Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Sunny with some cloud cover.
🧐 Did you know? The name Madras is believed to have a few origins. One comes from Madresan, headman of the village of fishermen who persuaded Francis Day to name the settlement after him. Another is from the Church of St. Mary Madre de Deus.
♿ Making the Metro accessible
Chennai Metro will finish retrofitting its stations by next month to make them more accessible.
Story so far: Last June, the Madras High Court ordered the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to retrofit its stations on phase 1 to make them accessible to persons with disabilities. The court asked officials to do the same for the upcoming phase 2 stations.
- According to the CMRL, work has been completed at parking lots, platforms, and ticket counters. They’ve installed lift ramps, lowered drinking water facilities, and increased signage.
- The work is being done to meet the 2016 Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities.
Who said what? Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) member Sathish Kumar said the work could be judged only if they adhere to the Harmonised Guidelines. He also said the entrances to the stations still need to be accessible, and the buttons of elevators need to be lowered.
☁️ Where was the rain?
The showers forecast for the city never arrived despite cloudy skies.
What’s it about? Over the past couple of days, cloudy skies during the day never materialised into rainfall. With intermittent rain in the suburbs, places near the coast remained dry.
- The convergence of opposing winds from the east to west or the trough falling over the state’s interior parts could be the reason. The incoming easterlies meant many areas were dry and sultry.
- The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said there’s a cyclonic circulation over south Tamil Nadu. On Sunday, some parts saw thunder, but rains were restricted to the interiors.
What’s next? Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather said the trough may still bring in some rain for the next 2-3 days, and the intensity will drop soon after.
🎓 Courses on social justice and equity
MSSW will offer courses on social justice and equity to increase awareness about SCs and STs.
What’s it about? The Tamil Nadu Adidravidar and Tribal Welfare Department will set up the new Centre for Social Justice and Equity at the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW).
- The Centre will offer certificate courses and diploma programmes on social justice and equity and a postgraduate programme on Dalit and tribal studies. The state has allocated ₹2 crore for the Centre.
- The Centre will also help Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe persons with economic opportunities through pilot projects. It will also release reports and academic literature.
Who said what? G Laxmi Priya of the Adidravidar and tribal welfare department said the objective was to build the capacity of tribal communities so that they were aware of existing laws and policies.
👩💻 Out-of-the-box maths course
IIT Madras launched levels 3 and 4 of the Out of the Box Thinking through Mathematics course.
What’s it about? The course is offered online for free through the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation. The final exam for the course will be proctored at select centres across India. Levels 1 and 2 were launched last year with over 1.4 lakh students.
- The course will be taught by a mathematics educator and founder-director of the Aryabhatta Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Sadagopan Rajesh. He has three decades of experience teaching maths.
- The goal is for as many as a million school and college students, working professionals, and researchers to apply.
Who said what? IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti said the course would help students and young professionals to think differently, that’s important to yield creativity in the long run.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer Chennai or Madras?
- I prefer Chennai.
- I prefer Madras.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your preferred mode of transport in Chennai?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Mellifluous Melodies on Keyboard will host the world’s largest keyboard ensemble to support ending child labour.
- The Chennai Corporation has removed over 11,000 encroachments to free up pavements.
- IIT Madras is now home to the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways, and Coasts (NTCPWC) to help the maritime sector.
- Ambattur-Red Hills Road is an example of poor enforcement leading to increased traffic congestion.
- Chennai’s wall posters are a mixture of the city’s culture and a public nuisance.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I know how to swim: 60.0% 🏆
- I don’t know how to swim: 40.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What was your favourite thing to do as a kid during summer vacations?
Chitra: “Go to a hill station”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!