Category Archives: Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

A trip to remember for space buffs

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel, World Opinion

Nearly 4000 people, including school children, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to watch the RH-200 series rocket rise into the leaden skies over Thiruvananthapuram.

A large crowd gathered on Monday to watch the sounding rocket lift off from Thumba on Monday

Thiruvananthapuram :

Inclement weather did not prevent space buffs from lining up to watch a sounding rocket lift off from Thumba on Monday morning.

Nearly 4000 people, including school children, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to watch the RH-200 series rocket rise into the leaden skies over Thiruvananthapuram, according to VSSC officials. The launch – the first of three planned this week – was part of an Open House at the VSSC held to mark the World Space Week (WSW) celebrations organised jointly by the ISRO units in the state capital.

VSSC frequently flies small rockets fitted with instruments to study the dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In fact, it was an American Nike-Apache sounding rocket that lifted off from Thumba in 1963 that marked the beginning of India’s space exploration programmes.

As part of WSW, VSSC is planning two more launches for the public this week – one each on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11.45 am. The RH 200 series of rockets can carry a ten kg payload and rise up to a height of 80 kms.

WSW is celebrated from October 4 to 10 every year to mark the anniversaries of two events that changed space exploration: the launch of Russia’s Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite, on October 4, 1957, and the signing of the ‘Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,’ on October 10, 1967. The public also received an opportunity to visit the space museum as part of the open house programme.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / October 09th, 2018

The prodigy who made people sit up and take notice

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Jaiden John and Navaneeth at Cocon on Friday

After leaving conventional schooling, Jaiden is now doing his research in MIT

Fourteen-year-old Jaiden John exudes a certain maturity and wisdom belying his age.

While children of his age were toiling hard with classroom lessons, the tech-savvy lad was busy explaining a technology-driven platform at the exhibition centre set up as part of Cocon, an international cybersecurity conference here, far away from the comfort of his home at Meppadi in Wayanad district.

Teamed up with a much older Navaneeth K.T, who is doing his third-year computer science at Calicut University, Jaiden was not at all overwhelmed, in fact, far from it. He was patient even with those visitors who came up with doubts, which were an insult to his intelligence, but kept explaining the finer points of their product.

Having left conventional schooling in eighth standard, he has now enrolled with the National Institute of Open Schooling. When asked what prompted him to leave school, Jaden, who joined a course in web and application development at the age of eight, would only smile in response.

But there was much bigger surprise in the offing when it emerged that the youngster has been doing his research in machine learning-driven cancer detection with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the past six months after his instructor in a technology course recommended him to the acclaimed university.

“Machine learning-driven cancer detection will be of great help in the rural areas of India where medical service is not easily accessible. Detecting the ailment with the help of a simple device can be revolutionary,” he said.

Jaiden and Navaneeth came together after they won an ideation contest conducted by the Kerala Cyberdome. They are now working on an artificial intelligence and machine learning-driven platform aimed at detecting helmetless two-wheeler drivers with the help of visuals.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by M.P. Parveen / Kochi – October 06th, 2018

Infopark adopts Chekutty

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Minister A.C. Moideen (centre) and MLAs P.T. Thomas and Hibi Eden with Chekutty dolls in the city on Friday.

To help flood-affected weavers of Chendamangalam

Infopark will adopt the Chekutty doll movement launched here to help the Chendamangalam handloom weavers, who have lost a lot of stock in the recent floods.

The techies will adopt the dolls as part of their commitment to build a new Kerala in the aftermath of the floods.

Those who adopt over a hundred Chekuttys (short for Chendamangalam Kutty) dolls will be honoured by the Chief Minister.

As part of adopting the movement, Rishikesh Nair, CEO of Inforpark, handed over a Chekutty doll to Minister A.C. Moideen at a function here on Friday.

₹6 crore collected

According to Mr. Nair, besides donating relief material for the flood-affected, the techies and the companies at Inforpark had collected ₹6 crore towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Employees at Infopark have also taken up the Chief Minister’s one-month salary challenge.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 15th, 2018

‘Chekutty’ to help weave together flood-ravaged Chendamangalam

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Chekutty, the doll made from soiled fabric of Chendamangalam handlooms.

Designers create dolls from soiled handloom cloth

Born out of the love for Chendamangalam handloom are dolls made of the soiled textile from the flood-ravaged looms. ‘Chekutty’, as the designers have named it, is ‘Chendamangalam Kutty’ and stands for all that the floods have left behind.

“Chekutty has scars, Chekutty has stains. But Chekuty is each one of us who survived the floods,” goes the appeal from the designers who took up the task of helping rebuild the lives of the flood-hit Chendamangalam weavers, for whom 80% of revenue comes from Onam sales.

The only option left for the weavers was to burn the severely damaged and soiled stock, which could not be fixed through cleaning, says designer Lakshmi Menon of Pure Living, who has been promoting a green lifestyle along with ideas of making value-added products from waste materials.

Out of the debris of the soiled saris has emerged Chekutty – a mascot for rebuilding Kerala from despair.

Gopinath Parayil of Blue Beyond is partnering with Ms. Menon in the endeavour of ‘Weaving together Kerala’ – the slogan given for Chekutty dolls.

“We saw that there were many takers for the stock that was not damaged. It was the amount of damaged stock that got me thinking. And we needed to do something fast too,” says Ms. Menon.

“We have upcycled the fabric to help raise funds for the weavers that will help them till the next season,” says Mr. Parayil. The festival of Vishu next April is the next season for the weavers.

350 dolls per sari

The average cost of a sari is ₹1,300. Up to 350 dolls can be made from a sari, with the minimum price of a doll at ₹25. Hence, the cost retrieved from a sari will be nearly ₹9,000, says Ms. Menon.

Each piece of textile is chlorinated and boiled in water to disinfect it and is made safe to be used, she adds. The dolls may be hung on shoulder bags, suitcases or inside cars.

A demonstration of doll-making was organised at Panampilly Nagar on Sunday to help people take up the task.

Website

A website, www.chekutty.in, is in the process of being set up to invite people to participate in creating dolls or buying them.

Remaining stock

Ajith Kumar, secretary of the Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society, Karimpadam, Chendamangalam, says stock worth ₹21 lakh remains damaged. Fortunately, there was stock worth ₹10 lakh, set aside for Kozhikode and Ernakulam markets, which remains to be sold, he adds. (Mr. Kumar may be contacted at 9446927345.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Shyama Rajagopal / Kochi – September 10th, 2018

Helping hands restore classrooms, school park

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
(Left) The discoloured slide and broken benches at the Government S.N.V. Lower Primary School, Thuruthipuram, near North Paravur

Professionals from various fields, students of Cusat and teachers join the effort

Rincy and Ananthakrishna, both aged 8, had left their flood-battered homes in Thuruthipuram near North Paravur wondering how long it would take for them to swing and slide in their favourite school park again.

But, a surprise was in store for the children as they walked into the Government S.N.V. Lower Primary School, Thuruthipuram, on Monday morning. The slide, swings and the benches in the park, which had got discoloured in the rushing flood waters, were gleaming with a fresh coat of paint. New charts, scribblings and graffiti had replaced all that the waters had taken away.

Only later did they realise that their dream had been made real by some angels in the form of youngsters, teachers, professionals from IT and other fields, who had worked tirelessly to make it all happen. These unknown faces and hands represent the increasing tribe of Good Samaritans engaged in the re-building of flood-ravaged schools in Ernakulam.

“We had kept some money for conducting the Onam programmes in our university. We used that along with the funds given by our friends to re-build the school,” said Muhammed Shibin, a final-year student of B.Tech Information Technology at the Cochin University of Science and Technology. The youth was part of the 45-odd volunteers who had joined hands to restore the flood-hit government school to its original condition.

Sreepriya, an IT professional with a company in SmartCity Kochi, said that they were able to complete works so as to enable the teachers to resume the classes by Monday. “For the kitchen (where mid-day meals are prepared for the 65 children), we bought a new stove, utensils and other necessary items as everything here was either washed away or destroyed in the floods,” she said.

Mr. Shibin said that they had also spruced up the school park and given a fresh coat of paint for the damp walls and wet classrooms. “We wanted to bring back the school to its prior state as much as possible. However, much work seems left in other flood-hit schools and we hope our endeavour will inspire others to pursue it,” he said.

Praising the efforts made by the volunteers, Shelia A. Salam, headmistress of the school, said that the houses of all the 65 children in the school were affected in the floods. “Our school met with extensive damage. We had lost three desktops, two laptops, sound system, motor, compound wall, toilets, office registers, and documents,” she said.

P. S. Chandrika, geadmistress of P.S.M. Government Lower Primary School, Puthenvelikara, expressed hope that the school could come back with the growing support from a cross section of individuals, associations and organisations.

“We got help for clean-up work from policemen, education department officials, and residents’ associations. An IT major has assured us school kits having notebooks, tiffin-box and school bags. A social media group involving education department officials in Thiruvananthapuram has assured us t-shirts, shoes, umbrellas, notebooks for our 250-odd students. Teachers and students from Cusat helped us in cleaning up the wells on the campus,” she said.

However, Ms. Chandrika said that they had no idea how to replace the damaged laptops and desktops. “Most of the children belong to parents who are daily wage labourers. We cannot ask them to pay for these replacements. I have no idea how to bring them daily to the school, as the only bus used to transport them was also damaged in the floods,” she said.

C.S. Santosh, Deputy Director of Education, Ernakulam, said that a leading company had promised 2 lakh notebooks for the students in the flood-affected schools in Ernakulam. “School bags have been offered by a Kerala-based company while a public sector oil major has informed that they are considering a proposal to repair the flood-damaged buildings. We now need support for replacement of IT equipment. As per our preliminary estimates, over 200 laptops and 125 projectors were destroyed in the floods in government and aided schools in the district,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by G. KrishnaKumar / Kochi – September 04th, 2018

Peace Mission Centre: Kerala’s palliative care that serves without charging you a penny

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There is also a full-time ambulance facility that will take the patient to a hospital or anywhere they wish to go for treatment.

Sumitra (name changed), a cancer patient was breathing her last , surrounded by her daughter and five different nursing care staff, each of them standing apart so as not to create discomfort for the patient on bed or the grieving daughter. When five minuites later, the shrill cries of the daughter rocked the halls of Peace Mission Centre, the staff there was still present, with a comforting hand on her shoulder. The doctor was also present, knowing that the moment was then and there was nothing more to be done, yet content of having been able to give Sumitra a peaceful farewell.

A one-kilometre detour from the highway in Thuruthsherry near Mekkad in Nedumbassery will take you to Peace Mission Centre, an institution which does free palliative care for patients. Unbelievable, but true even during these times when everything is done with only profits in mind.

The Centre has the capacity to hold 40 inpatients and even does home care. Any patient admitted in the centre will have access to the best care with a visiting doctor and over 16 nurses employed here along with over five hospital care staff who keeps the place clean.

There is also a full-time ambulance facility that will take the patient to a hospital or anywhere they wish to go for treatment.

Rema (name changed) is the bystander with her mother-in-law who is now an inmate at Peace mission centre. Her husband is a carpenter and they were trying to give her the best possible help with the meagre income they have. However, her health state was so bad that she was not even able to have liquid food.

“She used to be in such a bad condition that we couldn’t bear her pain. Now, however, she is getting the best care here. She is even consuming some fluid now. They clean her and keep her in the best possible way,” she said.

“We have started this specifically to aid those with financial constraints and also to ensure that we help people have their dignity in death. A lot of people reach here when they are in the last few days of their life. Many have breathed their last here and we are happy to provide them with a very peaceful atmosphere here and also maximum care,” said Chinnan Pynadan, working with Peace Mission centre.

“The only financial funding we have is donations. Thankfully, we did not have to struggle to find it so far and firmly believe that this will be the case in future too. We take the patients in our ambulance for chemotherapy or any other treatment they want to go to,” said Father Sabu Palackal, who manages the centre.

“They come here for end of life care.We don’t have treatments here, only care. We provide some medicines and all the basic medical facilities. Everyone want painless moments once they start crumpling in the grip of cancer. We take in those people who have no hope for life or future, but the immediate day,” said Dr N Mohanan, the doctor working with Peace Mission.

The centre was launched last January here by the Guardian Angel Care Charitable Society, a Vengola based society led by Abraham Mar Severios Metropolitan.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Specials / by Gopika I S, Express News Service / July 16th, 2018

A new war memorial in Thiruvananthapuram soon

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More than two decades after formal orders were issued, the state capital is set to get a new war memorial commemorating soldiers who fought in the wars and military operations that took place

The existing World War I Memorial at Palayam  B P Deepu

Thiruvananthapuram :

More than two decades after formal orders were issued, the state capital is set to get a new war memorial commemorating soldiers who fought in the wars and military operations that took place after the country gained Independence. The existing war memorial, which stands opposite the College of Fine Arts at Palayam, commemorates soldiers who fought in World War I. According to top officials of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, the land has been identified for the memorial near Shangumugham beach. Other details, such as the design, are yet to be worked out. The state government has formed a War Memorial committee with the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) as chairman and the Director, Sainik Welfare, as secretary. The army station commander, Pangode; state police chief and the district collector are among the members.

The first meeting of the committee is slated to be held on July 16.‘‘In 1996, the Union Home Ministry has asked the states to  establish war memorials. Many states complied. Though the Kerala Government had issued orders allotting the land at the time, the project did not take off,’’ A Kishan, director-in-charge, Sainik Welfare, said.

Also, armed forces veterans in the state have been clamouring for a war memorial memorialising the soldiers who fought and laid down their lives in the major post-Independence conflicts. In fact, the state capital also boasts numerous veterans who saw combat in the 1962 India-China war, the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 and the Kargil war of 1999.

War memorial

The WW I memorial at Palayam is unique in the sense that it mentions the years as 1914-1921. This is rare as most WW I memorials give them as 1914-1918. 1921 was the year the Berlin Treaty was signed. Another important war memorial that has historical links to Travancore is at Colachel in modern-day Tamil Nadu.

The memorial – a soaring pillar – was erected by Marthanda Varma after his forces defeated the Dutch forces in the Battle of Colachel in 1741. Neglected for years, the pillar and its immediate environs were finally taken over by the Military Station based at Pangode in Thiruvananthapuram.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Tiki Rajwi, Express News Service / July 10th, 2018

SHESs play an active role in farm sector mechanisation

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

To offer cost-effective and timely service to farmers

Self-help employment societies (SHES) have become active in the high ranges with the block panchayats taking the initiative to mechanise the farm sector through them. Aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector and ensuring job opportunities, mechanisation in farm sector will be done so as to keep farming cost at a low to the farmer community.

The block panchayats distribute farm machinery and equipment to the SHES whose members were trained in their operation. The SHES members will offer their services to farmers at nominal rates.

16 groups so far

Sixteen SHES in Devikulam block panchayat have already been given the machinery.

Each SHES in the district has 10 to 20 members. The government will provide financial aid for purchasing farming machinery, including tillers, pump sets, and weeding machines.

The schemes come to the aid of farmers by ensuring that farming related works are done at a low cost and in a timely manner, and for the SHES members, a regular income is ensured.

Each SHES will get machinery to the tune of ₹3 lakh in the first phase. The SHES’ share is ₹30,000.

Devikulam grama panchayat has already spent ₹43.2 lakh for scheme, thus topping in the district.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by A Correspondent / Idukki – July 03rd, 2018

72 tribal youths to join Kerala Police today

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Thiruvananthapuram :

For the first time in its history, the state police will formally induct 72 tribal community members, including women, into the force on Monday. The move is part of the strategy formulated in the wake of left-wing extremists (LWE) trying to gain foothold over the tribal population in the state.

The proposal that was cleared in 2015, was originally limited to Wayanad district, Attappadi block in Palakkad and Nilambur block in Malappuram, where the tribal population is comparatively dense as well as where the LWE presence have been reported frequently. Later, Kalikavu and Areekode blocks in Malappuram also were included. They were selected in a special recruitment drive conducted by the state public service commission.

Backward tribal communities such as Paniyan, Adiyan and Kattunaykar were given special emphasis in the drive. “The aim of the drive was to take a counter measure to the LWE threat as they are very accustomed to the land and geography of the jungle areas. This is also part of integrating the tribal community members with the mainstream society as the tribal groups should not feel marginalised,” state police chief Loknath Behera said.

The modalities and qualifying criteria for recruiting the tribal community members was prepared by a committee headed by additional chief secretary (home and vigilance) and also consisting of principal secretary (SC/ST development), principal secretary (taxes) and secretary of personnel and administrative reforms department. The government even decided to waive off the mandatory surety of Rs 25,000 and two government employees, by considering the societal and financial backwardness of the recruited members.

They will be sent to Kerala Police Academy  in Thrissur, where they will undergo nine-month training programme tailormade for them. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hand over appointment letters to the new recruits at an event to be held on Monday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / TNN / July 02nd, 2018

K A Chandrasekharan passes away

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Thiruvananthapuram :

K A Chandrasekharan, a strong voice for the disabled and the first blind person to be appointed as lecturer by Kerala Public Service Commission  on merit, breathed his last at Medical College Hospital here on Wednesday. He was 75.

A native of  Veliyam in Kollam  district, Chandrasekharan had dedicated over fifty years of his life for welfare and rehabilitation of disabled persons. He was a driving force behind several national and regional initiatives for developing policies and programmes for the disabled.

The cremation will be held at 10:30am on Thursday, on the premises of his residence at Veliyam.

Late Dr Jagadamma was his wife. He is survived by three children-Felicia Chandrasekhar, Rishi  Chandrasekhar and Kavi C J.

He played an instrumental role in framing Persons With Disabilities Act, 1995. He served as a member of the working group constituted by the Planning Commission in preparation of plan documents consecutively for three five-year plans (9th, 10th and 11th) with regard to secondary and higher secondary education for the disabled.

For long, he had held various positions in Kerala  Federation of the Blind.

Chandrasekharan went as a delegate to the UN – ESCAP conference in Osaka, Japan which issued Osaka  Decade Declaration 2002, urging a barrier-free inclusive and right-based society for persons with disabilities.

He had served as the member of technical committee under Bureau of Indian Standards for granting standards and ISI mark to assistive devices for the handicapped.

Chandrasekharan was also a member of NCERT expert committee for developing national curriculum framework in schools, representing disability sector.

State president of the Kerala Federation of the Blind K J Vargheese, in his condolence message, remembered Chandrasekharan as a towering personality who relentlessly worked towards the upliftment of the disabled and said his demise left behind a deep vacuum in the society.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / TNN / June 28th, 2018