjah. It was an unexpected but gratifying moment.”

These were ‘happy moments’ in a life that was punctuated by long phases of struggle and gloom. Like some passages in the book where the prose becomes intimate, Damodar’s eyes well-up, his voice breaks, when he speaks of his life’s struggles.

Damodar relives past events with insightful intent. His writing appears like a soul-cleansing exercise.

“Looking back at my life, it sometimes appears unbelievable considering where I began. Kaipuram, in Palakkad district, was an extremely undeveloped village. I had to walk nearly 15 kilometres every day to school. Childhood was a mix of fun and the constant worry of trying to meet basic needs. Perhaps this made me responsible even as a child encouraging me to do odd jobs to supplement the family’s income. Though I completed my Secondary School Leaving Certificate exam with high marks I could not continue my education.”

After a short stint at a typewriting and shorthand institute, Damodar left for Bombay looking for a job. “When I left home in 1960 the whole world was open before me. And it opened unexpectedly. Bombay shaped my career. I found a job as a typist with a meagre salary, studied part-time, took a diploma in secretarial practice, gained a university degree, Associateship from the Corporation of Secretaries, London and Fellowship from Institute of Company Secretaries of India.”

Joining Nagpal Ambadi Petro-Chem Refining Limited as Company Secretary, Damodar worked from its inception to public issue of share capital and arranging of institutional financing. He then moved on to another major group before moving to Sharjah.

Hard times

“In Sharjah I knew that I was surrounded by people who were envious of my growth. The Sheikh himself had warned me many times that ‘my own people,’ the same people I had employed nurtured, had approached him with complaints against me. A Palestinian/Jordanian and a Pakistani also joined them. They managed to sway the Sheikh’s opinions. When I realised that he seemed to have lost confidence in me , I resigned. I was vice-president of the group but left without getting a penny as the Sheikh refused to settle my accounts.”

Undeterred, but having decided not to work as an employee for anyone again, Damodar set up businesses in the UAE, India, Botswana and Zimbabwe. “The soft drinks company in India collapsed owing to misappropriations. In Botswana, I was part of a business but had to quit owing to ethical differences. I founded the Afroworld Group that grew into five active member companies; started a similar venture in Zimbabwe but had to leave, disillusioned and disgusted, owing to politically motivated difficulties. Right through I was let down by people I considered close to me.”

Damodar is now settled in Coimbatore, where he lives with wife Thankam. Their son Sumod who is the chief of Afroworld Group in Botswana, is an avid cricketer and administrator. He played for Botswana, holds various administrative posts with Botswana Cricket Association and Africa Cricket Association. Last year Sumod was elected to the Chief Executive Committee of the International Cricket Council.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by K. Pradeep / March 19th, 2018

Dravidian language family is 4,500 years old: study

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The Dravidian language family’s four largest languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have literary traditions spanning centuries, of which Tamil reaches back the furthest, researchers said.

The Dravidian language  family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found.

This estimate is based on new linguistic analyses by an international team, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, and the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun.

The researchers used data collected first-hand from native speakers representing all previously reported Dravidian subgroups. The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, match with earlier linguistic and archaeological studies.

South Asia, reaching from Afghanistan in the west and Bangladesh in the east, is home to at least six hundred languages belonging to six large language families, including Dravidian, Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan.

The Dravidian language family, consisting of about 80 language varieties (both languages and dialects) is today spoken by about 220 million people, mostly in southern and central India, and surrounding countries.

The Dravidian language family’s four largest languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have literary traditions spanning centuries, of which Tamil reaches back the furthest, researchers said.

Along with Sanskrit ,  Tamil is one of the world’s classical languages, but unlike Sanskrit, there is continuity between its classical and modern forms documented in inscriptions, poems, and secular and religious texts and songs, they said.

“The study of the Dravidian languages is crucial for understanding prehistory in Eurasia, as they played a significant role in influencing other language groups,” said Annemarie Verkerk of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Neither the geographical origin of the Dravidian language nor its exact dispersal through time is known with certainty.

The consensus of the research community is that the Dravidians are natives of the Indian subcontinent and were present prior to the arrival of the Indo-Aryans (Indo-European speakers) in India around 3,500 years ago.

Researchers said that it is likely that the Dravidian languages were much more widespread to the west in the past than they are today.

In order to examine questions about when and where the Dravidian languages developed, they made a detailed investigation of the historical relationships of 20 Dravidian varieties.

Study author Vishnupriya Kolipakam of the Wildlife Institute of India collected contemporary first-hand data from native speakers of a diverse sample of Dravidian languages, representing all the previously reported subgroups of Dravidian.

The researchers used advanced statistical methods to infer the age and sub-grouping of the Dravidian language family at about 4,000-4,500 years old.

This estimate, while in line with suggestions from previous linguistic studies, is a more robust result because it was found consistently in the majority of the different statistical models of evolution tested in this study.

This age also matches well with inferences from archaeology,  which have previously placed the diversification of Dravidian into North, Central, and South branches at exactly this age, coinciding with the beginnings of cultural developments evident in the archaeological record.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Science / by PTI / Berlin – March 21st, 2018

The sidelined goddess of Botany

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The first Indian woman botanist, E K Janaki Ammal, ought to be more widely known for her huge contributions to science. But she remains unknown within the country and outside academic circles and even our textbooks have failed to teach our children about her glorious scientific history

: Just a fortnight before the International Women’s Day, the John Innes Centre in Norfolk, UK, announced a new scholarship for post-graduate students from developing countries in honour of an Indian woman botanist. Under the scheme, 88 applicants who wish to study plant and microbial sciences can apply in commemoration of the distinguished work and contributions of Dr.E.K.Janaki Ammal who was an international alumni of the leading research and training centre between 1940 and 1945.

A heart warming gesture from an institution abroad, but may be India should have done something similar for the country’s first home grown woman scientist, who went overseas and returned accomplished breaking every caste and gender barrier through her work.

Just take a moment to think where we would be without the inventions of this brilliant mind.

Janaki Ammal in younger days | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement 

After laborious crossbreedings in the laboratory of Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore in the 1930s, she created the indigenous variety of sweetened sugarcane that we consume today. Till then India was producing sugarcane in abundance and yet importing as they were not as sweet as the ones grown in the Far East.

During the World War II bombings in the 1940s, she continued her phenomenal research into chromosomes of thousands of species of flowering plants at the John Innes Horticultural Institute, Norfolk, where she worked with some of the best names in cytology, genetics and botany . While working on the gorgeous Magnolia, she co-authored The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants with renowned biologist CD Darlington.

The magnolia saplings she planted on the Battleston Hill in Wisley continue to bloom every Spring and one of the pure white blooms is named after her, the Magnolia kobus Janaki Ammal and apparently only few nurseries in Europe have the variety today.

At a time when most Indian women did not even attend school, she received scholarship and obtained her MS from University of Michigan in 1925 and later returned as the first Indian Oriental Barbour Fellow. She remains one of the few Asian women to be conferred honorary doctorate (DSc. honoris causa) by her alma mater in 1931. There she discovered a new variety of brinjal that exhibited triploidy instead of the normal diploid, where there are two sets of chromosomes in the cells.

The flower Magnolia Kobus Janaki Ammal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

At the insistence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, she returned to India in the 1950s and restructured the Botanical Society of India travelling to several remote areas of the country in search of the plant lore of the indigenous people and scouting for medicinal plants in her home State, Kerala.

A fascinating figure of the early 20th Century she was. E.K.Janaki Ammal lived a life which perhaps very few women of her time could dream of. The distinguished geneticist, cytologist, global plant geographer studied about ecology and biodiversity too and did not fear to take on the Government as an ardent environmental activist. She played an important role in the protests against the building of a hydro-power dam in Kerala’s Silent Valley in the 1970s. She made a mark with her paper on “Man’s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth” at an international symposium in Princeton in 1955 and two decades later, she was awarded the Padmashri in 1977.

With a profile like hers, Janaki Ammal never got into spotlight. If anything she fought her status as a single woman from a caste considered backward and problems with male mentorship in her field. But she proved through her work that Science knows no caste, gender or social boundaries.

Yet for her extraordinary journey from small town Thalassery to the finest institutions across the world, there is no archive related to her in India. Her papers are available only in hard copy at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, according to Vinita Damodaran, who teaches South Asian History at University of Sussex and has also published a well researched paper on “Gender, race and science in twentieth century India: E.K.Janaki Ammal and the history of science.”

Luckily, the Nikari series of talks held under the banner of ‘Manarkeni’, a Tamil research journal, brings to light the works of lesser known women in different fields. In the previous years, the focus was on women in literature and history. This year it chose science and brought the story of Janaki Ammal to the fore.

The talk delivered by S Krishnaswamy, former professor at the School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University, highlighted various stages of Janaki’s career both in India and overseas. “Her career shows that scientists must speak their mind with social consciousness even if it means going against the policies of the government. In today’s context, it becomes necessary to bring achievers like her to the forefront,” he asserts.

Janaki Ammal must have conquered her fears and broke the glass ceiling for a rewarding career in science. “She wanted to be known only through her work. Let her work be known to all successive generations, who have much better opportunities” says Krishnaswamy.

An inspiring role model, Janaki Ammal passed away in 1984 at the age of 87 at Maduravoyal near Chennai, while working in the field laboratory of the Centre for Advanced Study in Botany, Univerity of Madras. She perhaps did not receive the acclaim she deserved but devoted herself to research, opening up a universe of possibilities. Let our children not be bereft of that knowledge. It is worth knowing and remembering leaders in science like Janaki Ammal.

 source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Soma Basu / Madurai – March 09th, 2018

Kozhikode’s golden reign continues

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
Thrissur, 10/01/2018, Calicut Team Win Overall Gold Cup in Kerala School Art Festival in Thrissur on Wednesday_Photo_K_K_Najeeb

Pips Palakkad by 2 points to emerge champion for the 12th consecutive year, Malappuram comes third

Kozhikode completed a golden dozen on Sunday. The district lifted its 12th successive Gold Cup at the State School Arts Festival. No mean feat that.

It is truly remarkable that the young artistes from Kozhikode have never let their grip go of the cup that is given to the district scoring the highest number of points at the State festival after they won it at Kannur in 2007. But, Palakkad gave it a very stiff fight here before settling for the runner-up spot.

Kozhikode finished with 895 points, just two more than Palakkad. Malappuram was third with 875, while host Thrissur took the fourth place with 865.

Top school

Palakkad, however, had the consolation that a school from the district, BSS Gurkukulam, Alathur, emerged as the best both in the Higher Secondary and High School categories, overcoming strong challenges from the likes of Silver Hills HSS, Kozhikode, St. Teresa’s, Kannur, and MKNMHS, Kumaramangalam (Idukki).

In the Sanskrit Festival too, Kozhikode emerged champion, with 95 points. Kannur and Palakkad, with 91 points each, finished second and third respectively.

In the Arabic Festival, Malappuram finished on top with 95 points.

Kasaragod and Thrissur, with 93 points apiece, were placed second and third respectively.

The prizes were distributed at the main venue of Thekkinkadu Maidan in front of a packed house. Speaking at the function, Education Minister C. Ravindranath said the State School Arts Festival should evolve into a cultural festival.

Revised manual

“This edition of the festival was held with a revised manual,” he said.

“The process of revision will continue for the next three years. We welcome suggestions from the public about the changes made in the festival, such as the discontinuation of giving the prizes to the top three,” he said.

Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, actor and MP Innocent were among those who attended.

Alappuzha next host

The next edition of the festival will be held at Alappuzha. “It is the home district of our Opposition Leader and it has enough venues to conduct the festival,” Mr. Ravindranath said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by P.K. Ajith Kumar – Thrissur / January 10th, 2018

A professor becomes a successful caregiver for cancer patients

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Kottayam:

Prof. Ramani Tharayil has been able to empathize with the pain of the patients ever since she was the principal of Kottayam BCM College.

When she retired from service 17 years ago, she told her husband Dr. K. C. Joseph that she wanted to do something to help cancer patients during her retirement life. He did not raise any objection and she began her service.

Prof. Ramani created beautiful craftworks using the waste pieces of clothes from tailoring shops and sold them to her acquaintances.

Knowing her intention of charity, her friends and relatives accepted her idea with open heart. People flowed to her house at Kaniyamkudil near BCM  College, asking for the creative pieces she made. After 3 years her husband died, which turned her complete attention to tailoring.

More of her creations are useful for household purposes, like beautiful kitchen towels or fridge handle cover. The money collected from sales is handed over to the cancer palliative care units every month. All the craftworks are made of eco-friendly materials.

Prof. Ramani said that the sales have increased, since she started trying new designs and crafts from internet. “I feel the same happiness I used to feel as a principal, when my students win or maybe a lot more,” said Prof. Ramani.

Her daughter Priya Mohan, who is a computer science graduate from Calicut Regional Engineering College, offers full support for her mother’s endeavour..

Priya’s husband Mohan Thomas, who is an engineer, also support her activities.

source: http://www.english.mathrubhumi.com / Mathrubhumi / Home> News / December 12th, 2017

Diving school named after war veteran

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Chiman Singh interacting with naval divers at the Naval Base on Friday.

It will be known as Chiman Singh Block

A newly-constructed modern dive training facility at the Diving School of the Southern Naval Command, christened as Chiman Singh Block, was jointly inaugurated by Chief of Staff of the Command Rear Admiral R.J. Nadkarni and former Petty Officer Clearance Diver and Maha Vir Chakra holder Chiman Singh at an event held at the Naval Base on Friday.

The facility houses a state-of-the-art recompression chamber complex and a laboratory, besides modern stores. It will make dive training at the school comparable with the best in the world.

Chiman Singh, after whom the new facility is named, was awarded the second highest gallantry medal for his exploits as a Leading Seaman in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

Unmatched valour

Deployed off the Bangladesh coast, he displayed unparalleled gallantry in the face of the enemy in rescuing several of his colleagues, despite being severely injured.

The sailor was eventually taken prisoner-of-war (POW) and released on culmination of the war.

This is the highest gallantry award ever received by a naval person. Bangladesh honoured him with the Friends of Bangladesh Liberation Award in 2013.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /  Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – December 16th, 2017

Guinness memory record for Keralite

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Santhi Sathyan has been undergoing memory training for seven years

There is a misconception that memory is an innate skill whereas it is a result of years of training and perseverance, says Santhi Sathyan, who holds a Guinness world record for the longest sequence of objects memorised in a minute.

The 28-year-old from Kadakkal needs just 60 seconds to save 45-odd objects to her memory, and after reshuffling, she can arrange them back in the same precise order in 2 minutes 57 seconds.

The previous record was held by Arpan Sharma of Nepal, whose record of 43 objects was easily broken by Santhi.

“There are many scientific methods to enhance memory. One of the main tricks is to convert the objects into visuals, something that will last longer in your memory,” she said at a press meet here on Wednesday.

Santhi has been undergoing memory training for the past seven years and started preparations to break the Guinness record a couple of years ago.

Her husband, Anith Soorya, an IT professional-turned-counsellor, is her coach.

From school days

“I have been practising this from my school days though I have never entered any competitions. Two years ago, a friend encouraged me to make an attempt to break the current record that had remained unbroken for two years,” she says.

The postgraduate student in psychology entered the Guinness Book of World Records at a programme held on May 28 at the Kadakkal panchayat conference hall in front of a panel approved by the Guinness World Records officials.

“I am grateful to the Kadakkal panchayat authorities, whose immense support helped me achieve this feat,” she says.

Gearing up for more

Santhi next wants to win the World Memory Championship.

“Many of us are not aware of memory training and its benefits. I want more and more children to come to this field and I am willing to train them,” she says.

A wish

Santhi is currently waiting for her Guinness World Record certificate, which has been shipped to Kerala,  she says.

“Usually it’s handed over by a renowned personality and I wish I could receive it from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar,” she adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Kollam – December 06th, 2017