Monthly Archives: January 2015

Fuel-efficient car heads for global contest

CarKERALA15jan2015

A prototype of a fuel-efficient car, developed by mechanical engineering students of the Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, has been selected for the International Fuel Efficiency Contest, to be held from February 26 in the Philippines.

College Principal B. Anil said the car could give mileage of 200 km per litre. The technology was developed with the support of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment under the Technology Development and Adaptation Programme. The innovation was made by Bibin Sagaram, Ronith Stanley and Vishnu Prasad S., all in their sixth semester, with guidance of faculty members Santhosh Kumar and Anver Sadath.

The college was the only one selected from the State for the International Fuel Efficiency Contest, named Shell Eco Marathon. The contest would see participation of 120 teams from 16 countries, a press release said.

Prototype developed by students of Barton Hill engineering college.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – January 15th, 2015

A pension scheme of grace

P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.
P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.

After 30 years of service as a noon-meal worker at the Government Higher Secondary School at Peringolam in Kozhikode, Iyyamkunnath Devi called it a day a few months ago.

Being a daily-wage worker at the mercy of the school management, she couldn’t have expected any retirement benefits from the government as she leaves. Calmly, the elderly widow, in her late 60s, went home to spend rest of her life with her only son’s widow and children.

Ms. Devi’s empty-handed retreat from the school at the end of a prolonged spell of service, however, had left a lingering soreness with her co-workers, teachers and the students, whom she had been feeding all these years. Led by a teacher-in-charge of the noon meal committee P. Bavakutty, they sat one day to discuss the possibility of offering “some help” to Ms. Devi, whom they fondly called Deviyedathi .

Under the initiative of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) they decided to collect an amount to be given to the retiring member. Teachers, students, and the public, all responded overwhelmingly to the call. A sum of Rs.1, 25,000 was raised at the end, with which a pension scheme was opened forDeviyedathi. “We had never imagined that people would respond in such an overwhelming manner to this,” said Mr. Bavakutty.

From the amount, Rs.1 lakh was deposited in a pension scheme in her name with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) while the rest, (Rs.25,000) was given to her as a gratuity during a public function organised at the school recently. “A pension scheme for a daily-wage worker under the initiative of a school PTA would probably be the first of its kind anywhere in the State,” said Sasidharan Pullangotte, the PTA president.

“We believe that the Rs.750, though small, that would reach her as pension every month, would at least make a small difference to Deviyedathi’s life,” said the PTA president.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Mushthari / Kozhikode – January 13th, 2015

Young entrepreneurs’ meet

Kozhikode:

Fusion 2015, a meet of young entrepreneurs will be held at Cyber Park Kozhikode on January 24 and 25.

Select young entrepreneurs from Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will attend the programme. It is being organized by Kerala State Youth Welfare Board, said C K Subair, general convener of the programme.

Various programmes including interaction with nationally acclaimed entrepreneurs, and CEOs of various firms, development of brand ideas, classes on life skill development and entrepreneurship will be included. Industries minister P K Kunhalikutty will inaugurate the programme on January 24.

Those interested can register their names by visiting www.fusionkerala.com on or before January 16.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / January 10th, 2014

International writers’ festival to begin today

Thiruvananthapuram  :

The Kafla Inter-continental’s 10th International Writers’ Festival and Indian Ruminations literary festival will begin at Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Thycaud on Saturday.

The theme of the festival is ‘Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam’ with focus on world peace and literature. The festival is jointly organized by India-Inter-continental cultural association, Chandigarh, Indian Ruminations, Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi and Shruti-the School of Music, Guwahati.

The festival will begin with a tribute to the kids who were shot dead at a school at Peshawar in Pakistan. Candles will be lit at Gandhi Smrithi Mandapam at 6.30pm to spread the message of peace.

The festival will feature discussion on book reviews, meet the author sessions, poetry symposium, paper presentations and seminars on contemporary and Indian styles of writing.

Poet Puthussery Ramachandran will inaugurate the festival at 10am on Saturday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / December 27th, 2014

Bamboo star makers of Thoppumpady

Kochi :

Seated in a circle on the small roof of a house near Thoppumpady, Suresh and a few of his friends are making stars from ‘eetta’, a variety of bamboo known for its flexibility.

The bamboo star has now become hard to find at your average store or market. These star makers strip, bent and fasten the bamboo following specific measurements before covering the frame with tracing paper on which intricate designs have been made.

Suresh is a third generation star maker. “Making stars is not an occupation for me. I am a daily wage worker. But in the month of December, I continue with the tradition that my father taught me when I was young,” he says, pasting delicate pieces of tracing paper on reed frames.

“We are all scheduled caste Hindus. Very honestly, I know very little about Christianity, but how does it matter? It is about brotherhood and living together in harmony. Our stars are only made in the white as a symbol of peace. After all, isn’t that what Christ wanted? Peace and unity among all men?” asks Suresh’s friend Sajeevan.

Every year, they collect bamboo reeds and keep them dry. “We started working on December 5, and till now we have made about 75 stars,” said Suresh. A lot of love and labour goes into the making of these stars. The demand is high for five point stars which takes an average of eight or nine hours to make, depending on the detail and size.

“Back in the day, we didn’t have stars, we had ‘aakashavilakku’ which was hung outside our homes,” says Suresh.

An ‘aakashavilakku’ is either a pentagonal or octagonal prism with cut paper detailing, and usually around two or three-and-a-half feet in length. It took two men 15 hours to make an ‘aakashavilakku’.

Suresh says most of his orders come from churches and for events such as Cochin Carnival since most people now prefer foldable paper and plastic stars.

“Very few people make these now. Considering the man hours, a four feet star will cost around Rs 450. But since the demand is low, we sell them for Rs 300,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / December 20th, 2014

New Oracle chief’s Kerala roots

 

Thomas Kurian
Thomas Kurian

Thomas Kurian, the newly-appointed president of Oracle Product Development, has his roots in the sleepy village of Pampady off Kottayam town.

His uncle and cardiologist George Jacob says: ‘‘They were four brothers, born and brought up in Bengaluru, where my elder brother P.C. Kurian, a chemical engineer, was with Graphite India. Thomas and his twin brother George, after passing out from St Joseph’s Boys High School, Bengaluru, had joined IIT Madras. However, six months into their programme, they both went to Princeton University to pursue their studies.’’

Thomas has a BA in electrical engineering which he graduated with ‘‘summa cum laude’’ (highest distinction). In the second place was his twin brother George, Dr. Jacob says.

‘‘The boys had migrated to the U.S. at the age of 17, and have very little connections here,’’ he says.

He came to know of his nephew’s elevation on Friday. ‘‘Of course, we are all happy though we had not held any celebrations,’’ he says.

Mr. Kurian, however, used to visit his ancestral house annually after the retirement of his father who chose to settle down in Pampady. About three months back, his father passed away and that was the last time Mr. Kurian visited his ancestral home.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Special Correspondent / Kottayam – January 11th, 2014