Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 35 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Madras General Post Office started functioning on June 1, 1786. The first Postmaster-General was Governor Sir Archibald’s secretary, A.M. Campbell.
🗿 A piece of Chennai
A new exhibition showcases ceramic artworks inspired by Chennai.
What’s it about? Three ceramists will celebrate the 385th Madras Day by displaying their creations at the “Echoes of Nature” exhibition at the InKo Centre. The exhibit will feature the works of Loganathan E, Gukanraj K, and Ramkumar Kannadasan, curated by Sandhya Gopinath.
- For Gukanraj, his art is a tribute to the cycle of life. His art movement began in Chennai. Born and raised in Chennai, Loganathan has seen the city change and evolve. His works pay homage to Chennai’s historical essence.
- Ramkumar sculpts each piece through a mastery of stone, metal, wood, ceramics, and terracotta. The artists also have a connection to Korea by participating in residencies and exhibitions supported by the InKo Centre.
History: Once the southern states were reorganised in 1956, the first ceramic factory of Madras State was in Gudur, which became a part of Andhra Pradesh. The first set-up for art pottery was at The School of Arts and Crafts in 1957.
🏫 Storied history of a school
The CD Nayagam T Nagar Higher Secondary School enters its 91st year and stands as a beacon of education.
What’s its history? The founder, Chettikulam Deivanayagam Nayagam, moved to Chennai and bought 1.5 acres of land on the present Venkata Narayana Road in T Nagar and built the school. The motto was simple – education for all. He charged no donation or fees, and education was in Tamil and English to 2,000 students.
- The number of students began to decrease in the decades that followed. There are now 250 students on campus. The reason could be parents are hesitant about sending their students to a free school.
- The school now offers vocational training and teaches weaving to students from classes 6 to 9. There’s also an innovation lab, thanks to the Inner Wheel Club of Madras, to expose students to computers.
Legacy: For its alumni, the school is a special place. The teachers and staff treated everyone equally, irrespective of their background. The alumni association provides uniforms, chairs, and tables. They also regularly conduct elocution and essay competitions.
🐢 Tortoise smuggling picks up
The Chennai Airport has been alerted as Indian star tortoise smuggling has spiked.
What’s it about? Due to increased demand from pet markets in Malaysia, the Chennai airport was among the few alerted due to a spike in smuggling of the Indian star tortoise. In 2023-24, 369 tortoises were seized by customs officials at the airport. They’re listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of 2016.
- The air intelligence unit of the airport was alerted by the ground staff of Air India about suspicious baggage last Friday. Three people about to leave for Kuala Lumpur were detained with 778 star tortoises.
- The passengers were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. An investigation is underway to see where the animal species were sourced.
Region-wide alert: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) alerted airports in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad to be on the lookout for suspicious baggage.
🛣️ ECR elevated road project
The proposed elevated road project for East Coast Road (ECR) aims to help decongest traffic junctions.
What’s it about? Public Works and Highways Minister EV Velu reviewed the proposed project that will begin at the Tidel Park junction and end at Uthandi. The goal is to help motorists avoid 17 traffic junctions.
- The elevated road will be 15 km long. It will pass over LB Road junction, Kottivakkam, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, and Akkarai. It’ll have entry and exitways at multiple points.
- The road currently carries nearly 70,000 vehicles per day. Due to traffic congestion, it takes about an hour to cross the 15km stretch despite the road being widened.
Helping motorists: The highway department has also taken up six-laning an 8.8 km stretch on ECR from Tiruvanmiyur to Akkarai.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Does a metro service help decongest Indian traffic and roads?
- A metro service does help decongest Indian traffic and roads.
- A metro service doesn’t help decongest Indian traffic and roads.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your go-to homemade snack?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Overflow of garbage continues to be an issue at the Avadi Corporation.
- Government school students will undergo regular schooling and JEE and NEET coaching at the Saidapet Government model school.
- Inaugural Pro Golf Championship begins at the Cosmo Golf Course, with 126 golfers participating.
- The Volvo Group will acquire Fossil Free Castings from two Chennai-based companies.
- IIT Madras’ Plugzmart, the EV charger startup, has been certified by the ARAI.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have a family member/relative who’s a doctor: 60.0% 🏆
- I don’t have a family member/relative who’s a doctor: 40.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which state has the best beaches?
Suchi: “Tamil Nadu”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!