Students protest campus ban on Onam
Students made Pookkalam (floral pattern) and sang Onam songs in front an engineering college principal's room to register their protest against a ban by the college management on Onam celebrations on the campus.
The Muslim management of the AWH Engineering College at Kuttikattoor had prohibited Onam celebrations on the campus following reports that some senior students had collected money in the name of Onam celebrations last year and were found 'misbehaving'. The students stated that no educational institution in the State had prohibited Onam celebration. They also said they had planned to arrange Pookkalams in every classroom. "Every Malayalee has the right to celebrate the festival, irrespective of caste and creed," a student said.
College principal Ahammed Kutty reportedly said that junior students were subjected to ragging during such celebrations and that the college authorities wanted to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
AWH secretary Muhammed said the management did not propose any action against the students who arranged the flower carpet in front of the Principal's room on Wednesday." The decision to ban such celebrations is only to uphold college discipline "said the principal.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Kerala, home to India's first IT trade union
With the formation of an Association of IT Employees, Kerala is all set to become the home ground of India's first IT trade union. AD Jayan, convener of the ad hoc committee of the association, told The Pioneer that the primary objective of the association was to demand a fair remuneration for the thousands of employees who work at middle and lower levels in small scale IT ventures. The first meeting of the union was held in the Azheekodan Smarakam, the Thrissur district committee office of the CPI (M), on July 30.
Though it has all the blessings of the Leftist trade unions, the association claims that it would not encourage unnecessary strikes, traditionally promoted by many of the trade unions in the country. "By setting up a union like this, we want to prove baseless the campaign that a trade union in the IT sector would be detrimental to the interests of the IT industry. There is a common perception that trade union activities mean halting the functioning of the industry. We don't stand for unnecessary strikes and other means of extremist trade unionism. Ours would be an independent trade union," Jayan said.
Reports of poor pay and environment came in from workers who were in the Akshaya and IT@School projects that necessitated the formation of the union. Further, there are thousands of workers employed in much small scale IT ventures in the State, who have been getting very low salaries compared to their counterparts in the multinational companies. As a first step, it was decided to organise the employees working in Thrissur district, after which a State level association would be formed. "Anybody who does a computer-related job is eligible for getting a membership, which does not include large scale entrepreneurs. Initially, we had decided to organise 1000 members, but the membership has crossed 2000 now," he said.
Jayan said that the association would demand setting up of a working schedule for the employees in small scale IT ventures. Many have to work for more than 12 hours a day and this practice would have to be changed. Further, companies were giving very low remuneration for middle and lower level employees. This also should be stopped and employees should be given a fair pay scale. Also, there are employees who work permanently as 'trainees'. They should be given permanent posting, he said.
"A certain elite section alone is enjoying the fruits of the so-called IT revolution. We are only demanding a decent share of ours," he said. The response to the initiative has been tremendous as people from far away places like Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai have tried to establish contact, he said.
The first meeting of the association selected a ten-member ad hoc committee for future functioning. They would hold their next meeting in the middle of August to chalk out plans for conducting a large level convention of the association.
With opposition from their fellow comrades in West Bengal, initially, the CPI(M) was divided on forming trade union in the IT sector. Now, the party has taken a decision that the workers in the IT sector also have the right for collective bargaining, sources in the CPI(M) said.
Though it has all the blessings of the Leftist trade unions, the association claims that it would not encourage unnecessary strikes, traditionally promoted by many of the trade unions in the country. "By setting up a union like this, we want to prove baseless the campaign that a trade union in the IT sector would be detrimental to the interests of the IT industry. There is a common perception that trade union activities mean halting the functioning of the industry. We don't stand for unnecessary strikes and other means of extremist trade unionism. Ours would be an independent trade union," Jayan said.
Reports of poor pay and environment came in from workers who were in the Akshaya and IT@School projects that necessitated the formation of the union. Further, there are thousands of workers employed in much small scale IT ventures in the State, who have been getting very low salaries compared to their counterparts in the multinational companies. As a first step, it was decided to organise the employees working in Thrissur district, after which a State level association would be formed. "Anybody who does a computer-related job is eligible for getting a membership, which does not include large scale entrepreneurs. Initially, we had decided to organise 1000 members, but the membership has crossed 2000 now," he said.
Jayan said that the association would demand setting up of a working schedule for the employees in small scale IT ventures. Many have to work for more than 12 hours a day and this practice would have to be changed. Further, companies were giving very low remuneration for middle and lower level employees. This also should be stopped and employees should be given a fair pay scale. Also, there are employees who work permanently as 'trainees'. They should be given permanent posting, he said.
"A certain elite section alone is enjoying the fruits of the so-called IT revolution. We are only demanding a decent share of ours," he said. The response to the initiative has been tremendous as people from far away places like Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai have tried to establish contact, he said.
The first meeting of the association selected a ten-member ad hoc committee for future functioning. They would hold their next meeting in the middle of August to chalk out plans for conducting a large level convention of the association.
With opposition from their fellow comrades in West Bengal, initially, the CPI(M) was divided on forming trade union in the IT sector. Now, the party has taken a decision that the workers in the IT sector also have the right for collective bargaining, sources in the CPI(M) said.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Intresting Article
It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.
One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc. At the bottom was a small line: "Lady candidates need not apply."
I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful.
After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco.
I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then). I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.
"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."
I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I
collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip. It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways.
As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was serious business. "This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted. Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview." They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered
all of them.
Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories". I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories."
Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.
It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?"
"When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha Murthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room. After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him. One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.
"Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said, "Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes."
I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable. I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee." Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again."
In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused. Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?" (That was the way he always addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving Telco." "Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune." "Oh! And what will you do when you are successful." "Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful." "Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best."
Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today."
I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.
Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.
(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)
Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004
One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc. At the bottom was a small line: "Lady candidates need not apply."
I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful.
After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco.
I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then). I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.
"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."
I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I
collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip. It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways.
As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was serious business. "This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted. Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview." They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered
all of them.
Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories". I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories."
Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.
It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?"
"When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha Murthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room. After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him. One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.
"Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said, "Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes."
I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable. I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee." Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again."
In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused. Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?" (That was the way he always addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving Telco." "Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune." "Oh! And what will you do when you are successful." "Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful." "Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best."
Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today."
I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.
Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.
(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)
Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004
Thursday, August 10, 2006
North American Kerala association to build airport
An umbrella organisation of Malayali associations in North America and Canada has decided to take the lead in building a domestic airport in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district.The organisation called the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (Fokana) is to build the terminal at Aranmulla in the central Kerala district.
"We had a detailed meeting with Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Tuesday and he has pledged full support to the proposed domestic airport," Fokana president Sasidharan Nair told IANS. Set up in 1983, Fokana has emerged as the biggest socio-cultural organisation of Malayalis outside Kerala."
We have already identified 250 acres of land at Aranmula for the airport. Achuthanandan expressed full support to build a domestic airport on the model of the Cochin International Airport, where the state government would have around 20 percent stake," said Nair. In Pathanamthitta district, almost every household has at least one member either in the US or in the Middle East. The only district that outnumbers it would be Malappuram in north Kerala. "With the government sounding positive, we will place this proposal in our board meeting later this month.
Our role would be to raise the capital required for building the airport and it would be done through floating of shares. Once our board clears this, we can approach Keralites in the Middle East to participate in the company by buying shares," added Nair. While Fokana would raise the capital, the government is expected to take care of the clearances required for the airport. Nair believes that Kerala's fifth airport would become a reality within two years.Kerala currently has three international airports and the spadework is under way for a fourth one at Kannur.
"We had a detailed meeting with Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Tuesday and he has pledged full support to the proposed domestic airport," Fokana president Sasidharan Nair told IANS. Set up in 1983, Fokana has emerged as the biggest socio-cultural organisation of Malayalis outside Kerala."
We have already identified 250 acres of land at Aranmula for the airport. Achuthanandan expressed full support to build a domestic airport on the model of the Cochin International Airport, where the state government would have around 20 percent stake," said Nair. In Pathanamthitta district, almost every household has at least one member either in the US or in the Middle East. The only district that outnumbers it would be Malappuram in north Kerala. "With the government sounding positive, we will place this proposal in our board meeting later this month.
Our role would be to raise the capital required for building the airport and it would be done through floating of shares. Once our board clears this, we can approach Keralites in the Middle East to participate in the company by buying shares," added Nair. While Fokana would raise the capital, the government is expected to take care of the clearances required for the airport. Nair believes that Kerala's fifth airport would become a reality within two years.Kerala currently has three international airports and the spadework is under way for a fourth one at Kannur.
The Anatomy of the Foiled Plot in London
The world learned of a terrorist plot Thursday that would have caused mass death and destruction aboard a number of passenger jets had British authorities not aggressively investigated and arrested many of the plotters.
More than 20 suspected terrorists were arrested in England by early Thursday morning, in an operation that involved British intelligence, Scotland Yard and assistance by a number of other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including those in Pakistan.
ABC News has learned that two "significant arrests" in Pakistan in recent days may have significantly accelerated the pace of the investigation.
Many of the alleged terror plotters appeared to be of Pakistani descent. It appears that they were probably "homegrown" terrorists with strong links to al Qaeda and Pakistani operatives. This new generation of terrorists have figured significantly in plots in the U.S., London and Canada in recent months.
In this case, the plotters apparently intended to assemble small but powerful bombs in flight and use them to take down flights from England to the United States in an operation that was just days away.
Airport security was tight in both nations. A "red alert" -- the highest alert level -- was issued in the U.S., and a "critical" state was issued in England. Passengers are undergoing intense scrutiny -- carry-on baggage of almost all kinds has been eliminated in Britain and delays abound at London's Heathrow, the world's busiest airport.
According to a Department of Homeland Security briefing to the aviation sector, the terrorists appear to have planned to use multiple persons aboard each flight to assemble peroxide-based liquid or gel high explosives. The bomb-making materials could easily be concealed in small containers -- water bottles, tooth paste tubes, juice boxes and any of the other numerous person items passengers traditionally take into the passenger compartment of commercial flights.
At least nine transcontinental flights from American, United and Continental airlines were targeted in the plot. ABC News has learned that terrorists planned to attack the planes three at a time, waiting an hour between each attack.
According to federal authorities, two or three bombers would each carry a separate portion of the bomb onto the plane to avoid detection. Once onboard the bomb would be assembled and then detonated by using heat or friction.
British authorities had been tracking some of the suspects for several weeks but stepped in to round up the plotters when they began to book flight reservations and before any of the suspects purchased tickets.British authorities have shared parts of the investigation with the FBI, and out of concern for leaks, only the barest details were shared with regional authorities as late as last night.
Now there is a continued concern that other members of the cell remain on the loose and may remain a present danger to intercontinental air traffic as well as air traffic in Europe. Raids were expected to continue in England throughout the day, and authorities were said to be seeking the "factories" where the bomb parts were prepared.
U.S. authorities, meanwhile, were running down leads to ensure no plotters or associates were within U.S. borders and intent on causing harm.
More than 20 suspected terrorists were arrested in England by early Thursday morning, in an operation that involved British intelligence, Scotland Yard and assistance by a number of other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including those in Pakistan.
ABC News has learned that two "significant arrests" in Pakistan in recent days may have significantly accelerated the pace of the investigation.
Many of the alleged terror plotters appeared to be of Pakistani descent. It appears that they were probably "homegrown" terrorists with strong links to al Qaeda and Pakistani operatives. This new generation of terrorists have figured significantly in plots in the U.S., London and Canada in recent months.
In this case, the plotters apparently intended to assemble small but powerful bombs in flight and use them to take down flights from England to the United States in an operation that was just days away.
Airport security was tight in both nations. A "red alert" -- the highest alert level -- was issued in the U.S., and a "critical" state was issued in England. Passengers are undergoing intense scrutiny -- carry-on baggage of almost all kinds has been eliminated in Britain and delays abound at London's Heathrow, the world's busiest airport.
According to a Department of Homeland Security briefing to the aviation sector, the terrorists appear to have planned to use multiple persons aboard each flight to assemble peroxide-based liquid or gel high explosives. The bomb-making materials could easily be concealed in small containers -- water bottles, tooth paste tubes, juice boxes and any of the other numerous person items passengers traditionally take into the passenger compartment of commercial flights.
At least nine transcontinental flights from American, United and Continental airlines were targeted in the plot. ABC News has learned that terrorists planned to attack the planes three at a time, waiting an hour between each attack.
According to federal authorities, two or three bombers would each carry a separate portion of the bomb onto the plane to avoid detection. Once onboard the bomb would be assembled and then detonated by using heat or friction.
British authorities had been tracking some of the suspects for several weeks but stepped in to round up the plotters when they began to book flight reservations and before any of the suspects purchased tickets.British authorities have shared parts of the investigation with the FBI, and out of concern for leaks, only the barest details were shared with regional authorities as late as last night.
Now there is a continued concern that other members of the cell remain on the loose and may remain a present danger to intercontinental air traffic as well as air traffic in Europe. Raids were expected to continue in England throughout the day, and authorities were said to be seeking the "factories" where the bomb parts were prepared.
U.S. authorities, meanwhile, were running down leads to ensure no plotters or associates were within U.S. borders and intent on causing harm.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
God's own country now sans the fizz
The CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala has banned the production and sale of soft drinks marketed by cola majors Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the State. The decision was taken by the State Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday on the basis of a recommendation made by the LDF State committee on August 6.
The ban has put a question mark on the fate of the Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada and the Pepsi unit at Puthussery, both in Palakkad district, which were even otherwise facing serious problems due to continuous agitation against their functioning.
Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan said after the Cabinet meeting that the ban was imposed as various studies had stated these drinks contained elements hazardous to health.
The Department of Prevention of Food Adulteration had sent a serious report on this to the Government, he revealed. There were also court verdicts against cola companies, he pointed out.
Alluding to the three-year struggle against the Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada, he said the people had been protesting against the soft drink majors for polluting the environment and over-exploiting groundwater resources.
On the possibility of other products of the two companies being banned, he said that a decision on them would naturally follow. Appropriate administrative and legal steps would be taken for the effective implementation of the ban, he said.
The Congress party, the main constituent of the Opposition UDF, has welcomed the decision to ban the colas. Hailing the State Government's decision to ban Pepsi and Coca-Cola, State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala mooted the idea of the Centre enacting a comprehensive legislation regulating all packed items containing higher pesticide residual instead of just limiting the target to the two soft drink giants.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola claimed its manufacturing process and safety testing methods were adequate for ensuring that its soft drinks complied with "all applicable national regulations and international norms".
"The soft drink industry, including Coca-Cola, is working closely with laboratories of international repute to conduct research and develop standard test methodologies," a statement from the company said.
Coca-Cola products were tested regularly by recognised independent national laboratories to ensure that they met all consumer safety norms, the company claimed. Soft drinks were primarily made of water (80-90 per cent), sugar (5-10 per cent) and concentrate (0.5 per cent), the statement pointed out. "Our multiple barrier system for filtration of water ensures that components like pesticide residues and inorganic impurities are removed," the company said.
New Malayalee Veerappan takes over bandit country
BANDIPUR: Imbali Jose is the new Veerappan forest police are seeking in the Niligiris belt where his predecessor had made a name killing tuskers and men. Jose, the police believe, is just as bad, and they want him -- dead or alive.
Publicly, however, they refuse to name him, acknowledge him or even talk about him. They say they want to "kill first and talk later" out of fear that another round of villain worship may begin if the media smells him out "sooner than his corpse".
"We are on the lookout for a Malayalee poacher and his gang...," is as much as Inspector General of Police (Karnataka CID, Forest Cell) KSN Chikkerur says, in a probable reference to Jose. "But don't let him bother you... There are many other Malayalee and Tamilian gangs in the region. We will get this poacher and his gang. We will also get those poachers and their gangs...and I assure you they will all look the same when they are dead."
People who know Chikkerur say he is the local Arnold Schwarzenegger, with a penchant for guns and warfare gizmos. Thus, perhaps, the swagger. Other officers are a little more restrained than he is while referring to "a certain Malayalee s** o* a b****".
There is no ready information on Jose. This report - the first on him - is based on information pieced together from various official and unofficial sources in Kerala, Karnataka and Delhi.
Jose, 45, leads a six to 15 member gang, all from Wayanad District in Kerala. There, Superintendent of Police M Padmanabhan has two reports on Jose: One, that he was acquitted of a murder charge; and two, that he is dead. A source here, however, confirms that the hunt is on for the "walking dead man"; corroborated by information that Chikkerur is just back from the forest where he and his crack team were awaiting "a certain game".
In Delhi, private trackers say Jose has been on the loose for 15 years, during which his gang has poached elephants for tusks and bison for meat in the forests running across Sultan Battery, Bandipur, Mudhumalai, Chamrajnagar and Kollegal. During the period he is believed to have had two chance meetings with Veerappan in the forest, though there is no record of firing between the gangs. No one has a count of the elephants Jose and his gang have killed so far.
Informers, however, indicate that ivory carvers are not short of work in the markets of Thiruvananthapuram, where Jose sells the tusks. Chikkerur admits that many of the elephant killings attributed to Veerappan were the "mischief of other gangs". Veerappan, says the top cop, "had become a soft target by 1992 – rarely entering the forest and surviving on political patronage". Jose's gang members are good marksmen and are known to bring down tusk-bearing elephants with one shot at the temple fired from muzzle loaders and shotguns. "It is almost like a trademark shot...," says Tito Joseph of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. "The dead elephant is often found buckled on its knees".
The kill is fast and in half an hour the gang is off with the tusks. "We have known the gang to either saw out the tusks or burn them out of their sockets with acid. Sometime the elephant is sawed even before it is dead...!" As with Veerappan, the locals are tight-lipped about Jose. He does not belong there, but he operates in an area where elephant hunters are feared even by the bravest. Deep in the forests, however, there are also the jungle mamas who tell their sons: "He who kills an elephant dies like a dog."
Monday, July 31, 2006
Kerala planning new international stadium
Thiruvananthapuram is the proposed site
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has decided to establish an international cricket stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The identified sites were located in Kazhakoottamand Kudapanakkunnu, near to the proposed Collectorate. The stadium will be built with the help of the State Government and Capital Development Forum.
SK Nair, the president of the Kerala Cricket Association, said two possible locations to establish the stadium, with all modern facilities, have been identified and a proposal to get the required land on a long-term lease would be submitted to the government soon.
KCA's bid to construct its own international stadium was also one of the main goals of its `Vision 2010' project. Also, considering the costs involved in the development of infrastructure and the establishment of the District Coaching Centres and two Rural Coaching Centres in each of the 14 districts in the State, the KCA decided to increase the budget for the project from Rs 5 crore (US$1.75 million approx) to Rs. 7.5 crore (US$1.62 million approx).
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has decided to establish an international cricket stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The identified sites were located in Kazhakoottamand Kudapanakkunnu, near to the proposed Collectorate. The stadium will be built with the help of the State Government and Capital Development Forum.
SK Nair, the president of the Kerala Cricket Association, said two possible locations to establish the stadium, with all modern facilities, have been identified and a proposal to get the required land on a long-term lease would be submitted to the government soon.
KCA's bid to construct its own international stadium was also one of the main goals of its `Vision 2010' project. Also, considering the costs involved in the development of infrastructure and the establishment of the District Coaching Centres and two Rural Coaching Centres in each of the 14 districts in the State, the KCA decided to increase the budget for the project from Rs 5 crore (US$1.75 million approx) to Rs. 7.5 crore (US$1.62 million approx).
Monday, July 24, 2006
Shashi Tharoor - Indian U.N. candidate get help
UNITED NATIONS - The South Korean and Indian candidates for the next U.N. secretary-general got a boost Monday when most members of the Security Council encouraged them to stay in the race.
The other two candidates from Sri Lanka and Thailand have not formally announced their desire to succeed Secretary-General Kofi Annan' name and did not do as well in an informal poll of the 15 Security Council nations. The results were obtained by The Associated Press.
The secret poll only gives the faintest indication of how the two top vote-getters — South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and India's Shashi Tharoor, U.N. undersecretary-general or public affairs — might fare in formal elections later this year.
Candidates can come forward until the last minute, and the final vote is not expected until the fall. A "no" vote from one of the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members can sink a candidacy.
In Tuesday's informal poll, the 15 council nations checked one of three boxes for each candidate : "Encourage," "discourage," and "no opinion."No candidate got 15 encouraging votes, meaning that any of the five permanent council members could have voted against the two best performers.
Ban did the best, with 12 council nations encouraging him to run, one discouraging him and two giving no opinion.
Tharoor was next, with 10 votes of encouragement, two of discouragement and three giving no opinion."Considering I've entered the race just a month ago and am the only candidate who has not visited all 15 capitals, I'm gratified to have received such a broad base of support in the Council," Tharoor said in an e-mail.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai got seven votes of encouragement, three against, and five of no opinion.The worst performer was former U.N. disarmament chief Jayantha Dhanapala, who only got five votes of encouragement. Six council nations discouraged him and four expressed no opinion.
Most diplomats generally agree that the next secretary-general should come from Asia, part of a tradition to rotate the job between regions. The U.N. chief can serve two five-year terms.
Response has been tepid so far for the four announced candidates. Some diplomats say the person who will become the eighth secretary-general in the United Nations' name 60-year history has likely not emerged yet.
Other possible candidates include Kemal Dervis, the Turkish chief of the U.N. Development Program; Jordan's Prince Zeid al-Hussein, who is his country's U.N. ambassador; and Goh Chok Tong, former prime minister of Singapore.
In the past, those who ultimately became secretary-general emerged late in the process or hardly even campaigned for the job. That is partly because candidates become the object of intense diplomatic haggling between the five permanent members of the council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.
There was no immediate announcement that any candidate had dropped out.
The other two candidates from Sri Lanka and Thailand have not formally announced their desire to succeed Secretary-General Kofi Annan' name and did not do as well in an informal poll of the 15 Security Council nations. The results were obtained by The Associated Press.
The secret poll only gives the faintest indication of how the two top vote-getters — South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and India's Shashi Tharoor, U.N. undersecretary-general or public affairs — might fare in formal elections later this year.
Candidates can come forward until the last minute, and the final vote is not expected until the fall. A "no" vote from one of the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members can sink a candidacy.
In Tuesday's informal poll, the 15 council nations checked one of three boxes for each candidate : "Encourage," "discourage," and "no opinion."No candidate got 15 encouraging votes, meaning that any of the five permanent council members could have voted against the two best performers.
Ban did the best, with 12 council nations encouraging him to run, one discouraging him and two giving no opinion.
Tharoor was next, with 10 votes of encouragement, two of discouragement and three giving no opinion."Considering I've entered the race just a month ago and am the only candidate who has not visited all 15 capitals, I'm gratified to have received such a broad base of support in the Council," Tharoor said in an e-mail.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai got seven votes of encouragement, three against, and five of no opinion.The worst performer was former U.N. disarmament chief Jayantha Dhanapala, who only got five votes of encouragement. Six council nations discouraged him and four expressed no opinion.
Most diplomats generally agree that the next secretary-general should come from Asia, part of a tradition to rotate the job between regions. The U.N. chief can serve two five-year terms.
Response has been tepid so far for the four announced candidates. Some diplomats say the person who will become the eighth secretary-general in the United Nations' name 60-year history has likely not emerged yet.
Other possible candidates include Kemal Dervis, the Turkish chief of the U.N. Development Program; Jordan's Prince Zeid al-Hussein, who is his country's U.N. ambassador; and Goh Chok Tong, former prime minister of Singapore.
In the past, those who ultimately became secretary-general emerged late in the process or hardly even campaigned for the job. That is partly because candidates become the object of intense diplomatic haggling between the five permanent members of the council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.
There was no immediate announcement that any candidate had dropped out.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Rappai Phobia
Hoteliers in Thrissur can now run their business without the Rappai-phobia. They used to pull their shutters once they saw the slow-moving shadow of Rappai.
The man in question is not a goon or a food-inspector but a voracious eater. From one hundred idlis to a just dozen, from two buckets full of rice to a plateful -- doctors have finally doused the fire in Rappai’s belly.
Relieved, many hoteliers are planning to restart all-you-can-eat buffets, stopped ever since Rappai invaded the area. Theeta (monstrous eater), as he’s popularly known in Kerala, won’t be there to tongue-polish their plates. After his week-long hospitalisation, doctors have advised the eating sensation to cut down his food intake or be ready for serious health problems.
The police are also happy with the new development. On several occasions, the cops had to intervene to rein in the monstrous eater. Once college students took sweet revenge on a restaurateur with Rappai’s help. He took an “unlimited meals” coupon and emptied the day’s food -- three buckets full of rice, one bucket of fish curry and 10 kg cooked meat -- in no time. Finally, law-enforcers had to be called in to end his sumptuous feast.
A regular at eating competitions, he ate 700 idils in one sitting in Kasargod and gobbled up 10 kg halwa in 10 minutes in Thalasserry, records are aplenty. His story attracted global media’s attention and some international magazines covered his story.
Though Rappai developed his massive appetite at a very young age, the 64-year-old never thought that his jumbo belly would shrink so fast. Two weeks ago, a severe tummy ache forced him to consult doctors.
The man in question is not a goon or a food-inspector but a voracious eater. From one hundred idlis to a just dozen, from two buckets full of rice to a plateful -- doctors have finally doused the fire in Rappai’s belly.
Relieved, many hoteliers are planning to restart all-you-can-eat buffets, stopped ever since Rappai invaded the area. Theeta (monstrous eater), as he’s popularly known in Kerala, won’t be there to tongue-polish their plates. After his week-long hospitalisation, doctors have advised the eating sensation to cut down his food intake or be ready for serious health problems.
The police are also happy with the new development. On several occasions, the cops had to intervene to rein in the monstrous eater. Once college students took sweet revenge on a restaurateur with Rappai’s help. He took an “unlimited meals” coupon and emptied the day’s food -- three buckets full of rice, one bucket of fish curry and 10 kg cooked meat -- in no time. Finally, law-enforcers had to be called in to end his sumptuous feast.
A regular at eating competitions, he ate 700 idils in one sitting in Kasargod and gobbled up 10 kg halwa in 10 minutes in Thalasserry, records are aplenty. His story attracted global media’s attention and some international magazines covered his story.
Though Rappai developed his massive appetite at a very young age, the 64-year-old never thought that his jumbo belly would shrink so fast. Two weeks ago, a severe tummy ache forced him to consult doctors.
Friday, July 21, 2006
More on Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the place which I like. It is about 12 hr car ride or a 1.5 hr flight from Bayarea. The City is beautiful with lots of tourists, great hotels. good restaurants,
and great food. The only drawback that I see is the hot weather but ofcourse you rarely go out of the casinos and hotels if you are a tourist.
The Strip is a world of its own. Where else can you go to visit Egypt, New York, the Tropics, King and Queens, Rome/Greece, Hollywood, and much more all on one street? This is the street of lights, excitement, and dreams. Some dreams come true becoming great successes and others sadly die. The Strip
is competitive and one only has to look down the street at night to see this. Each property has to not only keep up with the others, but to also attract and keep their visitors. All of this takes nerve, imagination, and creativity. There is creativity all around them. The dreams of owners, architects, designers, interior decorators, and employees are all wrapped up into these architectural wonders. I am attaching some more pictures.
is competitive and one only has to look down the street at night to see this. Each property has to not only keep up with the others, but to also attract and keep their visitors. All of this takes nerve, imagination, and creativity. There is creativity all around them. The dreams of owners, architects, designers, interior decorators, and employees are all wrapped up into these architectural wonders. I am attaching some more pictures.The action in Las Vegas really gets going when the sun goes down and all inhibitions are tossed out. If you find yourself on the Las Vegas strip :)
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Las Vegas - The Sin City
Whatever Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada, United States, and a major vacation, shopping, entertainment and gambling destination. It was established in 1905, officially became a city in 1911, and became the largest American city founded in the 20th century.
The name Las Vegas is often applied to the unincorporated areas of Clark County 
that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. This 4½ mi (7¼ km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is mostly outside the Las Vegas city limits, in the unincorporated town of Paradise.
The center of gambling in the US, Las Vegas is marketed as The Entertainment Capital of the World, also commonly known as Sin City, due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages at any time (like all of Nevada), and various forms and degrees of adult entertainment. The city's glamorous image has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.
Water Bridge in Germany
Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long.......now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration.
To those who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for you armchair engineers and physicists. Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?
Answer: It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water!
Why? A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded. Remember your high school physics, and the fly in an enclosed bottle project? Similarly, the super sensitive scale proved that it didn't make any difference whether the fly was sitting on the bottom, walking up the side, or flying around. The bottle, air, and fly were a single unit of mass and always weighed the same.
Hoover Dam
Though I changed my job to the software industry, I go back to check on my civil engineering roots and always ponder on whether I made a mistake changing jobs. Last year, I visted Hoover Dam - A Civil Engineering Marvel. I will post pictures of it. The picture just has the location details. If you are going from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon ( one of the 7 wonders of the Earth), you would have to cross the dam. If you use google earth, you can see the top view.
Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country's ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Built during the Depression; thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Now, years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.
Blogspot blocked by ISP's
Thousands of Bloggers and Blog mavens across the country were in for a shock: Indian bloggers were outrageously gagged by Internet Service Providers.It seemed almost like the end of the blog world in the subcontinent.
This new publishing media that provided free publishing of personalised news and views, rants and raves on every possible subject under the sun, around the world on the internet be it the bombings in Lebanon, the Iraq quagmire, dry book reviews, travel blogs or critiques on famous television anchors. You name it, bloggers had their views published, discussed and debated. But it all came to a grinding halt when a blanket ban on two popular blog sites in India, Blogspot.com and Geocities.com, was evoked almost like the bloggers were told to shut up.
Internet service providers were in for a bigger shock. Sure enough, bloggers were not going to shut up or keep quiet for too long. By afternoon, thousands of bloggers, who are networked well, were back blogging.They had found a way to overcome the immediate problem. The ink:pkblogs.com/blogname would give them access to the blogspot in a roundabout way.With internet communication opening up tremendous possibilities, this was only inevitable. ‘‘Government had asked the Internet service providers only to remove some 20 websites. Since these providers do not know how to remove only these particular websites, they have effected a blanket banning.
This new publishing media that provided free publishing of personalised news and views, rants and raves on every possible subject under the sun, around the world on the internet be it the bombings in Lebanon, the Iraq quagmire, dry book reviews, travel blogs or critiques on famous television anchors. You name it, bloggers had their views published, discussed and debated. But it all came to a grinding halt when a blanket ban on two popular blog sites in India, Blogspot.com and Geocities.com, was evoked almost like the bloggers were told to shut up.
Internet service providers were in for a bigger shock. Sure enough, bloggers were not going to shut up or keep quiet for too long. By afternoon, thousands of bloggers, who are networked well, were back blogging.They had found a way to overcome the immediate problem. The ink:pkblogs.com/blogname would give them access to the blogspot in a roundabout way.With internet communication opening up tremendous possibilities, this was only inevitable. ‘‘Government had asked the Internet service providers only to remove some 20 websites. Since these providers do not know how to remove only these particular websites, they have effected a blanket banning.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Athirampally and Vazhachal Waterfalls
The 4th Semester - Kerala Tour.
Athirappalli and Vazhachal, the two scenic and popular waterfalls on the edge of the Sholayar forest ranges are just 5 km apart.
The falls are very popular with tourists. Athirappally is located 78 kms from Kochi, located at the entrance to Sholayar ranges, this waterfall is a popular picnic spot.Affording to the onlookers, one of the most bewitching sights, Athirappally Falls is about 80ft. high and located in the forest area.Combined with the greenery, it infuses freshness into any tired soul.
The Athirapally Falls join the Chalakkudy River after plummeting a drop of 80 feet. Vazhachal is a picturesque spot just a short drive from Athirapally and is adjacent to dense green forestland. Vazhachal is part of the Chalakkudy River.Both the waterfalls, their cool, misty waters cascading down in the backdrop of thick green forest and rocky terrain, are a scintillating experience to visitors
Monday, July 17, 2006
World's Second And Asia's First Arch Dam
Idukki Arch Dam
This is the world's second and Asia's first arch dam, constructed across the Kuravan and Kurathi hills, 550 ft. high and 650 ft. wide.The dam lies close to the Cheruthoni barrage. To its west is the Kulamavu Dam. Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary is located close by.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Idukki Arch Dam - Kerala
Idukki arch dam is the world's second and Asia's first arch dam, constructed across the Kuravan and Kurathi hills. 550 feet high and 650 feet wide, the dam lies close to the Cheruthoni Barrage. To its west is the Kulamavu Dam. Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary is located closeby.The sanctuary spreads over 77 sq. km and is about 450-748 m above sea level. The Idukki Reservoir fromed by three dams, namely, Cheruthoni, Idukki and Kulamavu extends to 33 sq. kms.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Faculty list as per Seniority
Department of Civil Engineering
1. Dr. M.C. Philipose
2. Dr.E.V.Nampoothiri
3. Prof.B.Vijayakumar
4. Prof.P.N.Mohan
5. Prof.Rosamma Daniel
6. Prof.S.Jayakumari
7. Prof. Soosan J. Panicker
8. Prof.Vincent K.John
9. Prof.Usha Thomas
10. Prof.Gouri Antherjanam
11. Dr.S.Suresh
12. Prof.I.Bushra
13. Prof.J.Sreekumar
14. Dr.Lalu Mangal
15. Smt.R.Jelaja
16. Smt.Mary Napthali
17. Sri.A.Nizad
18. Dr.Anitha Joseph
19. Smt.B.Saraswathy
20. Smt. Sudhi Mary Kurian
21. Smt.V.K.Zeenath
22. Dr.Reebu Z Koshy
23. Sri. B. Sunil Kumar
24. Sri S. Ayoob
25. Dr.S.Narayanan
26. Sri.M.Sirajuddin
27. Smt.Najee M
28. Dr. Bindu S.
29. Sri. Mohammed Asim
30. Sri.R.Sajeeb
31. Sri.M.Nazeer
32. Smt.Seema K.Nair
33. Sri.Benny Joseph
34. Smt. Bindumol M.
35. Smt. Sajida Razak
36. Smt. Sulphia U.
37. Sri.Sameer M
38. Smt.Anu.V.Thomas
39. Kum. Suja K.
40. Sri. Adarsh S
41. Dr. J. Udayakumar
42. Smt.Waheeda Wahab
43. Smt. Jasmine .B
44. Sri. Vigil. K. Arjun
45. Sri. Hareesh Kumar V.R
46. Sri. Salim M
47. Sri. Ahammed Kannu M.S
48. Sri. Thangal Kunju A
49. Sri. Prakashan P
50. Smt. Sini.P
51. Sri. Hakkim I
52. Sri. Shaji M.B
53. Sri. Shaji G
54. Sri. Siddik A
55. Sri. Abdul Salam S
56. Sri. Ummar. H
57. Sri. Davood M
58. Smt. Sheena .A
1. Dr. M.C. Philipose
2. Dr.E.V.Nampoothiri
3. Prof.B.Vijayakumar
4. Prof.P.N.Mohan
5. Prof.Rosamma Daniel
6. Prof.S.Jayakumari
7. Prof. Soosan J. Panicker
8. Prof.Vincent K.John
9. Prof.Usha Thomas
10. Prof.Gouri Antherjanam
11. Dr.S.Suresh
12. Prof.I.Bushra
13. Prof.J.Sreekumar
14. Dr.Lalu Mangal
15. Smt.R.Jelaja
16. Smt.Mary Napthali
17. Sri.A.Nizad
18. Dr.Anitha Joseph
19. Smt.B.Saraswathy
20. Smt. Sudhi Mary Kurian
21. Smt.V.K.Zeenath
22. Dr.Reebu Z Koshy
23. Sri. B. Sunil Kumar
24. Sri S. Ayoob
25. Dr.S.Narayanan
26. Sri.M.Sirajuddin
27. Smt.Najee M
28. Dr. Bindu S.
29. Sri. Mohammed Asim
30. Sri.R.Sajeeb
31. Sri.M.Nazeer
32. Smt.Seema K.Nair
33. Sri.Benny Joseph
34. Smt. Bindumol M.
35. Smt. Sajida Razak
36. Smt. Sulphia U.
37. Sri.Sameer M
38. Smt.Anu.V.Thomas
39. Kum. Suja K.
40. Sri. Adarsh S
41. Dr. J. Udayakumar
42. Smt.Waheeda Wahab
43. Smt. Jasmine .B
44. Sri. Vigil. K. Arjun
45. Sri. Hareesh Kumar V.R
46. Sri. Salim M
47. Sri. Ahammed Kannu M.S
48. Sri. Thangal Kunju A
49. Sri. Prakashan P
50. Smt. Sini.P
51. Sri. Hakkim I
52. Sri. Shaji M.B
53. Sri. Shaji G
54. Sri. Siddik A
55. Sri. Abdul Salam S
56. Sri. Ummar. H
57. Sri. Davood M
58. Smt. Sheena .A
Kollam overbridge a distant dream
This is the Final Year project that Anoop, Alex, Sunil and Shaji worked on. This is currently stuck due to political issues. More info from the Article.
It seems that the railway overbridge that would ease the traffic congestion in Kollam city considerably promises will remain a dream for many more years amid political wrangling. Now the foundation stone for the bridge, laid in 2003, remains a testimony for all the allegations and counter-allegations between the UDF and LDF over the bridge.
An MP, P Rajendran, in January last, had alleged that the previous UDF Government, which had refused to initiate work on the bridge, stalled its prospects even after he managed to get a token amount allocated for the project in the Railway Budget for 2001-02. However, the then UDF Government did not move even a single file regarding the construction of the approach road, which was the State's responsibility, Rajendran said.
The UDF has retorted saying that the LDF, which had used the issue in campaign for the last election, has not allocated even a token amount for the overbridge in its Budget. Rajendran said that all procedures regarding the approach road would be completed by the LDF Government in three months and the work on the bridge would be completed in a year.
The proposal for the railway overbridge appeared first in the Kollam master plan prepared in 1980. In October 2003, then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone for the bridge. By that time, the Railways had completed the procedure for tender. It was cancelled later.
The UDF camp feels that the tender was for the Railways' portion alone and it was against the earlier decision to entrust the works on both the bridge and the approach road to the Kerala Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (RBDC).
But the Parliament member counters this argument saying that bifurcation of the bridgework was not done at his behest. He says the work was bifurcated after the collapse of an overbridge constructed by the RBDC.
"That tender was already on the anvil before this particular incident of bridge collapse. Actually, the mishap proved to be a blessing for those who wanted to take over the work from the RBDC. The MP himself caused bifurcation of the work to expedite its inauguration for citing it as one of his major achievements. That blocked the work," says Suresh Babu, a member of the district Congress committee.
The total estimated cost of the bridge was Rs 11.64 crore on a cost-sharing basis. An amount of Rs 5.88 crore was to come from the Railways and the State Government was to put in Rs 5.76 crore as its share. The Railways invited tender once more for the work of its portion in 2005.
An LDF source says, "The then LDF Government had on December 5,1999, included the bridge in its schedule and had referred it for the Centre's approval on January 28, 2000. Till date, nothing has been done to implement the project."
He adds, "The Railways is saying that the traffic volume thorough the 541 level-cross, in whose place the bridge is to come, at SP Office junction was below one lakh vehicles per day. A re-census was conducted after considerable effort from the Parliament member and the traffic volume was estimated as 1,45,740. This was a turning point on way to construction of the bridge and the Railways officially declared that the level cross was eligible to be converted into a bridge in October 2000. The Railways prepared the general arrangement drawing (GAD) and the State Government approved it. By that time, a UDF Government had taken charge in the State. It was then that the project slowed down."
The UDF refutes this argument saying that the Railways conducted the census when the level-cross remained closed for several days. The LDF could not even convince the Railways the reason behind this. The re-census was a routine one held by the Railways usually at regular intervals. The work was included in the Railway Work Programme of 2001-2002 after the UDF came into power, Congress sources say. "Actually, the then UDF Government on May 5, 2003, had sent a letter to the Chief Engineer, Southern Railway, seeking approval for the GAD and to get the work contract for both the bridge and the approach road accorded to the RBDC," said a Congress source.
However, the CPI(M) alleges that the then UDF Government had purposefully demanded shifting of the bridge site from level-cross 541 to 543 at the College Junction. They allege that former Employment Affairs Minister Babu Divakaran has some personal interest in this, fearing that the bridge passing through the park in the name of his father would harm it.
However, the Kollam overbridge remains a dream even after two of the 23 over-bridges proposed as part of the Railways programme of 2001 were inaugurated and works on another 12 have been partially completed.
It seems that the railway overbridge that would ease the traffic congestion in Kollam city considerably promises will remain a dream for many more years amid political wrangling. Now the foundation stone for the bridge, laid in 2003, remains a testimony for all the allegations and counter-allegations between the UDF and LDF over the bridge.
An MP, P Rajendran, in January last, had alleged that the previous UDF Government, which had refused to initiate work on the bridge, stalled its prospects even after he managed to get a token amount allocated for the project in the Railway Budget for 2001-02. However, the then UDF Government did not move even a single file regarding the construction of the approach road, which was the State's responsibility, Rajendran said.
The UDF has retorted saying that the LDF, which had used the issue in campaign for the last election, has not allocated even a token amount for the overbridge in its Budget. Rajendran said that all procedures regarding the approach road would be completed by the LDF Government in three months and the work on the bridge would be completed in a year.
The proposal for the railway overbridge appeared first in the Kollam master plan prepared in 1980. In October 2003, then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone for the bridge. By that time, the Railways had completed the procedure for tender. It was cancelled later.
The UDF camp feels that the tender was for the Railways' portion alone and it was against the earlier decision to entrust the works on both the bridge and the approach road to the Kerala Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (RBDC).
But the Parliament member counters this argument saying that bifurcation of the bridgework was not done at his behest. He says the work was bifurcated after the collapse of an overbridge constructed by the RBDC.
"That tender was already on the anvil before this particular incident of bridge collapse. Actually, the mishap proved to be a blessing for those who wanted to take over the work from the RBDC. The MP himself caused bifurcation of the work to expedite its inauguration for citing it as one of his major achievements. That blocked the work," says Suresh Babu, a member of the district Congress committee.
The total estimated cost of the bridge was Rs 11.64 crore on a cost-sharing basis. An amount of Rs 5.88 crore was to come from the Railways and the State Government was to put in Rs 5.76 crore as its share. The Railways invited tender once more for the work of its portion in 2005.
An LDF source says, "The then LDF Government had on December 5,1999, included the bridge in its schedule and had referred it for the Centre's approval on January 28, 2000. Till date, nothing has been done to implement the project."
He adds, "The Railways is saying that the traffic volume thorough the 541 level-cross, in whose place the bridge is to come, at SP Office junction was below one lakh vehicles per day. A re-census was conducted after considerable effort from the Parliament member and the traffic volume was estimated as 1,45,740. This was a turning point on way to construction of the bridge and the Railways officially declared that the level cross was eligible to be converted into a bridge in October 2000. The Railways prepared the general arrangement drawing (GAD) and the State Government approved it. By that time, a UDF Government had taken charge in the State. It was then that the project slowed down."
The UDF refutes this argument saying that the Railways conducted the census when the level-cross remained closed for several days. The LDF could not even convince the Railways the reason behind this. The re-census was a routine one held by the Railways usually at regular intervals. The work was included in the Railway Work Programme of 2001-2002 after the UDF came into power, Congress sources say. "Actually, the then UDF Government on May 5, 2003, had sent a letter to the Chief Engineer, Southern Railway, seeking approval for the GAD and to get the work contract for both the bridge and the approach road accorded to the RBDC," said a Congress source.
However, the CPI(M) alleges that the then UDF Government had purposefully demanded shifting of the bridge site from level-cross 541 to 543 at the College Junction. They allege that former Employment Affairs Minister Babu Divakaran has some personal interest in this, fearing that the bridge passing through the park in the name of his father would harm it.
However, the Kollam overbridge remains a dream even after two of the 23 over-bridges proposed as part of the Railways programme of 2001 were inaugurated and works on another 12 have been partially completed.
More info on TKMCE
TKM College of Engineering, Kollam was established in the year 1958 by the late Sri. A. Thangal Kunju Musaliar, a leading philanthropist and industrialist of Kerala. The foundation stone was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India on third February 1956. The college was formally declared open on 3rd July 1956 by Prof. Humayun Kabir, the then Minister for Scientific Research & Cultural Affairs, Government of India. This is the first Government aided private Engineering College in Kerala State and is affiliated to the University of Kerala. All the courses conducted in the institution has the approval of the A.I.C.T.E. Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering has been a trend setter in the field of Technical Education in Kerala.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Introduction - Cevils 95 - Batch of 91-95
This is the Blog for the best Civil Engineering Batch that studied in Thangal Kunju Musaliar college of Engineering, Karicode, Kollam, Kerala, India- Year 0f 1991-1995
College - Thangal Kunju Musaliar College Of Engineering
The first Government aided private Engineering College in Kerala State and is affiliated to the University of Kerala. All the courses conducted in the institution has the approval of the A.I.C.T.E. Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering has been a trend setter in the field of Technical Education in Kerala. The college started with a student strength of 120 and a faculty of six offering courses in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and has an enviable reputation of being one of the premier technical institutions in the country. At present the college has a strength of more than 2000 students with about 200 staff members supported by 136 non-teaching staff. It has always maintained a very high standard, the main focus being the overall development of the students. The college has been maintaining an excellent industry - institution interaction all through its history.
College - Thangal Kunju Musaliar College Of Engineering
The first Government aided private Engineering College in Kerala State and is affiliated to the University of Kerala. All the courses conducted in the institution has the approval of the A.I.C.T.E. Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering has been a trend setter in the field of Technical Education in Kerala. The college started with a student strength of 120 and a faculty of six offering courses in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and has an enviable reputation of being one of the premier technical institutions in the country. At present the college has a strength of more than 2000 students with about 200 staff members supported by 136 non-teaching staff. It has always maintained a very high standard, the main focus being the overall development of the students. The college has been maintaining an excellent industry - institution interaction all through its history.
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