SSLC: Over 11 lakh to write tomorrow

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MONDAY 14.3.2016 (EVENING) H OTHER STATIONS TUESDAY 15.3.2016 (MORNING) H 8 PAGES Rs. 4.00 H Regd. No., TN/CC(S) DN/223/15-17, RNI No: 33810 / 82
Fishermen row: Jaya seeks
strong action from Modi
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said the Centre’s ‘inadequate
response’ to apprehension and
detention of Indian fishermen ‘has
emboldened the Sri Lankan Navy to
harass’ them, and sought a ‘robust
diplomatic response’ on the emotive issue.
‘Inadequate response of the Union
Government on such incidents of apprehension
and detention of our fishermen has emboldened
the Sri Lankan Navy to
harass the Tamilnadu
fishermen while exercising their livelihood rights
to fish in their traditional
waters of the Palk Bay,’ she said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a copy of which was released to the media here, she took
up the latest instance of the arrest of
28 Indian fishermen from the State
and reminded him that she had been
repeatedly writing to him to ensure
that such incidents did not recur.
The prolonged detention and disuse of boats under Lankan custody
and the onslaught of the severe
monsoon had caused irreparable
damage to them, she said and reiterated that they should be restored
in a refurbished condition to the
fishermen at the earliest.
Jayalalithaa said that continued
apprehension and detention of
Indian fishermen by the Lankan
Navy ‘is causing a deep sense of
frustration and anger amongst the
fishermen community in Tamilnadu’.
She also pointed out that the
permanent solution to this ‘vexatious problem’ was the retrieval of
Katchatheevu, an islet
ceded to Sri Lanka by
India, recalling her petition in Supreme Court
questioning the validity of
the 1974 and 1976 agreements between the two
countries in this regard’.
‘I hope that there will
now be a decisive shift in the stance
of the Government of India towards
handling this question under your
leadership. The Government of
India should now find a lasting and
permanent solution to this long
pending and highly emotive issue
which also carries grave security
implications for our state,’ she said.
‘I request you to put in place
a strong and robust diplomatic
response registering India’s disapproval in the strongest possible
terms of the belligerent actions of
the Sri Lankan Navy,’ she said.
Suicide row: Students
protest at Anna varsity
MAKING A POINT
SSLC: Over 11 lakh
to write tomorrow
q Boys outnumber girl candidates
q 6,70,795 students to appear from Tamil medium
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
A total of 11,20,749 students will
be taking up the SSLC (class 10)
board examination that is beginning
tomorrow.
In Tamilnadu and Puducherry, exams will begin tomorrow and come to
an end by 13 April 2016. Altogether,
exams will be conducted in 12,053
schools in these places.
Last year, there were 11,319 more
students appearing for the exams.
The number of boys writing the SSLC
exams this year is 5,51,301 and girls,
5,20,884. This means 30,417 more
boys are taking up the exam.
Apart from these students, 48,564
individuals are also writing the exams
privately. In total, 11,20,749 students
are appearing for the exams in 3,317
exam centres set up in Tamilnadu and
Puducherry for the purpose.
In Puducherry, 17,041 students
from 298 schools are writing the
exams in 48 exam centres. In Chennai alone, 53,159 students from 574
schools are writing the exams.
In all, 6,70,795 students will be are
appearing from Tamil medium.
To ensure transparency in the conduct of exams, students and teachers
are prohibited from carrying mobile
200 sea
turtles swim
towards sea
Rameswaram, Mar 14:
About 200 sea turtle hatchlings
emerged from their eggs and
dashed towards the sea near
Dhanushkodi coast in the island.
Students staging an agitation before Anna University in the city today.
Photo: C SANTHOSH
NT Bureau
insisted that they should be allowed
to meet the Vice-Chancellor of Anna
Chennai, Mar 14:
University and putforth their demands
A protest was held today in front of
to the governing council. The agitaAnna University campus at Guindy
tion was largely peaceful. Before the
here, demanding ‘justice’ for the
commencement of the protest, the group
death of T Abinath, a first year stuhad made sure that no road-roko or traffic
dent of Sairam Engineering College
disruption would take place. However,
who was found dead in a well inside
some drama occurred when a staff from
the college premises.
Anna University took a picture of protestThe agitation which was spearing students and this led to brief tension
headed by a students organisation was
among the students. It was resolved after
mainly held against the alleged torture
the police intervened and snatched the
faced by the students in engineering
phone from the staff.
colleges. The suicide of Abinath ocStudents were holding banners
curred just few months after the coldemanding the arrest of a college
lege hit the news columns over the
official. Top police officers arrived
‘ultra-conservative’ rules it follows.
at the scene to make peace with the
The protesting students (many were
protesting students.
covering their faces with masks)
uling BJP and Congress today sparred in Rajya
Sabha over remarks of Leader of Opposition
Ghulam Nabi Azad allegedly comparing Hindutva outfit
RSS with terrorist organisation ISIS.
While the ruling party and its ministers wanted Azad to
withdraw his controversial remarks and apologise, the
Congress leader denied drawing any parallel between
the two and said he was submitting a CD of his speech
to the government and is willing to face privilege motion
if anything wrong was found.
Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
said he personally respected Azad but ‘he should think
if he has knowingly or unknowingly slipped ... you have
given respectability to ISIS.’
Meanwhile, the superb build-up run has made India
the clear favourites for an unprecedented second World
Twenty20 title but the in-form hosts will have to guard
against complacency when they take on a spirited New
Zealand in their campaign-opener tomorrow.
No host country has won the T20 world title in the last
five editions and none has repeated a title triumph, but
India’s settled combination, led by Mahendra Singh
Dhoni, and familiarity with the conditions make them
the odds-on favourites to script history.
The 2007 Champions, India go into the Super 10
Group 2 clash against New Zealand with their tails up
as the number one ranked team in the world.
According to forest officials, the
turtles emerged as a group last
night and rushed towards the sea.
Officials said over 2000 eggs had
been buried in the egg chamber
constructed by the sea turtles,
and they expected more turtles to
emerge in the coming days.
Forest officials, as part of sea
turtle conservation progamme,
had ensured that the eggs were
not disturbed by fencing the area.
Examination
committees have been
set up in each district
under the respective
Collectorates.
They will be
operating along
with the Education
Department
officials
phones into the exam hall. Answersheets will be kept safe in the 350
centres with 24-hour protection from
the police.
Examination committees have been
set up in each district under the respective Collectorates. They will be
operating along with the Education
Department officials.
Over 6,600 flying squads have been
set up to inspect the examination
centres.
Recently, Director of Government
Examinations D Vasundhara Devi
and Director of School Education
S Kannappan said students found
indulging in them will be debarred
and even be arrested.
In his word of advice to students,
Kannappan has asked them to
write answers in a legible manner
and to attend easy and well-known
questions fi rst, before moving on
to others.
‘At any cost, don’t copy from others
and don’t allow others to copy from
you. Because, both will lead you to
big trouble,’ he said.
Elderly man
dies during
pilgrimage tour
Madurai, Mar 14 (PTI):
A 65-year-old passenger died
following a cardiac arrest while on
a pilgrimage tour from Gwalior to
Rameswaram, organised by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation of India.
Hariprasad became unconscious
when the train was passing between
Dindigul and Madurai on Sunday.
Railway Doctor at Madurai,
Janarthanan, who attended to the
passenger, said he had suffered
cardiac arrest and declared him dead.
Officials asked the family members
to alight at Madurai, and arrangements were made for cremating the
body at the Thathaneri Crematorium
here. The Health Inspector disinfected the coach and the train left for
Rameswaram. Earlier, as per norms,
the body was sent to the government
hospital at Madurai, for post-mortem.
75 sovereigns
of gold stolen
at Seven W ells
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Burglars struck at a house in Seven
Wells last night and decamped with
75 sovereigns of gold.
According to the police, Mohammed
Niyaz , a resident of Portuguese
Church Street has alleged in his
complaint that he had been to Vadapalani last evening and when he
returned home, he saw the door broke
open and the valuables missing from
the house.
Niyaz runs a textile shop in Flower
Bazaar. A case has been registered
in this regard.
What led actor to end life?
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
The suicide of popular television and
film actor Sai Prashanth has shocked
many in the industry. His body was kept
at Kilpauk Government Hospital for
postmortem. Actors and actresses made
a beeline to pay last respects to him.
On Sunday, the actor chose to take
the extreme step at his house here
allegedly due to a domestic feud.
Police sources said Sai Prashanth
mixed poison in his drink and ended
his life. Though police said the reason
behind the suicide was not clear, it
was possibly a case of loneliness.
After divorcing his first wife, Prashanth re-married a few months ago.
He had worked in popular teleserials such as Annamalai, Selvi and
Arasi and had starred in a few Tamil
films such as Neram, Thegidi and
Vadacurry.
Meanwhile, police have recovered
a suicide note from his house. Sai
Prashanth had stated in it that no
one is responsible for the decision.
He expressed his anguish at missing
his wife, who left him a few days ago
MOMENT OF GRIEF
Colleagues and friends of actor Sai Prashanth (inset) at
the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai.
Photo: M SRINIVASAN
following a quarrel and stayed in her
parents’ place.
He also thanked Radhika Sarathkumar for giving him regular opportunitiues to be part of her tele serials. He
referred her as Amma.
Sai Prashanth had started his career as a video jockey and hosted
the popular show Dil Dil Manadhil.
Sources also said he is the only son
of his parents, who live in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, general secretary of the
Nadigar Sangam Vishal said, ‘I don’t
understand why artistes go to this extent’ and mooted counselling to help
out film personalities at difficult times.’
High-flying India launches WT20 title bid
q Williamson-led Kiwis aim to upset home team’s applecart
Nagpur, Mar 14 (PTI)
The superb build-up run has made
India the clear favourites for an
unprecedented second World Twenty20 title but the in-form hosts will
have to guard against complacency
when they take on a spirited New
Zealand in their campaign-opener
here tomorrow.
No host country has won the T20
world title in the last five editions and
none has repeated a title triumph, but
India’s settled combination, led by
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and familiarity with the conditions make them the
odds-on favourites to script history.
The 2007 champions, India go into
the Super 10 Group 2 clash against
New Zealand with their tails up as the
number one ranked team in the world.
India have been on a roll in the
shortest form of the game, winning their last seven outings which
included a 3-0 whitewash of World
50-over champions Australia
in the latter’s backyard.
They then went on to
win the Asia Cup on a
canter after beating Sri
Lanka at home 2-1.
The five consecutive
wins in Dhaka, including in the summit clash
against Bangladesh that
led to their continental supremacy in the T20 game,
has given the team a huge morale
boost.
However, Dhoni’s men will be
wary of the fact that they have never
beaten New Zealand in T20s in four
outings in the past including once
during their stunning title run in the
inaugural edition in 2007 in South
Africa.
But in home conditions, India
would be a big threat to the rest
of the competitors, including
New Zealand.
The minor hiccup in India’s
build-up to this competition
was their loss to South Africa
by four runs in a practice match
and this was perhaps a wake-
up call for the team to avoid being
complacent.
India do have the wherewithal and
the personnel to script history and a
win in tomorrow’s opening game at
the VCA Stadium in Jamtha would
give them the ideal momentum to take
on the challenges ahead head-on.
Virat Kohli has been in terrific form,
in the last two months. On top of his
game, the Test skipper has made four
half-centuries in seven innings, and
two other scores in the 40s, besides
leading four successful run-chases.
With an average of over 50 after
38 matches, he remains one of the
players who will be feared by the
opposition along with the equally
talented Rohit Sharma who is set to
play in his sixth WT20 championship.
Shikhar Dhawan’s form has been
patchy at best but the knock of 73 he
made in the warm-up game against
South Africa should have given him
as well as the team a considerably
boost going into the tournament.
With the likes of Suresh Raina,
Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni himself to
follow apart from Hardik Pandya and
Ravindra Jadeja, India can bat deep
down the order.
The unearthing of Jasprit Bumrah
to bowl effectively at the early stages
as well as in the death has given the
team the much-needed go-to-man
when things don’t go as per plans.
The duo of Ravichandran Ashwin
and Ravindra Jadeja should be the
front-runners to take up two spots and
the team has the choice of adding either Harbhajan Singh or Pawan Negi to
the combination. New Zealand too have
the players to trouble India although they
would be missing the fire-power and attacking captaincy of Brendon McCullum
who has retired recently.
Led by Kane Williamson, a classically elegant batsman who ups his
gears when opening in T20Is, the
Kiwis are well-served with a set of
explosive batsmen in Martin Guptill,
Colin Munro, Grant Elliott, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson.
(Match starts at 7.30 p.m)
City
2 MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
Centre
Health is wealth
Taekwondo is her
calling card
Corpn gym inaugurated in Nanganallur
‘H
ealth is wealth. Keeping this
in mind, a roadside, unisex
gymnasium has been opened for
public use on 100 Feet Road, Nanganallur,’ says Ward 167 Councillor
Hema Baraniprasad.
The Councillor said, ‘It has come
up at a cost of Rs 18 lakh. Twister,
pebble walk and other equipment are
provided at the facility.’
She said, ‘We have provided shelter
at the gymnasium to ensure that men
and women do their workouts even
during rainy days.’
R
The facility was inauLLU
NA
college student, said,
gurated on the birthA
NG
NA
‘Private gyms charge a
day of Chief Minister J
huge sum. We cannot afford them.
Jayalalithaa last week.
The Corporation inaugurating such
‘Plans are on to come up with
facilities has come as a boon for us.’
similar such facilities in the locality,’
Echoing his words, Hariharan, a
she adds. Thanking the authorities
marketing executive of Nanganallur,
for opening the facility, Kandan, a
CHENNAI
Madhavaram girl makes it big in martial arts
said, ‘The craze among everyone
these days is to maintain a good
physique. But not everybody can
go to gymnasiums. Thanks to the
Corporation, it has come up close
to my house.’
- NT Bureau
GREEN TREND
Sathyapriya
F
or many is the city the Korean martial art TaekSathyapriya mother Indira says,’ I put Sathapriya and
wondo may only be a sound Greek and Latin,
her sister to learn this art when it was offered free as
but for Sathyapriya, a resident of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar,
an after school activity. Her sister secured admission
it is her passion.
in an engineering college on sports quota and she is
This Plus two student of Chennai Girls Higher Secin her final year.’
ondary School, Madhavaram bagged the bronze in
She adds,’ Both sisters are hard working. Sathyapriya
School Games Federation of India (SGFDI), held at
wakes up at 4 am and goes for practice. Initially she
Pune recently. Sathyapriya opens up about her love
found it difficult to cope-up but she it was her sheer
for this sport and why she took it up.
determination that kept her going.’
‘This is the second time I won the bronze at
Although the duo get government sponR
SGFDI. The first time was when I was in
sorship for participating in national tournaU
B
M
class seven. While many were opting
ments, they still need some financial support.
A
R
E
to play cricket and other common
Each of them need a minimum of Rs 30,000 a year
P
sports, I developed a liking towards
to attend practice sessions.
this martial art.’ Sathyapriya started
‘This is quite a big sum of us,’ says Indira. ‘It pinches
when she was eight years. This sport was offered
on the budget. My husband is an autorickshaw driver
in school as an extra activity and the girl opted to it.
and the sole bread winner of the family. Life is tough
She says, ‘I was proud when I started participating in
but we manage to give the best for our girls.’
competitions within a year. I got the very first medal
Head Mistress of Sathyapriya’s school says,’ We are
in class five.’
proud of her. She not only good at games but also
She adds that Taekwondo is a combining and incorexcels in academics. Her aim is to become an IPS ofporating the elements of Karate and Chinese martial
ficer.’ Sathyapriya can be contacted on 86819 50572.
arts along with indigenous Korean traditions.
- NT Bureau
A woman, who has put up a roadside nursey in Vanuvampet bypass near Nanganallur,
makes a quick sale.
Photo: A R Jayakumar
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Easy nah?
ANSWER TO
SUDOKU 3371
(13.03.2016)
6
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TEN CRICKET
WWE Smackdown
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I-League 2016 : Mohun Bagan vs. Mumbai FC
Sports Week
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C2K Xtra Time
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Cinema, Raj Theatre, INOX
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NATPATHIGARAM 79
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National Hall
Around Town
CHENNAI
MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
3
FOREST IN
CONCRETE JUNGLE
Nanmangalam in city is home for rare birds, animals, trees
NIVEDITA RAJU
Chennai, Mar 14:
Two things are working
in favour of the Nanmangalam Reserved Forest.
One is that the officials
have built percolation
ponds and check-dams,
and the other being abandoned quarries.
These have served as
the source of water for the
trees, birds and animals of
the forest which spreads
over 275 hectares. The
reserve forest which was
once a place for littering
is now a well-maintained
zone. It has become the
habitat for over 50 species
of birds.
The great Indian horned
owl, which is difficult to
spot during the day, has its
home in the quarry. With this being its
breeding season, the owl stays in a
quarry with its newborn owlets.
The sparrow, which has completely
disappeared from the busy metropolis, has made the forest its habitat.
Several sparrows can be seen flying
around during the early hours of the
day and their nests can be spotted.
The pied kingfisher, a white with black
species which is a rarity, can also be
seen in the jungle.
In order to guard all
these rare birds, five
anti-poaching watchers
have been appointed.
They go on regular
rounds to check on the
birds. When a drunken
person was found lying
on the ground during a
recent visit, he was immediately taken to the
police station. So, never
enter the premises without permission from the
forest department, say
the watchers.
The birds aren’t the
Students rock at
‘Instincts 2016’
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
‘Instincts 2016’, the annual cultural
festival organised SSN College of
Engineering here, was held in a
grand manner and concluded on
Sunday.
Popular actor Srikanth inaugurated the festival, organised by
students of SSN College of Engineering. Dr S Salivahanan, principal, B Srinivasan, director, School
of Management and Kasthuri, dean,
were also present.
A press note said it was a threeday fiesta of live music, enchanting
and enriching exhibitions, workshops, theatricals, films, dance and
competition. The theme of the festival - ‘celebration of the comeback of
Chennai’, was kept to appreciate the
undying spirit of the city which has
come back on its feet after devastating floods of December.
Endru Ninaithaayo!’.
The release said
Srikanth interacted
with the students and
regaled them with an
impromptu rendition
of the popular song
‘Un friend polla...
from the film Nanbaan.
Addressing the
students, he said:
‘Students today
have platforms like
instincts to showcase
their skills and talents. They should
Actor Srikanth at the annual cultural festival of make use of this opportunity to forge life
SSN College of Engineering in Chennai.
long bonds irrespecThe students of SSN took it upon
tive of caste, creed, community or
themselves to appreciate and
political affiliations.’
honour this spirit by conducting a
The festival featured over40 events
felicitation-cum-entertainment show
in multiple genres.
under the title ‘Naan Veezhven
LINES OF CONTROL
Free homam
classes
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Vedic Wisdom Homam Group is
conducting free homam classes every
Saturday and Sunday at Rajakilpakkam near Selaiyur.
The next batch will be starting soon,
said a press note. The programme
is open to all and no knowledge of
Sanskrit nor proficiency is required.
Course duration is 18 hours (each
class - two hours).
The venue would be: P4, Tulip
Gardens, Krishna Nagar 2nd Street,
Rajakilapakkam (near Sri Kanchi
Mahaswamy Vidya Mandir).
For details, call 9283111113.
EC’s advice to ELECTION
DMK complains of
people carrying cash
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
With the model code of
conduct in place for the Assembly elections, the special
surveillance teams of the
Election Commission are
leaving no stone unturned to
crack down on illegal transactions in a bid to influence
voters. However, people and
traders seem to be hit by the
drive.
Meanwhile, the Election
Commission has asked people carrying large amounts
of cash to carry documents
such as bank withdrawal
receipts, and receipt books
for traders.
‘They need to carry some
record of carrying the money,
the purpose for which it is intended and the source of the
money. Jewellery is generally
not seized,’ Chief Electoral
Officer Rajesh Lakhoni was
reported as saying.
Meanwhile, the Election
Commission of India has issued guidelines to the CEOs
of all States going to the polls
for provision of facilities to
persons with disabilities.
Apart from making polling
stations disabled-friendly, the
ECI has also asked the State
election commissions to train
electoral staff to deal with
differently-abled persons.
model code violations
Chennai, Mar 14:
The DMK has alleged violation of the model
code of conduct in Tamilnadu and asked the
Election Commission of India to ensure that it
was promptly implemented.
Party chief M Karunanidhi said instances of
violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) had
come to light and these include Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa’s photos not being removed from the
government subsidised ‘Amma’ Canteens here.
At Mannargudi, represented by DMK MLA TRB
Raja, a road-laying project was taken up in violation
of MCC recently, Karunanidhi alleged in a statement.
In some districts, Collectors who had put in more than
three years of service were still continuing, he claimed.
‘Therefore the Election Commission of India
should intervene in this matter and ensure justice
as there cannot be different set of rules for ruling party and the opposition,’ he said. Polls are
scheduled in the State on 16 May.
RARE FOR SURE
The great Indian horned owl
is a specialty of the jungle. The
sparrow which can no longer be
spotted in the city has its home
here. The pied kingfisher, redvented bulbul, sunbird and blue
tailed bee-eater which are a rarity
can be seen in the jungle.
only good feature about the area,
says Forest Range Officer, Krishna
Kumar, who, with the help of the
dedicated staff, has planted 5,000
fruit-bearing trees through a NABARD
scheme during 2014-2015.
These trees were planted so that the
birds will have enough food throughout the year. ‘It was very tough for
us to plant them because of the wild
growth of thorns. We had to water
the plants by pumping water from the
quarry which is two km away,’ says
Alex, the forest watcher.
The percolation pond and checkdams, built in 2014-2015, filled up well
as the jungle has systematic drainage which helped during the floods
Creating
awareness
on Glaucoma
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
World Glaucoma Day and a
public awareness programme on
glaucoma were organised by Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical
director of Rajan Eye Care Hospital, T Nagar here.
A press note said noted eye
specialists from various hospitals
and more than 140 persons participated in the glaucoma awareness programme. Rajan Eye Care
offers round-the-clock treatment
in the Department of Glaucoma
under the supervision of Dr Mohan
Rajan, chairman and medical director, Sujatha Mohan, executive
medical director and others. On
the occasion, a book on glaucoma
was also released.
Specialists said glaucoma is a
group of diseases that leads to
progressive loss in vision due to
damage to the optic nerve, as a
consequence of an increase in the
intraocular pressure (a pressure
in the eye comparable to blood
pressure).
The Nangmangalam forest is nature’s gift to the southern suburbs
of the city as it helps recharging ground water, besides housing rare
species of birds.
in Chennai. The stagnating water has become a hub for snakes,’ says
was diverted to the nearby lake. Krishna Kumar.
The ponds and the five abandoned
The monitor lizard, which is a rare
quarries, two of which are 40-45 species, can be spotted in the jungle.
feet deep, serve as a good source There are also a good number of
of water for the birds. This has also foxes and jackals in the area as can
increased the ground water level in be seen through their pugmarks. Red
the surrounding area.
sanders being a plant which has high
Apart from birds, there are sev- value is guarded safely within the
eral varieties of snakes in the for- premises. The Forest department
est. The snakes that get rescued in has also planted 500 of its saplings
from homes in Chennai are brought in the area. The plants are protected
a n d released here. ‘The forest
b y w e l l - b u i l t fences.
‘Engineering graduates
should be job-makers’
Convocation of Sri Venkateswara
College of Technology held
ISTE - New Delhi vice-president Dr K Manivannan presenting an award
to Elakiya V, 45th rank-holder in M.E (Communication System - Anna
University) at the graduation day of Sri Venkateswara College of
Technology (SVCT), Pennalur.
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
ISTE - New Delhi Dr K Manivannan
had a piece of advice for engineering
students and said they (engineering
graduates) should be ‘job-makers’
and not ‘job seekers’.
Speaking at the graduation day of
Sri Venkateswara College of Technol-
Exnora’s gesture
to underprivileged
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Exnora Greater Chennai undertook a charity project by giving Rs
15,000 worth of dress materials and
bedsheets, biscuits to inmates of
‘Premavasam’, an orphanage and
home for mentally-challenged, at
Gerugambakkam here.
A press note said Exnora Greater Chennai had been assisting
women, children, differently-abled
and mentally-challenged children
2016
for the past several years. In addition to such charitable causes,
it has provided assistance to the
tune of over Rs 30 lakh to more
than 20 organisations including
‘Premavasam.’
N B Sakkubai, vice-president,
Exnora Greater Chennai, handed
over the dress materials and bedsheets to the inmates of ‘Premavasam’ in the presence of officebearers including R Govindaraj and
Sampath Kumar.
ogy (SVCT), Pennalur, Sriprumbudur,
Manivannan said success is a great
motivator and failure is a great teacher. ‘All of you are the authors of your
own destinies,’ he told the students.
B Haribabu, chairman, Governing
Council, in his welcome speech advised
the batch of 2015 to be entrepreneurs,
practice ethics and follow their passion.
Courses in
apparel making
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Apparel Training & Design Centre here
offers free, short-term programmes for
the public. A press note said courses
are scheduled for three-four hours per
day. All candidates will be given intensive
theory and practical training.
Training certificates, materials,
notes will be issued to all participants,
said the release. For information,
contact 8870008553/ 22501345.
Meanwhile, South India Women Entrepreneurs Association will conduct free
training for women. Classes on various
subjects like beauty care and fashion
jewellery designing will be conducted.
Allies vow to work
for AIADMK’s win
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Seven outfits, including the existing
allies of the AIADMK, extended their
support to the ruling party and vowed
to work for its victory in the 16 May
Assembly polls.
Leaders of seven parties -- AIFB,
Republican Party of India (RPI),
Kongu Ilaignar Peravai, Tamizhaga
Vazhvurimai Katchi, Tamil Maanila
Muslim League (TMML), Indian
Thoueed Jamaath and Samathuva
Makkal Kazhagam, held discussions
with AIADMK supremo and Chief
Minister J Jayalalithaa at her Poes
Garden residence yesterday.
Emerging from the meeting, the
leaders said they had extended and
reaffirmed their support to AIADMK
and vowed to work for its victory.
However, seat-sharing talks will be
held later, they said.
All India Forward Bloc’s (AIFB)
State general secretary and Usilampatti MLA, P V Kathiravan, who met
Jayalalithaa along with his party’s
national secretary G Devarajan,
reiterated that the party extended its
support to AIADMK.
RPI leader C K Thamizharasan
vowed to work for AIADMK’s victory.
He represents Kilvaithinankuppam
(SC) constituency in the present
Assembly. Kongu Ilaignar Peravai
leader U Thaniyarasu, Legislator
from Paramathivelur, also extended
his party’s support.
T Velmurugan, founder of Tamizhaga
Vazhvurimai Katchi, told reporters an
AIADMK panel had been identified by
its party chief Jayalalithaa to look into
seat-sharing issue.
Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi,
founded by Velmurugan prior to his
dismissal from PMK in November
2011, joined the alliance this year
along with A Narayanan’s Samathuva Makkal Kazhagam.
Narayanan had recently floated the
outfit after quitting actor-politician R
Sarathkumar’s All India Samathuva
Makkal Katchi (AISMK), an ally of
AIADMK in the 2011 polls.
Blend
4 MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
WHAT NEWS TODAY PRINTS IS NEWS THAT COUNTS
CHENNAI
C
PICTURE PERFECT
L ICK
PIC
Messing & missing
T
he Congress is seeking to pin the blame for the flight of the
fallen liquor baron Vijay Mallya on the government. It was as
if Mallya was another Ottavio Quattrocchhi, the late Italian thug who
had last brokered the Bofors gun deal before he was made to flee
India after his presence had become embarrassing for the Gandhis,
his chief patrons.
Mallya, as the government informed the apex court, had left the
country 2 March, just when his long-suffering creditors had begun
to tighten the screws on him. But the Congress accusing the BJP
Government of helping him flee was akin to the pot calling the kettle
black. As Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, responding to the mock
anger expressed by the Congress, said every penny owed to the
banks was lent without due diligence when Congress was in power.
The first line of credit was granted in September 2004, a few months
after the Congress-led UPA government was installed. Loans were
further given in February 2008. These were declared non-performing
assets in April 2009.
However, he was allowed to restructure the debt and extended a
further line of credit in December 2010. The total money, including
interest, owed by him to a consortium of banks stood at over Rs.
9,000 crore in November 2015. Jaitley said the CBI was investigating
the circumstances under which these loans were given. That he had
not deposited the mandatory deductions made from the salaries of
the employees of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, including
provident fund deductions, was also true.
All this happened when the UPA was ensconced in power at the
Centre. The airlines owed dues of hundreds of their employees,
though Mallya was extended line after line of credit by various
public sector banks. In the above background, the Congress Party
seeking to shift the blame for the flight of the flamboyant Mallya
was indeed rich. Quite clearly the party seems to believe in the adage
about speaking untruth and falsehoods in the belief that at least
there would be some fools who might lap it up as gospel truth. The
reason why Mallya could fly out was also because the courts were
still insistent on following due procedures before they would grant
the application of banks to impound his passport.
Indeed, Mallya had got away fobbing off half-hearted attempts
made by banks until they were directed to get tough by the RBI and
the Modi Government. However, he had still banked on getting relief
from the judiciary. It is something which the higher judiciary might
like to consider, given the rampant abuse of the judicial process,
especially by wealthy and well-connected wrongdoers.
Anupam Kher @AnupamPkher
‘A pessimist is somebody who
complains about the noise when
opportunity knocks.’:)
Every cloud has a silver lining..if life is
throwing lemons at u,make a lemonade..
there r many who r battling lives 2 live
n hr u give up?
Khushbu Sundar @khushsundar
Magnetic chips may increase
computing’s energy efficiency
LOS ANGELES:
In a breakthrough for energyefficient computing, researchers
have shown for the first time that
magnetic chips can operate with the
lowest fundamental level of energy
dissipation possible under the laws
of thermodynamics.
The findings mean that dramatic
reductions in power consumption are
possible - as much as one-millionth
the amount of energy per operation
used by transistors in modern computers, researchers said.
This is critical for mobile devices,
which demand powerful processors
that can run for a day or more on
small, lightweight batteries, they said.
‘We wanted to know how small we
could shrink the amount
of energy needed for computing. The biggest
challenge in designing computers and, in
fact, all our electronics
today is
reducing their energy consumption,’
said Jeffrey Bokor from University of
California, Berkeley in the US.
Lowering energy use is a relatively
recent shift in focus in chip manufacturing after decades of emphasis on
packing greater numbers of increasingly tiny and faster transistors onto
chips, researchers said.
‘Making transistors go faster was
requiring too much energy. The chips
were getting so hot they would just
melt,’ said Bokor.
Researchers have been turning to
alternatives to conventional transis-
tors, which currently rely upon the
movement of electrons to switch
between 0s and 1s. Partly because
of electrical resistance, it takes a fair
amount of energy to ensure that the
signal between the two states is clear
and reliably distinguishable, and this
results in excess heat.
Magnetic computing emerged as
a promising candidate because the
magnetic bits can be differentiated
by direction, and it takes just as much
energy to get the magnet to point left
as it does to point right, researchers
said.
‘These are two equal energy states,
so we do not throw energy away
creating a high and low energy,’
said Bokor. They experimentally tested and confirmed the
Landauer limit, named after
IBM Research Lab’s Rolf Landauer, who in 1961 found that in
any computer, each single bit
operation must expend an absolute
minimum amount of energy.
Landauer’s discovery is based on
the second law of thermodynamics,
which states that as any physical
system is transformed, going from
a state of higher concentration to
lower concentration, it gets increasingly disordered. That loss of order
is called entropy, and it comes off as
waste heat.
Researchers used a laser probe to
carefully follow the direction that the
magnet was pointing as an external
magnetic field was used to rotate
the magnet from ‘up’ to ‘down’ or
vice versa.
Chinese bus ushers leap as they pose for a photograph at Tiananmen Square during a plenary session of the National People’s Congress
(NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In the other photograph, a demonstrator pretends to strangle an effigy of Brazil’s former
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wearing prison garb, during a protest demanding the impeachment of current President Dilma Rousseff
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Second blood bath in Turkey
Bomb explodes in crowded marketplace, 34 killed, 125 injured
ANKARA:
A suicide car bomb went off near
a bus stop in the heart of Turkey’s
capital city on Sunday, killing at least
34 people and wounding around 125
others, officials said. Two of the dead
are believed to be the assailants.
A senior government official told AP
that police suspect Kurdish militants
carried out the attack, which occurred
on Ankara’s main boulevard, close to
ministries.
At least one of the bombers was a
woman, he said. The official spoke
on condition of anonymity on grounds
that the investigation was ongoing.
The bombing was the third in the city
The attack came
just three weeks
after a suicide car
bombing in the
capital targeted
buses carrying
military personnel,
killing 29 people
ties said they were imposing curfews
International condemnation
The attack drew international condemnation in statements issued by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and NATO Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg, among others. US State Department spokesman John Kirby
reaffirmed Washington’s strong partnership with ‘our NATO ally Turkey in
combating the shared threat of terrorism’.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Turkey in renewed fighting following
the collapse of the peace process between the government and the PKK in July.
The country has also been struck by several bombings in the last year
that were blamed on the Islamic State group after the government joined
US-led efforts to fight the extremist group in Syria. The deadliest came in
October when a bombing at a peace rally outside Ankara’s main train station killed 102 people.
in five months and came as Turkey
is grappling with a host of issues, including renewed fighting with Kurdish
rebels, threats from the Islamic State
group and a Syrian refugee crisis.
Earlier on Sunday, Turkish authori-
All eyes on
Florida, Ohio for
‘Super Tuesday 2.0’
WASHINGTON:
Ahead of tomorrow’s crucial
primaries, all eyes are on Florida
and Ohio where Republican
presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and John Kasich respectively
are engaged in a do-or-die battle
with party’s frontrunner Donald
Trump, whose campaign lately
has been marred by unrest.
To stay in the race to the White
House both Rubio, 44, and
Kasich, 63, need to win the primaries in their respective states,
which would likely propel Trump
closer to bagging the party’s
presidential nomination for the
November 8 elections.
The events tomorrow has been
dubbed ‘Super Tuesday 2.0’,
when five states will go to the
polls including Florida, Illinois,
Missouri, North Carolina and
Ohio as well as the Northern
Mariana Islands.
More than 360 delegates are
stake in the primaries in these
five states, electioneering before
which has seen an unprecedented level of violence and protests
at public rallies of Trump, who
had to cancel his Chicago meeting as groups of supporters and
protesters clashed on Friday
night.
In Ohio, its popular governor
Kasich is in a tight race with
Trump, latest opinion polls said
yesterday.
To give a boost to his campaign, the former Republican
presidential nominee Mitt Romney has announced that he
would campaign in favour of
Kasich in Ohio.
on two mainly Kurdish towns where
Turkey’s security forces were set to
launch large-scale operations against
Kurdish militants. Russia on Sunday
also accused Turkey of sending its
military across the Syrian border to
prevent Kurdish groups there from
consolidating their positions.
The attack came just three weeks
after a suicide car bombing in the
capital targeted buses carrying military
personnel, killing 29 people. A Kurdish
militant group which is an offshoot of
an outlawed rebel group, the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for the 17 February attack.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
issued a statement vowing to bring
‘terrorism to its knees’ and said Turkey would use its right to self-defense
to prevent future attacks. ‘Our people
should not worry, the struggle against
terrorism will for certain end in success and terrorism will be brought to
its knees,’ Erdogan said.
Saudi state television said that a
Saudi woman and three children were
among those wounded in the attack.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman con-
demned the bombing and extended
his condolences to the Turkish people, according to the state-run Saudi
news channel Al-Ekhbaria.
At least 19 of the wounded were in serious condition, Health minister Mehmet
Muezzinoglu told reporters. He said that
30 of the victims died at the scene, while
the other four died at hospitals.
Interior minister Efkan Ala said the
attack wouldn’t deter the country
from its fight against terrorism. He
confirmed the blast was the result of
a car bomb that targeted civilians at
bus stops on Ataturk Bulvari close to
Kizilay square.
Ala said authorities had obtained
evidence pointing to the group behind
the attack, but said an announcement
would be made after the investigation is completed, most probably
on Monday. No group has claimed
responsibility.
Merkel in firing line after
regional vote ‘debacle’
BERLIN:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
was facing fresh pressure after a
regional election drubbing described
as a ‘debacle’ over her liberal refugee
policy.
Merkel`s Christian Democratic Union was at the receiving end of voters`
anger, suffering defeats in two out
of three states in regional elections
-- including its traditional stronghold
Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The stinging result for the conservative CDU was accompanied by a
surge in backing for the right-wing
populist Alternative for Germany
(AfD), which had sparked outrage by
suggesting police may have to shoot
Angela Merkel
at migrants to stop them entering the
country.
The elections were the biggest since
Germany registered a record influx of
refugees, and largely regarded as a
referendum on Merkel`s decision to
open the country`s doors to people
fleeing war.
While they have no direct impact
Barack Obama promises
human rights talk with Castro
HAVANA: confirmed to AFP that the letter was
US President Barack Obama, who authentic.
When Obama sets foot in Havana
visits Cuba in a week, promised
dissidents he would directly discuss on March 20, the White House imhuman rights issues with their
agines a ‘Berlin Wall moment’
president, Raul Castro.
-- a singular legacy-gilding
event like Ronald Reagan’s
Obama told the Ladies in
1987 address before the
White, a group of wives
Brandenburg Gate.
and children of political
prisoners, that he underWhile Reagan sought
to end the Cold War divistood their struggle, in
sion of Europe, Obama
a letter dated March 10
hopes to symbolically ‘tear
but published online by the
dissident organisation three Barack Obama down’ decades of Cold War
days later.
antagonism across the narrow
‘I fully understand the obstacles that Florida Straits.
ordinary Cubans face in exercising
Obama will visit the island March 20
their rights,’ Obama wrote in English. to 22 -- the first visit by a US president
‘The US believes that no one in Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928, and a
or anywhere else should face har- symbolically charged capstone to the
assment, arrest, or physical assault rapprochement that he and Castro
just because they are exercising a
announced in December
ER 2014. Obama’s Repubuniversal right to have
K
A
S M y lican foes accuse him of
their voices heard.’
NEoW
the da
f
betraying the cause of
‘As I have in the past,
human rights in Cuba by engaging
I will raise these issues
directly with President C a s t r o , ’ with the Castro regime, the Americas’
Obama stressed. The White House only one-party Communist state.
on her chancellorship, the regional
polls in the southwestern states of
Baden-Wuerttemberg and RhinelandPalatinate as well as eastern state
Saxony-Anhalt served as a key test
ahead of general elections in 2017.
Merkel, who is expected to give
her first reactions to the polls at
around midday on Monday, has so
far resolutely refused to impose a cap
on refugee arrivals, insisting instead
on common European action that
includes distributing asylum seekers
among the EU`s 28 member states.
But Sunday`s results could strengthen the hand of her adversaries,
including strident critics within her
Bavarian allies, the CSU.
VOICE MAIL
On the rise
Sir,
Saudi Arabia executed one of
its nationals convicted of murder,
bringing to 72 the number of people put to death in the conservative kingdom this year. Hadian
al-Qahtani was found guilty of
shooting dead Abdullah al-Qaoud
following a dispute. Most people
executed in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.
The executions so far this year
include 47 for terrorism carried
out in a single day on 2 January.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed
153 people, most of them for drug
trafficking or murder.
Rights group Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year
was the highest for two decades.
However the tally was far behind
those of China and Iran.
MANISHA,
By email
ADDRESS YOUR LETTERS TO :
The Editor, News Today, 85, Mount Road, Guindy,
Chennai - 600 032.
or e-mail to : letters@newstodaynet.com /
newstodaydaily@gmail.com
Enterprise
CHENNAI
Pfizer stops
sale of cough
syrup Corex
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI):
Pharmaceutical major Pfizer has
discontinued manufacture and sale of
popular cough syrup Corex with immediate effect after the government
banned fixed dose combination of
Chlopheniramine Maleate+ Codeine
Syrup.
‘This is to inform you that the Government of India vide Notification
dated 10 March, 2016 has prohibited
the manufacture for sale, sale and
distribution of fixed dose combination of Chlopheniramine Maleate plus
Codeine Syrup with immediate effect,’
Pfizer said in a BSE filing.
It further said: ‘In view of this, the
company has discontinued the manufacture and sale of its drug Corex with
immediate effect.’
Pfizer said Corex maintains a ‘well
established efficacy and safety profile
in India’ and the ‘company is exploring
all available options at its disposal.’
Elaborating on the impact, the company said ‘The above prohibition is
likely to have an adverse impact on
the revenue and profitability of the
company... Corex recorded sale of Rs
176 crore for the nine month period
ended 31 December, 2015.’
Shares of Pfizer were 5.19 per cent
lower at Rs 1,827.75 on BSE in the
morning trade.
MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
Jewellers strike:
Modi to intervene?
q Minister says he will take up the issue with PM
NT Bureau / PTI
Chennai / Ahmedabad, March 14:
Union minister Mohan Kundariya has said he will take up with
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi the excise duty issue raised by
striking jewellers in an effort to resolve
the matter.
The Lok
Sabha MP
from Rajkot said he will take along
other MPs from Gujarat, a major
gems and jewellery hub, for a meeting
with Modi. Kundariya met the agitating jewellers in Rajkot, around 200
km from here.
Jewellers across the country are on
an indefinite strike since the last ten
days to protest the proposed 1 per
cent excise duty on gold and diamond
jewellery and also mandatory PAN
From Chennai
card clause for purchases of Rs 2
lakh and above.
After meeting the jewellers, Kundariya told reporters that both BJP as
well as the Center is trying hard to
resolve the issue.
‘Being the MP of Rajkot, I met
these jewellers today to know their
problems. Jewellers across India are
agitating against the proposed excise
duty. I have told them that both BJP
as well as the Central government
are trying their best to find a solution.’
According to Madras Jewellers
and Diamond Merchants Association
president
Jayantilal
Challani,’on 17
March,
more than
five lakh
jewellers will
attend an agitation in New
Delhi. We hope that the Central
governemnt will come out with a
good decision before that. If not, we
will continue to protest till the one
per cent excise duty is withdrawn’.
‘In the coming days, all the MPs from
Gujarat will meet the PM and make a
representation about this issue. We
will see this issue is resolved,’ said
Kundariya, the Minister of state for
agriculture.
Jewellers are demanding a rollback of the proposed excise duty
(made in Union Budget) and also
the decision to make mandatory the
PAN card clause.
Mobile call rates
I am being hunted
down by media: Mallya may rise: COAI
New Delhi/London, Mar 14 (PTI):
As a controversy rages on over Vijay
Mallya leaving the country
despite huge unpaid loans
by his group, the
beleaguered businessman has said
he was being ‘hunted
down by media in UK’
but they did not look in
the ‘obvious place’.
A miffed Mallya, who
is reportedly in the UK
and has been only
tweeting for the past
couple of days, did
not disclose his exact location.
‘I am being hunted down by media
in UK. Sadly they did not look in the
obvious place. I will not speak to
media so don’t waste your efforts,’
he said in a tweet.
Mallya, who is said to have left India
for London on 2 March, is facing legal
proceedings for recovery of over Rs
9,000 crore, including interest, from
his group companies.
Besides a few personal tweets,
Mallya has also been re-tweeting
various news reports including those
about the problems in the aviation
sector and about his sport and beverage ventures.
He also retweeted a tweet by his
son Siddharth Mallya, who had said,
SOME SOLACE
FOR STAFF
In a move which will provide some relief to the former
Kingfisher employees, the
tax department has asked
its officials not to demand
taxes if the TDS has been
deducted and not deposited
in the government’s account
by the deductor.
‘People don’t understand that I have
nothing to do with it!’ in reply to a
message whether he was fed up with
the Twitter backlash.
Earlier on 11 March, the UB Group
chief had released a series of tweets
saying he was not an ‘absconder’
and keeps making frequent visits to
and from India as an international
businessman.
The 60-year-old liquor baron left
the country days before banks
approached the courts to seek
orders restraining him from going abroad.
Opposition leaders including
Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi have raised questions
about how he was allowed to
leave the country.
The government told the
Supreme Court that Mallya
had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued
notice to him and sought his
response within two weeks on
pleas filed by a consortium of
banks seeking direction for
freezing his passport and his
presence before the apex court.
Hundreds of unpaid employees
of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines,
which was promoted by Mallya,
have meanwhile written to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, seeking
his intervention in the recovery of
their dues which was estimated to
be around Rs 300 crore.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT) in an office memorandum has
“re-emphasized that the assessing
officers shall not enforce demands
created on account of mismatch of
credit due to non-payment of TDS
amount to the credit of the Government by the deductor’.
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Industry body COAI said the proposal in Finance Bill 2016 to declare
spectrum allocations as services will
result in a tax burden of Rs 77,000
crore for operators and is likely to hurt
consumers as they have to pay higher
tariff rates if the load passed on to them.
The Cellular Operators Association
of India (COAI) further said this will
also have an adverse impact on the
government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative
and financial inclusion plan.
‘The service tax levy on spectrum
assignment means that during auctions lined up for June-July, where
reserve price is around Rs 5.36 lakh
crore, the industry will have to cough
up minimum Rs 77,000 crore as a
service tax. This is a substantial financial burden on the industry which
is reeling under debt,’ the COAI said
in a statement. The Finance Bill
2016 has proposed that assignment
of spectrum and subsequent
transfer thereof to be declared
as a services under Section
66E of the Finance Act, 1994.
It has said that all government services have been
made liable to service tax and
to be paid by the recipient on
a reverse charge basis with
effect from 1 April, 2016.
‘If the costs were to be
passed on to the end consumer, it
would not only result in a significant
increase in the cost of telephone
services, but also have an adverse
impact on the Digital India initiative,
as well as, the financial inclusion plan
of the government,’ the COAI said.
Further, the government has proposed that the Cenvat Credit of the
tax so imposed on such assignment
is proposed to be deferred over the
life of the licence period.
The COAI said deferral of credits
will mean that the industry will be
burdened by a minimum effective
cost of Rs 40,000 - 50,000 crore.
‘It is worth noting that what is meant
to be a ‘zero cost’ in the cenvat credit
system for any operator who has adequate output service tax, will convert
up to a 71 per cent cost of the tax
imposed. The cost on account of deferral of credit would severely impact
the health of the telecom industry,’
the industry body said.
Credits of service tax imposed in
respect of received services are
available immediately on receipt
of invoice or payments for services. Even in case of capital
goods, benefit of credit
is available within
an average period
of six months, over
two financial years,
the COAI said.
Smart Cities: Germany to develop Coimbatore, Kochi, Bhubaneswar
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI):
Germany will partner with India to develop Kochi, Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore as smart cities.
‘Germany would contribute to India’s smart city programme and will help develop the cities of Kochi (Kerala),
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Coimbatore (Tamilnadu) as
smart cities,’ State Secretary in Germany’s Ministry for
Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear
Safety, Gunther Adler. The three cities are among the 20
cities which are to be developed as smart cities, announced
by Urban Development Ministry in January this year.
Germany had earlier set up a six-member joint committee with India to identify the cities which it could develop
as smart cities.
I, JAYA SUNDARAM,
W/o T. Sellakannu,
DOB:13.03.1953, residing
at No.4/201, P-Block, 30th
Sheet, Agathiyar Nagar,
Villivakkam, Chennai - 600
049, Shall henceforth be
known as JAYALAKSHMI
SELLAKANNU.
JAYA SUNDARAM.
I, GREESHKUMAR
SADASIVAN THAMBI,
residing at G2, B Block,
Malar Enclave, No.25, Lotus
Street, Vel Nagar Extension,
Adambakkam, Chennai - 600
088, Shall henceforth be
known as GIREESH KUMAR
SADASIVAN THAMPI.
GREESHKUMAR
SADASIVAN THAMBI.
The committee had
two representatives
of Urban Development Ministry, one
from the Ministry of
Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation,
and three from Germany. German Ambassador to India Martin Ney, said Germany is an ideal
partner in India’s mission to create smarter cities as the
country is ‘very strong at smart planning for urban centres’.
‘We have developed the technologies to make life in
cities easier. We have developed the processes to bring
PUBLIC NOTICE
Our client Mrs.Rugmini Venugopal
residing at 57, Bishop Garden,
Chennai 600 028, absolute owner
of Plots 82 & 83 part, with an
extent of 1.56 Acre in R.S.No.1/1C/3
part, present Survey No. 1/72B of
Sholinganallur Village, Injambakkam
Extenension, purchased vide
registered sale deed dated
12.12.1980 bearing the Document
No. 2543 of 1980. The original parent
document to the said transaction
registered as Document No. 800 of
1974 is not available. In the event
of there being any charges / claims
against the above property, the same
shall be brought to the notice of the
undersigned within 7 days from the
date of this notice failing which it
would be deemed that there are no
adverse charges / claims in respect
of the above property.
M/s. V.S Senthil Kumar
A. Kripakaran - 9176 88 33 66
Advocates
No. 326, 3rd Floor,
Thambu Chetty Street,
Parrys, Chennai - 600 001.
Advertise in
on board the stakeholders to make cities thrive and
German companies have developed smart solutions
to make smart cities,’ he said.
Germany had already been engaged in various fields
related to smart cities-such as sustainable urban mobility, water and waste-water management, renewable
energies and energy efficiency, the Ambassador said.
‘We have been supporting important Indian initiatives such as ‘Swachh Bharat’, National Mission for
Clean Ganga and Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Transformation,’ he added. Germany is
India’s second largest bilateral donor with a record
commitment of 1.5 billion Euros (Rs 11,0000 crore)
agreed last year, Ney said.
5
India to be
major growth
driver: IMF
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI):
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said
Asian economies led by India will be
a major growth driver in the years to
come and better representation of
large emerging nations in the multilateral institution has transformed it
from ‘my IMF to our IMF.’
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
has recently ratified quota reforms
giving more voting powers to emerging nations including India and also
included Chinese currency Renminibi
in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
basket along with four other global
currencies.
‘It is clear to us that... (it is) Asia
where growth is originating and going
to come from India and in the years to
come,’ she said at the Advancing Asia
Conference. Asia is a vibrant region
with large and growing population,
she said, adding, ‘the reform to transform’ that was mentioned by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi is a clear sign
that India is on the move using the
backbone of digital innovation.
With regard to quota reforms, Lagarde said the large emerging market
economies are now in the top 10 list
of members including India.
‘It is embedded in the new basket
of currency that determines the
value of SDR which now includes
the Renminbi along with four other
currencies and it is making the IMF
‘our institution’ from ‘my institution’,
she said.
Michelin ties up
with Snapdeal
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI):
French tyre major Michelin tied up
with online marketplace Snapdeal
to sell its products through the ecommerce platform.
‘Snapdeal with its large subscriber
base and pan India reach has been
an obvious choice. We believe
this new channel will
augment our
existing distribution and
enable our
dealers with a
parallel sales
pipeline,’
Michelin India Commercial Director
Mohan Kumar said in a statement.
Under the partnership, consumers
can place an order online via Snapdeal to purchase Michelin tyres from
an authorised dealer and request for
fitment at a time and place of their
choice, the company said.
The consumer has the option of
same day free fitment, as well as
access to exclusive offers on services like alignment and balancing,
it added.
Snapdeal Vice President, (Omni
Channel) Badal Malick said, ‘Our
recently launched omni channel
platform Janus will deliver the convenience of online product discovery
and offline installation services at the
nearest location.’
6 MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
Sports
Djokovic, Nadal
survive scares
Rusty Serena polishes off Putintseva
CHENNAI
Early exit for
‘Santina’
Indian Wells, Mar 14:
Their 41-match winning streak had
come to an end at the Qatar Total
Open, but Martina Hingis and Sania
Mirza’s hopes of claiming a second
straight BNP Paribas Open title were
halted by an unseeded but dangerous pair in Vania King and Alla
Kudryavtseva, 7-6(7), 6-4.
‘We had a game plan and I feel like
we executed it really well,’ King, who
won back-to-back Grand Slam titles
with Yaroslava Shvedova at the 2010
Wimbledon and US Open, said after
the match.
Serena Williams ‘We tried to take control of the points
and not let them dictate the match
play, and I think we did that really
well. That’s why we won.’
King and Kudryavtseva are playing
just
their second tournament of 2016
- King
sat out much of 2015 with a back
injury - but already have a Grand
Slam quarterfinal under their belt at
the Australian Open. After edging
past the top seeds in a tense tiebreak, the American/Russian duo
raced out to a 5-2 lead in the second
set - eventually breaking at love to
hand Santina their first straight-sets
loss since the summer of 2015 (Rogers Cup).
Into their second straight quarterfinal, fast-rising duo face a rematch of
their Australian Open encounter with
Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova;
the big-hitting pair survived a tough
match against Daria Kasatkina and
Elena Vesnina - the very team who
ended the Santina Streak in Doha
- in a match tie-break, 6-1, 6-7(5),
10-4.
Novak Djokovic
Indian Wells, Mar 14:
Novak Djokovic opened his bid for
a third straight BNP Paribas Open
title Sunday night by surviving an
unexpected challenge from American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo, 2-6,
6-1, 6-2.
Later in the night, fourth-seeded
Rafael Nadal beat big-serving Gilles
Muller 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to advance to the
third. round.
‘All credit to Bjorn on playing a great
match, but I wasn’t feeling comfortable at all on the court,’ the topranked Djokovic said after extending
his winning streak at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden to 12 matches. ‘I was
just trying to find a way, trying to hang
in there and make it through.’
The 22-year-old Fratangelo was
the French Open boys’ champion in
2011 and turned pro in 2012, but has
been playing almost exclusively on
the satellite tours. He’s ranked No.
149 and his first-round win Friday
was his first in four matches on
the ATP World Tour.
He took a 4-0 lead in the opening
set and kept the match interesting until Djokovic got back-to-back
service breaks en route to winning
the final five games.
‘He deserved every point he got,’
Djokovic said. ‘He played a great
match, especially in the first set.’
Djokovic, who has a 17-1 record
this season, took the court after
top-ranked Serena Williams moved
into the women’s fourth round with
a ragged 7-6 (2), 6-0 victory over
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.
In the opening set, Serena showed the effects
of a six-week layoff since
losing the Australian Open
final. The two-time tournament
champion made 29 unforced errors and seemed completely out
of a rhythm against Putintseva,
who played aggressively
and challenged every close
line call.
‘I was just trying to find my
rhythm out there, trying my best to
not get off to a slow start,’ she said.
‘Then I got broken really early and I
couldn’t manage to break back.I was
just trying to fight out there and do
what I could.
No stopping Lin Dan
Birmingham, Mar 14 (AP):
Lin Dan earned his sixth All England
badminton title when he routed Chinese teammate Tian Houwei 21-9,
21-10 in the final yesterday.
The final lacked any tension, as
Lin bolted to 4-0, enjoyed the same
margin at the changeover and pulled
away. There were no yells of joy
or frustration, just a couple of fist
pumps, and Lin could afford to play
to the crowd and still win the next
point. The near full house encouraged Tian, who was trying to beat
Lin at his seventh attempt, but an
air of inevitability crept over
proceedings.
That was fine with Lin. He
averaged an hour per
match to reach his ninth
All England final, satisfied
that a winter of hard training has built up a reserve
of energy that badminton’s only
two-time Olympic men’s champion
will translate into a third gold in Rio
de Janeiro. The sixth championship
by badminton’s greatest player came
Casemiro saves
Real Madrid
Madrid, Mar 14 (AFP):
Real Madrid needed a stoppage
time winner from Brazilian midfielder
Casemiro to move back within 12
points of La Liga leaders Barcelona
with an unconvincing 2-1 win at Las
Palmas. Sergio Ramos’s towering
first-half header put the visitors in
front, but Las Palmas looked to have
salvaged the point their performance
deserved through Willian Jose three
minutes from time yesterday.
However, Casemiro punished some
atrocious marking to head home the
winner before Ramos was sent-off
for the 20th time in his Madrid career
late on.
12 years after his first, and four
years after his last, when he went
into semi-retirement for two years.
Nozomi Okuhara of Japan marked
her 21st birthday with her first All
England badminton championships title after beating two-time
champion Wang Shixian of China
21-11, 16-21, 21-19 in a thrilling final
on Sunday. ‘It’s my best birthday
ever,’ Okuhara said.
Lin Dan
‘I
found it (Putintseva’s style) good to
play. I just wasn’t
finding my rhythm.
I hadn’t played someone like her, so I was
just trying to get my
bearings there.
I made a lot of errors in that first set. I went for a lot
and I usually make those, but I kept
missing. Even in the first game. Even
though I won, I made some simple
errors that just kept going for the
first set.’
Dhoni is my idol,
says Sarfraz
Kolkata, Mar 14 (PTI):
He idolises Mahendra Singh Dhoni
as a cricketer and Pakistani wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed
said he would love to play the role of
a finisher like the celebrated Indian
skipper.
‘I follow him a lot. The way he’s making a difference with wicket-keeping
and batting, I try to learn a lot from
him. He’s a very good cricketer for
India, and I idolise him. Hope I too
will be able to finish the match like
him,’ Sarfraz said in an Open Media
Session here yesterday.
Having impressed both with the
bat and as a wicketkeeper, Sarfraz
wants to be an utility player like the
star Indian skipper.
‘It’s great to be here. About my batting order, I play according to my
team’s need, be it up or lower down
the order. I’ve been doing well,’
said the Pakistani U-19 World Cup
winning skipper.
However, Sarfraz rued their forgettable outing at Asia Cup but
said they’ve plugged the loopholes
and hoped to make an impact in
the World Twenty20.
Kovai lass sets
skating record
NT Bureau
Coimbatore, Mar 14:
K Darshini, a six-year-old girl has
entered the Asia book of records
for skating a distance of 10.5 km
in 41.03 minutes.
A student of Yuvabharathi Public
School here, she entered the India
Book of Records and Asia Book of
Records by covering a distance of
10.5 km in 41.03 minutes in the
event titled ‘Quarter Skating Marathon’, claimed to be the first of its
kind in Asia, a press release said.
According to Tamilnadu Speed
Skating Association (TNSSA) gen-
eral secretary, Muruganandam,
the event was the first-of-its-kind
in Asia. The young skater has
bagged gold medals in 150 as well
as 500 meters during the Coimbatore District Roller Skating Championship in 2014 besides having
taken part at the State-level event
for Tamilnadu State Roller Skating
championship the same year.
Darshini has won gold and bronze
medals at the national level event
held last month in Goa organized
by TNSSA to be chosen for international level event scheduled in
Singapore next month.
K Darshini
Tamim happy to keep his
Indhrani scores promise
LOCAL SPORTS
Dharamsala, Mar 14:
Bangladesh’s
four scores
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
Indhrani’s four goals helped
SDAT-SHE beat Queen Mary’s
College 8-0 in a first division match
in the S10 Health women’s football
league played here yesterday.
Results: I division.: Ethiraj College 7 (V P Vanitha 6, 15, 16, K
Sathya 21, 28, P Ramya 26, 45)
beat Football Plus Academy 0.
Dr MGR Janaki College 0 drew
with Pegasus Soccer Club 0;
SDAT-SHE 8 (Indhrani 1, 6, 8, 14,
M. Nandhini 3, 9, 10, M. Lakshmi
16) beat Queen Mary’s College 0.
Ethiraj College 7 (J A Jincy Mol 9,
P Ramya 16, 57, V Sowbakiyam
25, S Shobana 34, 40, V P Vanitha
55) beat Dass Football Academy 0.
II division: St Joseph’s School 7
(Vaishnavi 3, Selva Dharshini 9,
Sneha 6, 19, 25, 27, Nishanthi 37)
beat Lady Andal School 0.
Selection trials at JIT
Jeppiaar Institute of Technology,
Sriperumpudur, will conduct selection trials for basketball team
(boys & girls) for the academic
year 2016-’17 on 5 April at 5 p.m,
at the college premises. Preference
will be given to Sstate and national
level achievers, said a press note.
Those seeking admission in the
game of football, volleyball, squash,
chess, ball badminton, table tennis
and athletics are come directly to
the college on the same day.
For further details, call 7401292223
and 044-27159000.
Tamim Iqbal
Tamim Iqbal
kept his promise
and struck the first
century of this year’s
World Twenty20 tournament to help secure a place
in the main draw with a
54-run victory over Oman
in their rain-hit match on
Sunday.
The opener, who had told
the team coach he would hit
a ton, became the first Bangladesh player to score a hundred
in a Twenty20 International as
his side proved they are too good
to jostle with associate nations to
qualify for the Super 10 stage.
Put into bat, Bangladesh posted an
imposing 180 for 2, which proved
too much for Oman’s limited batting
resources as the associate nation,
chasing a revised 120-run victory
target in 12 overs, managed 65
for 9 to lose via the DuckworthLewis method.
The victory sees Bangladesh join
India, Australia, New Zealand and
Pakistan in Group Two of the Super
10 stage.
Bangladesh got off to a slow start,
especially with Soumya Sarkar (12)
struggling to middle the ball throughout his 22-ball stay in the middle.
Tamim’s wide range of strokes,
which he underlined with 10 fours
and five sixes, meant the southpaw
(103 not out), who turns 27 later this
month, could not be tamed.
Tamim’s aggression saw him race
to fifty off 35 balls and he and Sabbir
Rahman (44) plundered 97 runs in
nine overs to lay the foundation for
a big total.
Mixed bag
CHENNAI
Hat-trick won’t guarantee
Hazlewood spot in XI
Kolkata, Mar 14 (PTI):
He might have grabbed a hat-trict
against West Indies in the World T20
warm-up but Australia pacer Josh
Hazlewood has hinted it would not be
enough to get a place in the playing
XI, saying there is lot of competition
for every spot and he is just trying to
grab every opportunity to perform with
both hands.
‘They’ve probably got their XI in the
back of their mind. Every time you
get an opportunity to perform you
try to take it with both hands,’ said
Hazlewood, who had reduced West
Indies to 18 to 3 with his hat-trick in
the fourth over.
‘A couple of the quickies who did quite
well in South Africa did not bowl in this
match. There’s a plenty of competition
for every spot,’ he said as the Aussie
rested James Faulkner and Nathan
Coulter-Nile for the warm-up match
alongside the big-hitting David Warner.
‘The one-day World Cup got a little
bit longer but here we have got four
games in pretty quick time. I don’t think
there would be as much chopping and
changing. We will have to choose according to the conditions,’ he added.
Hazlewood’s hat-trict was not
enough as from 72 for 6, the Windies rode an unbeaten half-century by
Darren Sammy and a quick-fire 33 by
Carlos Brathwaite to overhaul the vic-
Honour killing
sparks outrage
in Udumalpet
Tirupur, Mar 14:
In yet another incident of caste
violence in Tamilnadu, a newlywed couple was beaten up by
goons in full public view in Udumalpet near here on Sunday, after
which the culprits then hacked the
man to death.
Reports said that the victims’ intercaste marriage was the reason why
the assailants killed the man.
The police identified the victims as
22-year-old V Shankar from Chavadi
Street in Kumaralingam village and
19-year-old Kausalya from Palani in
Dindigul district, according to the report. Eight months ago, Shankar had
married Kausalya despite opposition
from her parents.
A report said that the two were
walking past a market on Sunday when three men on a bike
stopped behind them and attacked
Shankar with sharp weapons.
When Shankar stopped moving,
Kausalya was repeatedly beaten
up until she fell to the ground.
tory target of 162 with a ball to spare.
Not ready to read too much into
their surprise loss, Hazlewood said
they would have gone about their job
differently if it were a proper match.
‘Probably we would have gone a
little bit differently if we really tried to
win the game. If it was a game in the
tournament it would have been different. We tried a few different things,’
Hazlewood said at the post match
news conference.
‘We got pretty much what we
needed but still things have to improve on as I said. They’ve got some
dangerous hitters down the order.
That’s their strength. But we can
still improve,’ said the pacer after
Australia lost the warm-up match by
three wickets yesterday.
‘On that wicket we were just told to
bowl good length with the new ball. I
just tried to hit the top of the stumps.
I was lucky enough to get a couple
of straight on. Pretty happy with
the effort. There’s
still a few things to
work on but we’re
improving as time
goes on,’ he said.
T20 may still look
like a batmen oriented game but Hazlewood said a
bowler still can grab his chances with
a lot of tricks.
Women’s WT20: India expected to mount a challenge
C SHYAM SUNDAR
Chennai, Mar 14:
Australia has been a dominant force
in the ICC Women’s World T20, having won three out of the four events
The groups
Group A: Australia, Ireland,
New Zealand, South Africa and
Sri Lanka Group B: India, England, Pakistan, Bangladesh and
West Indies.
Matches in Chennai
West Indies vs Pakistan,
16 March, 7.30 p.m.
West Indies vs Bangladesh,
20 March, 3.30 p.m
South Africa vs Ireland,
23 March, 7.30 p.m
England v Pakistan,
27 March, 7.30 p.m
held till date and will start the 2016
edition as favourites.
England has been the only other
side to have won the tournament
when it clinched the inaugural edition in 2009 in its backyard.
Host India comes into the tournament following a home series
win against Sri Lanka and it would
be an understatement to say Mithali
Australian women will be expected to dominate the World T20.
Raj & Co would be eager to make a
mark in the event and pull off a few
surprises. The team is aware that
they face a tough task against the
higher-ranked Australia, England
and third-ranked New Zealand but
their recent results should give them
a lot of confidence.
The women’s matches kick off with
a match between host India and
Bangladesh at Bengaluru tomorrow
followed by the New Zealand-Sri
Lanka clash at Delhi in the evening.
Meg Lanning leads an impressive
Aussie side that also boasts of
names like Alex Blackwell, Ellyse
Perry, Elyse Villani, Alyssa Healy,
Jess Jonassen and Rene Farrell
and should be hard to stop.
Sarah Taylor’s England has been in
good form of late and will certainly fancy
its chances while New Zealand led by
Suzie Bates can’t be taken lightly.
While Chennai won’t be hosting
any men’s matches, it will stage four
women’s matches - two featuring
Pakistan and will be eagerly followed
by fans. The England-Pakistan match
would be watched with great interest
as Sarah Taylor’s side is a formidable one and among the tournament
contenders.
The Indians haven’t been a huge
force in the women’s game so far
but Mithali Raj believes things have
changed and her side can challenge
the very best in this edition of the WT20.
Assault on teen:
Cops to be quizzed
NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 14:
After policemen allegedly assaulted
a teenager from Kannagi Nagar, five
police personnel have been placed
under enquiry.
The enquiry will be conducted by
higher-ranked police officials. Meanwhile, police personnel from Kannagi Nagar police have recorded the
statements of family members and
neighbours.
According to sources, five police
personnel picked up a 17-year-old
from his house on 11 March saying
he was accused of mobile phone
theft, while he was having dinner
at his house in Okkiyam Thoraipakkam, they took him near Velacheri
MRTS area and beat him blindfolded. Later, they let him off after
finding out they had the wrong boy.
Naqvi slipped in a reference to
the alleged remarks by Azad while
giving government’s response to
concern by members over remarks
by RSS leaders’ on continuation of
reservation, Azad read out the verbatim speech he made at an event
organised by Jamait Ulama-i-Hind
last week.
He said he had in the speech stated
there was no fight between Hindus
and Muslims in India but a fight on
ideology.
Ruing why Muslims were joining
a terrorist organisation like ISIS
that is destroying Islamic traditions, Azad said he had stated that
‘we oppose to organisations like
India test-fires
Agni-I missile
Balasore, Mar 14 (PTI):
India today successfully test-fired
its indigenously built nuclear-capable
intermediate range Agni-I ballistic
missile, capable of hitting a target
700 kms away, from a test range off
Odisha coast as part of a user trial
by the Army.
The surface-to-surface, single-stage
missile, powered by solid propellants,
was test-fired from a mobile launcher
at 9.15 a,m from launch pad-4 of the
Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul
Kalam Island (Wheeler Island), a
defence official said.
The trial, which formed part of
training exercise by the Strategic
Forces Command of Indian Army,
was fully successful, he said. The
sophisticated missile covered 700
km distance within 9 minutes and 36
seconds, they said.
‘The launch was undertaken as a
part of periodic training activity by
SFC to further consolidate operational readiness,’ the official said.
The trajectory of the trial was
7
Aussies will be
the ones to beat
Suresh (name changed) was beaten up badly, he was hit the back of
a gun and bruised all over his body.
The policemen who arrived in a
SUV told his mother Sumathi that
they were from Triplicane station,
but apparently, Sumathi checked at
Triplicane and nearby stations but
could not find her son.
Late in the night, Suresh returned
home with injuries, unable to speak
or eat. Advocate Rajan, who has
taken up the case says, ‘Though
Suresh’s condition is improving,
he has difficulty hearing as he ears
have be hit.
The family will approach the Human Rights Council on Wednesday
to file a petition.
They feel, the Kannagi Nagar
have not justly recorded the statement, ‘They have taken it lightly’,
BJP, Cong MPs spar
over Azad’s remarks
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI):
Ruling BJP and Congress today
sparred in Rajya Sabha over remarks
of Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi
Azad allegedly comparing Hindutva
outfit RSS with terrorist organisation
ISIS.
While the ruling party and its Ministers wanted Azad to withdraw his
controversial remarks and apologise,
the Congress leader denied drawing
any parallel between the two and
said he was submitting a CD of his
speech to the government and is willing to face privilege motion if anything
wrong was found.
After Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas
MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
tracked by a battery of sophisticated
radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and
naval ships from its launch till the
missile hit the target area with accuracy, they said.
Agni-I missile is equipped with
sophisticated navigation system
which ensures it reaches the target
with a high degree of accuracy and
precision.
The missile, which has already
been inducted into armed forces,
has proved its excellent performance in terms of range, accuracy and
lethality, the sources said.
ISIS like we oppose RSS.’
Also, ‘if someone in Islam does
wrong, they are no less than RSS,’
he said. ‘Where is the comparison,’
he asked. ‘If I had said ISIS and RSS
are same’ there would have been a
comparison.
He said he had stated that Hindu,
Muslim and Sikh fundamentalists
have to be fought as they are against
the country. ‘We have to fight them
all together.’
Leader of the House and Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley said he personally respected Azad but ‘he should
think if he has knowingly or unknowingly slipped ... you have given respectability to ISIS.’
Aamir turns 51,
wants to buy
ancestral house
Mumbai, Mar 14 (PTI):
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan
turned 51 today and expressed his
biggest birthday wish, to buy his
mother their ancestral home in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
The PK actor celebrated the special day with mediapersons here by
cutting a cake and holding a press
conference.
When asked about his birthday
wish, Aamir said, ‘My biggest wish
today is that if I could buy my mother
her ancestral home in Varanasi.
My mother spent her childhood in
Varanasi. I’ve seen that home. Since
then it has been in my mind that if
I can request people there and get
that house.’
Calling Varanasi ‘extremely
beautiful and historic’, Aamir said
he can’t wait to have a house
there. ‘I’ve been to Assi ghat. Varanasi is a beautiful and a historic
place. So, If I get a home there, my
mom’s home there, that will give
me the biggest happiness. Let’s
hope it happens,’ he said.
says Rajan, adding, the enquiry on
the policemen will be based on the
statements taken. The family also
demands that policemen must be
brought to books.
Meanwhile, it is still not clear as
to policemen of which station took
Suresh. Four policemen in a white
sumo and two on a two-wheeler
had taken him, alleging they were
from Triplicane, now it appears the
vehicle they used was Taramani’s
Inspector’s and he was beaten up
at Velacheri.
Some policemen are also pressing
the family for a compromise, but Rajan say, the department has in the
past imposed custodial torture and
this must come to a stop. Police had
not right to question Suresh as such
case must only be handle by Child
Welfare Committee (CWC).
Pak PM’s advisor
may meet
Sushma in Nepal
Islamabad, Mar 14 (PTI):
Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor
on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj may meet on the sidelines of
a SAARC Ministerial-level meeting in
Nepal this week, according to a media
report today.
Quoting diplomatic sources, The
Express Tribune reported that India
and Pakistan were exploring the possibility of a meeting between Sushma
Swaraj and Aziz and also between
the Foreign Secretaries of the two
countries in the Nepalese tourist city
of Pokhara.
Aziz and Sushma Swaraj will be
in Pokhara for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 16 and 17 March.
Panguni Uthiram festival at Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore
began with traditional flag hoisting ceremony today.
MDMK leader Vaiko releasing a propaganda CD at a function in Chennai
today in the presence of CPI(M) State secretary G Ramakrishnan and
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan.
Celebrities inaugurating the water bowl challenge 2016 orgainsed by
Heart2Heart Veterinary Hospital in Chennai yesterday.
Exploring new horizons
in plant bio-technology
VIT University Chancellor Dr G Viswanathan and Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research’s Prof Basuthkar J Rao at a seminar on
New Horizons in Plant Biotechnology and Innovative Products and
Applications in Vellore.
offering numerous opportunities, it
NT Bureau
Vellore, Mar 14: was the right time for young minds
Bio-technology research should be to be catalysed, said Prof Basuthkar
aimed at reducing India’s depend- J Rao, Department of Biological Science on other countries for life-saving ences, Tata Institute of Fundamental
vital medicines, speakers at a semi- Research, Mumbai.
In his inaugural address at a seminar here said.
The research should benefit society nar on the New Horizons in Plant
as a whole and with bio-technology Biotechnology and Innovative Prod-
ucts and Applications, Prof Rao, who
was the chief guest, said the research
should focus on plants that yield biochemicals that benefit mankind.
The seminar has been organised
by the School of Bio Sciences and
Technology of VIT University with
the participation of 189 students,
scientists and faculty members from
26 colleges and universities from
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka
and Maharashtra.
VIT University Chancellor Dr G
Viswanathan in his presidential address, said that with a total of 2146
papers, the VIT University had overtaken the Indian Institute of Science
in the publication of scientific papers
through its research-oriented education system.
Prof R.Siva, SBST of VIT University,
who is also the organizing secretary
of the seminar, welcomed the gathering and SBST Prof K M Gothandam,
proposed a vote of thanks.
8
MONDAY
14 MARCH 2016
, CHENNAI
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Vikram
to shoot for
Garuda
Amala Paul
happy about
Amma Kanakku
A
ctor Vikram is busy with Irumugan,
which has Nayanthara playing
the female lead. It is directed by Arima
Nambi fame Aravind Shankar and music
is by Harris Jeyaraj.
Meanwhile the news is that Vikram will
shoot simultaneously for his other movie
Garuda, written and directed by Thiru. Kajal Agarwal plays a rural girl in the
movie. A huge set has been erected in Sri Perumbudur for the shoot, which
begins 1 April. Produced by Silverline Film Factory, Garuda has Bolllywood
filmmaker and actor Mahesh Majrekar in the role of a baddie.
He had directed films like Vasasthav, Kurukshetra, Nidan among others
and acted in films including Dabbangg and Slumdog Millionaire.
Music is by Girinandh and cinematography by Richard M Nathan.
NT Bureau
Dhanush begins
shoot for GVM film
A
ctor Dhanush kickstarted the shooting for his next movie with filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon.
He tweeted today, ‘Another film. Another role. Another new journey.
#YenaiNokkiPaayumThotaa shoot starts 4m today with all ur blessings’.
Much recently Dhanush announced that he will be working with GVM.
He took to twitter to inform his fans about it. ‘Years of discussion and
finally it all boils down to Yenai nokki paayum thotta. After kodi, my next
is with Gautham Vasudev Menon.
The national award winner recently completed shooting for a political
thriller Kodi, directed by Durai Senthil Kumar. Kodi has Premam fame
Anupama Parameswaran playing Dhanush’s love interest.
NT Bureau
A
ctor Amala Paul is working in a film titled Amma Kanakku,
which is a remake of Hindi movie Nil Battey Sanatta.
Meanwhile, the film’s first look poster has been revealed by
the producer Dhanush.
Amala Paul will be playing the role of a mother to 13-year
old child in the film. It is directed by Ashwini Iyer, who directed
the Hindi version and maestro Ilayaraja has scored the music.
The film has Samuthirakani and veteran actress Revathy in
significant roles. Sources said that the shooting was finished
a few weeks ago and the producers are likely to release the
movie on 22 April.
NT Bureau
A movie on
evils of selfie
Popular small screen actor Rajkamal
will play the hero in a movie titled
Sandikuthirai. A newcomer Manasa
is the heroine. Directed by Anbumathi,
Sandikuthirai is about the bane of technological advancements.
Ganja Karuppu, Bonda Mani and Delhi
Ganesh are also in the cast.
Says the director, ‘the movie speaks
about the perils of selfie culture. What
problems it lands a few forms the crux.
The whole movie is set in Pudukottai.’
The movie has music by Varahasree.
He cut several devotional albums including Nama Shivaya Nama Shivaya...Om
Nama Shivaya.
Produced by Sanmoon Creations,
SandiKurthirai will entertain masses.
NT Bureau
Sammy seeks
consistency
from WI team
Tomorrow’s matches
Men: India vs
New Zealand, 7.30 p.m
Women: India vs
Bangladesh, 3.30 p.m
New Zealand vs
Sri Lanka, 7.30 p.m
I love coming to India, says Afridi
All-rounder Shoaib Malik plays down security issues
Kolkata:
Floored by the warm reception
here after arriving for the ICC World
Twenty20, Pakistan captain Shahid
Afridi on Sunday said his team is
‘loved more in India’ than in Pakistan
and has never felt any security threat
in the country.
The Pakistani team touched down
here Saturday night after getting
government clearance to travel, a
decision that was delayed by several
days over security concerns.
In fact, Pakistan’s marquee World
T20 clash against India on 19 March
had be moved from Dharamsala to
Kolkata after Himachal Pradesh
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh
Amir goes flat
out in the nets
Kolkata:
All eyes were predictably trained
on the maverick Mohammed Amir,
who came out all guns blazing during
Pakistan team’s intense first training
session at the Eden Gardens on
Sunday.
The inswinging yorkers were right
on target as Amir aimed at the base
of a single stump repeatedly and with
consummate ease. Getting the channel right was top on
the agenda of the
Pakistani pacemen
as veteran Mohammed Sami and 7 feet
giant Muhammad
Irfan also practiced
with a single stump
under the watchful eyes of bowling
coach Azhar Mahmood.
expressed his inability to provide
adequate security cover in the
wake of protests by the State’s exservicemen.
However, both Afridi and senior
all-rounder Shoaib Malik played
down the intense media focus on
Pakistan’s security.
‘I’ve not enjoyed playing anywhere
as much as I have in India. I am in
the last stage of my career and I
can say that the love I have got in
India is something that I will always
remember. We have not got this
much love even from Pakistan,’
Afridi said.
‘There are cricket-loving people
here, much like in Pakistan. Overall,
I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India
in my cricketing career,’ he added.
Echoing Afridi’s sentiment, Malik,
who is married to Indian tennis star
Sania Mirza, said he feels honoured
to be in India.
‘Firstly I would like to thank the
Indian government. The security is
very good. My wife is from India and
I come to India a lot. I have never
faced any security issue,’ Malik said.
‘I don’t really see any difference
between Pakistani people and the
Indians. We eat the same food, we
speak the same language. I don’t
really see any difference.
I am very happy to be in India. I have
always got a lot of love from
people and from media. I’m honoured to be
in India,’ he
added.
With new tactical nous,
Roy hopes for more runs
Mumbai:
mbai:
As part of their pre-tournament warmup for the ICC World Twenty20 2016,
England’s players will lock horns against
a few of their own in Mumbai when an allEnglish XI takes on a team comprising the
e
four remaining members of the 15-man squad
and a bunch of local players, together forming
rming
an Mumbai Cricket Association XI.
Jason Roy, the England opener, expected
ected
things to get a bit feisty in the clash on Monday
onday
(14 March), which will be England’s final Twenty20 warm-up ahead of its opening ICC World
dies.
Twenty20 2016 match against the West Indies.
‘There are four of our guys playing against
nst us,
so no doubt they will be putting a huge shift
hift in,’
said Roy. ‘We’ve had inter-squad gamess and
ationstuff for my county, Surrey, and also internationally. It does get very feisty, very aggressive.
e. You
might fall out for the night but we’re all mates
tes so
Jason Roy
iit’s
it
’s
s a
ll
ll
all
good.’ In
its first warm-up match, England
did well against New Zealand, winning by
six wickets. The clash against the MCA XI
offers one last chance to acclimatise to
Indian conditions before its tournament
opener.
‘I’ll take it the same as the New Zealand
game - a bit of match time, taking what I
have been working on into a game situ-ation,’ said Roy. ‘It doesn’t really matterr
who you are playing against, it’s just the
environment of being in the middle of the
stadium and taking it all in.’
With a 36-ball 55, Roy was the highest
scorer against New Zealand - a welcome
slice of form after a tough time during the two
Twenty20 Internationals in South Africa.
Kolkata:
The West Indies played its first warm up match of the ICC World
Twenty20 2016 against India, and there were 40,000 fans at the
Eden Gardens watching the match. On Sunday, when the team
played Australia, almost 20,000 fans were in attendance.
‘It (the crowds) tell us we are playing in India,’ said Darren
Sammy, the West Indies captain, after his side had won its second warm-up match by three wickets, with the skipper hitting an
unbeaten 50 off 28 balls in the chase.
‘In India we know cricket is a religion and the fact that we got to
play against India and there were so many people here, it was
very exciting.
‘I am really looking forward to playing at the Wankhede in front
of a full house,’ added Sammy, about his side’s opening World
T20 encounter against England, that will take place on 16 March.
Sammy’s team put on a show for the fans that thronged the Eden
Gardens, securing victory from an unlikely position with a ball to
spare. The captain’s unbeaten half-century trumped the effort of
Josh Hazlewood, who took a hat-trick for Australia.
‘I was just looking to bat out the overs. They started off really
well and in the last four overs, with the power we had-- myself,
Carlos (Brathwaite) and even Ashley (Nurse) -- we back ourselves
to chase even 10-15 runs an over. I just wanted to stay calm and
make sure I can finish the job for my team.’
Sammy also had words of praise for Dwayne Bravo, who returned figures of 4 for 21 in four overs.
‘Any win against Australia is special. Today we had Dwayne
Bravo, who is a very experienced death bowler, and he showed
off his skills. They started off with a flier, but as soon as the ball
got old it was more difficult to hit. That was a brilliant comeback
from the bowlers, and the way the lower order chased down that
total was really good.’
Despite his team’s come-from-behind win, Sammy believed it
has much to work on. ‘We still have not played a complete game.
If the top bat well, we have not done well at the end; and if we’ve
started well with the ball, we’ve not managed to finish well. So it’s
about putting all the pieces together-- the Power Play, the middle
overs and the death overs as well. Each player must take responsibility for the section of the game they are called upon to play in.’
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