The mynah incident
April 13, 2009 at 5:44 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, Chennai. The Hindu, journalism ethics, photojournalism
Two weeks ago, Chennai readers were shocked to see in the paper a doctored photo of two mynah birds appear on the second page of The Hindu.
While the Editor-in-chief apologized immediately following the complaints from readers who said the image was obviously tampered with, today, in his ONLINE AND OFF LINE column, the Readers’ Editor issued an extended explanation of what happened and how the photo managed to pass through not only the photo department, but the editing department as well.
Although the paper maintained that the senior photographer was “severely punished,” specifically how he was punished was left open interpretation…but I could tell from reading the column this morning that the photographer must have still been on staff:
“His otherwise excellent service record of 24 years mitigating the severity of the action taken.”
Ironically, when I went to a press meet this evening, I was surprised to find out it was the offending photographer who was assigned to cover the same event for which I was assigned from the reporting department. I was further astonished when he admitted to me upon introducing himself that he was the one who had doctored the photo. I couldn’t tell if it was out of shame and guilt that he was admitting this error to me upon our first meeting, or if it was lack of care.
Either way, I was taken aback. First, that this photographer was still being assigned freely to cover events, and second, that I could find no pang of remorse in his tone when he mentioned the breach of ethics.
I guess the doubt I raised this morning was confirmed by nightfall.
At The Hindu: SMARTer classrooms
April 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai. The Hindu, classroom technology, education, Education Plus, internship diary, math, schools, teaching
Who says toys have no place in the classroom? Today’s students could benefit from educational electronics, according to one math teacher who has seen the results for himself. Vamsi Krishna, a mathematics teacher at the Kendriya Vidyalayas Sangathan (KVS) in Sulur, says technologies used to promote project-based learning can enhance the student’s ability to apply classroom concepts to the real world. Mr. Krishna has returned to Sulur following a Fulbright Fellowship exchange in the U.S. at New Tech High School in Durham, N.C. Now, he is persuading his school administrators at KVS to purchase similar gizmos, the cost of which he says his school can easily shoulder. “The classroom tools support an environment that accommodates interactive learning rather than one-way instruction,” he says. “The Indian student can tell you everything about the quadratic equation and can solve it perfectly, but he does not actually know about its practical application.” Classrooms in India are already equipped with LCD screens, overhead projectors, and Power Point facilities, but technology can be used to cultivate interest and classroom discussions too. Mr. Krishna says, with the Geometer’s Sketchpad and remote-controlled SMART board software, teachers can manipulate graphs, equations, and data sets while casually sitting among their students, stimulating collaborative learning and analytical thinking. The Sketchpad, priced at about $1000 and licensed for use by 50 students, is convenient for teaching coordinate geometry and allows students to build and study mathematical models, diagrams, and graphs. Teachers save time drawing similar examples because Sketchpad allows them to change shapes and positions simply by dragging a mouse, while keeping in tact all mathematical relationships. Meanwhile, Mr. Krishna says the SMART board (roughly $5000) provides interactive animated word problems, among other things. For example, students visualize calculating the coverage area on Earth (a sector) provided by a certain satellite from space. Teachers can simultaneously access related reference tools — all at the click of a button (or wave of a hand). Additionally, devices such as Texas Instruments graphing calculators (the most common TI-84 Plus costs $119) can plot graphs, solve simultaneous equations, store commonly-used formulas and functions, etc. This is especially handy for students pursuing science or engineering, he says. Thus, Indian students, too, could visually relate abstract concepts to concrete applications. But trendy technology is not enough to further academics. Mr. Krishna says schools should, at the very least, gear themselves with interactive computer software that allow students to learn more on their own, with teachers as facilitators. This article appeared in The Hindu’s Education Plus supplement on April 13, 2009.
At The Hindu: Fulbight-Nehru fellowships now open to professionals
April 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai. The Hindu, Education Plus, Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship, internship diary, opportunity, research, study abroad
CHENNAI: The launch of the 2010 Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship Competition, which will provide Indian scholars opportunities to study, teach, research and gain professional experience in the U.S. was launched by the U.S consul general in Chennai Andrew T. Simkin recently. The Fulbright Fellowships which were once awarded only to students, professionals and academicians in the liberal arts and social sciences, will, for the first time, be offered to research and professional opportunities for scholars in the field of agriculture, business, mass communication, public administration and more through the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships offered by the United States-India Education Foundation (USIEF). Sarina Praujape, USIEF Program Officer, said the foundation will provide fellowships to 85 scholars for the 2010 academic year, with fellowships lasting as long as two years. She said the bilateral agreement signed on July 4, 2008 not only makes India an equal partner in this program, but also allows scholars in almost all disciplines to participate. “The idea is to be more inclusive, so groups that have not participated in the past can now become a part of the Fulbright family.” Ms. Praujape said the application and programme criteria will remain the same for these newly-included fields, but once Fulbright Fellows complete the exchange, they can choose the method by which they wish to give back to their home countries. Mr. Simkin said since 1946, the aim of the fellowship program has been to promote scholarly exchange, and thus far, the USIEF has “successfully sent scholars back and forth, increasing the cultural and intellectual understanding between the two countries.” Additionally, he noted that despite the global meltdown and cutting of funding for so many programs, the funding for the fellowships will most likely continue to remain intact for the upcoming years because both countries are contributing: “In spite of budget pressures, there is a strong emphasis in diplomacy coming from both countries,” he said. Recent Fulbright Fellows also shared their experiences from abroad. Durairaj Chinnasamy, Agricultural Entomology professor at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, said his work involved finding a way to reduce insect reproduction, thereby reducing the need for insecticides in agriculture. He said he plans to implement some of the U.S. agricultural technologies here in India as well. Meanwhile, V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai, Research Scholar from M.I.T., said he came to India to study Siddha Yoga and its implications with the molecular understanding of medicine that the West utilizes. He said his research could potentially drastically cut the funding the U.S. government is pumping into health care and pharmaceutical research. “The molecular age can meet the yogic age,” he said. All of the scholars agreed that their experiences through the Fulbright exchange program contributed immensely to their professional and personal lives. “Fulbright is the only organization that could have made it possible for me,” Mr. Ayyadurai said. This article appeared in The Hindu’s Education Plus supplement on April 13, 2009.
At The Hindu:Vibrance and vigor mark Baisakhi festivities
April 13, 2009 at 1:23 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Basakhi, celebration, Chennai, Chennai. The Hindu, harvest festival, internship diary, Punjabi, South India
CHENNAI: It was more than just dhol beats that marked Baisakhi festivities in Chennai recently.
An interfaith celebration hosted by Developers India, an organization that promotes India’s development and unity, recognized the liveliness and resilience of Punjabi Sikh community, as well as the common threads that tie Punjabi Sikh culture to that of Tamilians.
Baisakhi, the Punjabi harvest festival that symbolizes happiness and prosperity, has significance all over India, the founder and secretary-convener of Developers India, Harbhajan Singh, said.
But the festival’s celebration “in the tip of India” carried an even greater message, because it represented the building of bridges between the two societies which, upon first glance, seem very different. He added that Baisakhi’s proximity to the Tamil New Year also gave it more weight in the southern State. Many of the dignitaries, alongside their Baisakhi greetings, echoed “Puthandu vazhthukkal” wishes as well.
General Commanding Officer for A TN K & K Area E.J. Kochekkan said that all Indians could follow the Punjabi example because Punjabis exhibit vigor in all aspects of life: they work hard, make merry, and are fierce fighters as well.
At The Hindu: Government follows through with bright idea
April 11, 2009 at 1:20 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Bachat Lamp Yojana, carbon footprint, Chennai, Chennai. The Hindu, energy efficiency, environment, global warming, Greenpeace India, incadescent light bulb, internship diary
CHENNAI: It may be a small step to change a single light bulb, but a giant leap towards eliminating India’s carbon footprint: as the first step taken by the government toward fulfilling India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, the price of the Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) has now been reduced to Rs. 15, according to Greenpeace volunteers.
Commemorating the official launch of the city’s ‘Bachat Lamp Yojana,’ a campaign to replace 400 million incandescent bulbs with CFLs by 2012, celebrities, volunteers, and passers-by gathered at the Gandhi Statue on the Marina on Friday. Although the campaign was initiated by Greenpeace in 2007, volunteer Senthil Kumar said that only now the government had reduced the price of CFLs to Rs. 15, making these energy-efficient bulbs more affordable to the general public. Previously, the price of these bulbs started at Rs. 100.
The campaign aims at distributing 11-15 w CFLs at Rs. 15 each, in the place of 60 w and 100 w incandescent bulbs, which are the most commonly used across the country.
Whereas the CFLs will not be readily available in the market just yet, Finny Gerald, Greenpeace Direct Dialogue Recruiter in Chennai, said 14 electricity supply companies from 12 States nationwide enlisted themselves with the initiative to provide these bulbs to consumers.
Mr. Kumar said the CFL bulb could last up to four times as long as an incandescent bulb, and was more environment-friendly.
Thus, by phasing out the 400 million incandescent bulbs, Greenpeace volunteers predicted India would save 10,000 MW of electricity and reduce 55 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year – the equivalent of shutting down four power plants, according to Mr. Gerald.
A supporter of Greenpeace’s efforts, Bengali actor Dhritiman Chatterjee, said this initiative provided an option to those who were environmentally conscious, but had often felt helpless with regard to taking action.
“Simplicity, sympathy, and sharing: Although it sounds lofty, using these three basic principles in whatever way we think possible, we can find specific ways to reduce our daily energy consumption,” he said.
Director Vasanth, who attended the campaign, agreed that he himself takes routine steps to reduce his contribution to global warming.
“I make sure to check my tyres everyday. It’s one small thing, but I am conscious of protecting the environment,” he said.
At The Hindu: How to add humanity to health care
April 10, 2009 at 1:16 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, Chennai. The Hindu, health, internship diary, medicine, Meenakshi Medical University, profession
CHENNAI: The human touch and sincerity of doctors that makes health care in India unique is also what needs to continue to expand, according to Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University K. Meer Mustafa Hussain.
Addressing the convocation of Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, on Wednesday, he said that there is tremendous need in the nursing, physiotherapy, and dental surgery fields, and these are areas which call for the most contact with patients.
“It’s the nurses who spend 24 hours with the patient, not the medical officers,” he said, adding that patients overcome their inhibitions to ask nurses and therapists questions they would not have asked doctors.
Globally, he said there is a shortage of 10 lakh nurses and 2 lakh dental surgeons, but gradually, awareness among Indians about the importance of dental hygiene is helping the case of the latter in India.
Furthermore, the notoriety associated with self-financed colleges 25 years ago hindered their proliferation, he said. Such colleges were thought to be set up along the business ethic, that is, merely for “swelling the pockets” of the private administrators who had financed their development; but today it is agreed that self-financed medical colleges have contributed to society and its growth. Dr. Hussain said policy makers wish to see a doubling in the number of medical colleges, to provide more postgraduate seats.
“Think globally, act locally,” Dr. Hussain advised the graduates. He urged them not to stop their educational pursuits or research after graduating from medical school. “Only if you completely research, you can compete with others,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Meenakshi University T. Gunasagaran explained that currently, 30,000 students pass out in India every year, but there are only 10,000 postgraduate seats available in the approximately 160 medical colleges in the country.
That means the remaining 20,000 Indian health professionals should qualify themselves further in other countries, especially now that India has started recognizing some international qualifications.
He felt this is “a welcome step,” in the right direction, so Indians who complete their studies abroad can come back to fill teaching positions here.
A total of 196 received their degrees at the convocation.
At The Hindu: 7Up switches up cricket rules
April 9, 2009 at 1:10 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: 7Up, Chennai, Chennai Super Kings, Chennai. The Hindu, cricket, Indian Premier League, internship diary
CHENNAI: Thought the T-20 was as intense as cricket could get? Think again. Thanks to 7Up’s Lemon Pattalam contest, seven amateur cricketers from Tamil Nadu will get to travel to South Africa not only to watch the IPL live, but also play in a 7Up style match against the Chennai Super Kings—that means 7 balls per over and 7 overs per innings.
“It will be a challenge for fielding, but we’re turning the rules of cricket on its head,” said Alpana Titus, Executive Vice-President of Flavors, PepsiCo India.
She said the revamped rules allow players to score 7 runs as well, as 7-Up will implement an extra boundary outside the sixer range.
“This kind of stimulating cricket is what excites young people,” said CSK Director of Cricketing Operations V.B. Chandrasekar.
As if bringing Indian gully cricket to South Africa wasn’t exciting enough.
But not all hope is lost for the athletically challenged who wish to attend the match overseas, too. The “Gaana Paadu, South Africayil Aadu” contest by 7Up’s radio partner Hello FM will allow four musical winners from Tamil Nadu to cheer on the Kings and walk alongside M.S. Dhoni to the coin toss.
These contestants will have to submit team cheers to be aired on Hello FM.
Team registration for the contests, which are open to boys and girls who are above the age of 18, will begin on April 15 and run through May 3.
Teams of seven can pick up registration forms and rules at 7Up retailers.
Through inter-city matches, a champion from each city will be selected to play against each other.
Participating cities include Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tirupur, Tiruchi and Tirunelveli.
At The Hindu: Unrivaled skill of unravelling puzzles
April 9, 2009 at 1:07 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Aishwarya Sriram, autism, Chennai, internship diary, puzzles, skill, talent, The Hindu
CHENNAI: Whether 20 pieces, 50 pieces, a 100 or a 1,000, numbers don’t matter when Aishwarya Sriram is determined to solve a jigsaw puzzle.
“Aishy can solve puzzles, but she herself remains a puzzle,” her parents, Gayatri and Sriram, say. After all, her impenetrable focus to finish puzzles late into the night is unrivaled by anyone else they’ve seen. But like many people with autism, 27-year old Aishy’s diligence is the expression of her special skills.
Autism is a developmental disorder which affects the brain. While children who are autistic usually lack social communication or interactive skills, they usually show unique abilities in other ways. For Aishy, it’s her heightened visual-spatial judgment.
Governing Body member of Vidya Sagar Spastics Society of India actor Revathy inaugurated an exhibition of Aishy’s puzzle collection here on Tuesday. Aishy’s completed works include puzzles of the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper (her favorite), and a silver KRYPT, a monochromatic puzzle which requires piecing together solely based on each piece’s shape.
“She has a photographic memory of each piece, so she doesn’t need any images to refer to,” her mother says.
When Aishy was 3 years old, her parents noticed her speech progressing slower than that of their first daughter’s. After a visit to a paediatric psychiatrist, they learned Aishy was autistic. Since then, family friends say the parents have been supportive of all of Aishy’s accomplishments, including her most ardent hobby, jigsaw puzzles.
She first discovered puzzles when she was 10, after crying for her teacher’s attention while at Vijay Human Services, a school for special children. A box of cardboard cut-out pieces fell from a cupboard, and Aishy’s teacher was pleasantly surprised to find a completed puzzle and content child upon her return.
Her parents say working on jigsaw puzzles, which started as a mere “time pass,” became an intense hobby, and now family friends from all over the world send Aishy puzzles instead of chocolates or souvenirs. Aishy’s sister, Abhirami, says the family keeps a stock of puzzles at home to quell Aishy’s spontaneous and voracious appetite for puzzles, and now, she has completed 74 puzzles to-date.
Nandita Krishna, director of the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation applauded the family’s support of Aishy’s accomplishments through the puzzle exhibition: “Just as you would celebrate the graduation or diploma of a normal child, you should encourage and take pride in the achievements of special children.”
Ms. Krishna said she has witnessed many families in which the fathers abandon the autistic child, leaving the single mother to cope with the struggles of earning for the family as well as nurturing the child.
However, Ms. Gayatri assures that it is her husband’s commitment has been instrumental to Aishy’s growth.
“He always says these (special children) are divine souls, and God has given us the opportunity to raise such a child,” she said.
For the Sriram family, Aishy is a perfect fit.
At The Hindu: Anything but dull…..
April 8, 2009 at 1:05 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, Chennai Super Kings, cricket, fans, Indian Premier League, internship diary, reality show, The Hindu, Vijay TV
CHENNAI: Thirty-six small pairs of eyes stared in awe as bowler Sudeep Tyagi bobbed his head and shook his hips to the music, surrounded by cheerleaders turning somersaults. The young fans of the junior team are used to not blinking when watching the Kings on the field, but watching their Tyagi break it down only a few feet away from them was an equally hard trance to snap out of.
“We’re really happy and excited!” they chimed, unable to sit still in their seats.
Almost as lively as the field action itself, the Chennai Super Kings meeting with the three Vijay TV Chennai Super Kings junior finalist teams on Monday evening was anything but dull.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this in my life,” said batsman S. Anirudha, in response to the children’s buzzing and his team-mate’s dancing.
However, the children’s smiles fell at the mention of the IPL’s move to South Africa. “We’re very sad. If it were here at least we could have gone.”
Vijay TV General Manager K. Sriram said the channel has offered to pay for the airfare to South Africa and entry fee for the finalists who would have originally been offered these perks if the IPL had remained in India. But now, due to logistical reasons, the children will have to cheer on their team miles away from the action.
“Our favorites are Dhoni and Raina,” they said, “we will definitely be watching them on T.V.”
The Chennai Super Kings Junior Team reality show was set up by Vijay TV to encourage children who want to become professional cricketers one day. The children, aged 7 to 12, have enjoyed every moment, according to Mr. Sriram, although the elimination rounds can be tough.
Only two more episodes remain to select the champion junior team, but regardless of which junior team wins the title, the CSK team can rest assured they’ve got the unconditional support from all of their younger fans.
At The Hindu: computers donated to leprosy community
April 8, 2009 at 1:03 am | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, Chennai. The Hindu, internship diary, leprosy, outcast, Rotary
CHENNAI: Integration into society will free the leprosy colonies of the standing stigma that confines them as “the poorest of the poor,” Rising Star Outreach Project Chairman PT Prabhakar said here on Monday.
In an effort to empower the children of the leprosy community of Chengalpet, 40 computers were donated by the Rotary Club of Madras Central and the Rising Star Outreach (RSO) to set up a computer center there. By providing computer literacy courses to the children, Rotary and RSO volunteers hope to make the children economically independent.
“These children, through no fault of their own, were ostracized by society,” said Mr. Prabhakar, who is also the former District Governor of Rotary International District-3230. RSO had already purchased 18 acres near Chengelpet for a school and hostel for the children, the funding for which was provided by the Marriott Group of U.S. Now, RSO has secured an agreement with NIIT to provide computer literacy courses on a non-commercial basis. The children who complete the course in the 10th standard will receive a certificate from NIIT and will be offered employment at Dell India.
Following her visit to India with her daughter, founder Betty established RSO after she realized how emotional her daughter became after witnessing scenes of poverty and isolation experienced by people with leprosy, Mr. Prabhakar said. He admired the RSO volunteers for their commitment in leaving behind the “comforts of the U.S.” to live among those with leprosy since RSO’s inception. Meanwhile, he said Rotarians have provided micro-loans for the people with leprosy to buy cows and goats so they can sell the milk and become self-sufficient.
But RSO India Director Rob Hansen said the ongoing fight for the leper community is still far from over. “Our job is not done,” he said. Krishnamachari Srikkanth, chairman of the Selection Committee of BCCI, commended the Rotary for working towards “the fantastic cause.”
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