Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Clear and sunny skies for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Ladies Recreation Club was the only club in Madras that allowed women. It was set up in 1911 by Mrs Madeley, the wife of the Engineer of the Madras Corporation, Mrs Seethamma Tiruvenkatachariar, and Mrs Subramaniam.
🚰 Avadi awaits promised facilities
Avadi residents are still waiting for piped connections and sewage lines.
What’s it about? In 2008, Avadi was made a municipality, and with it would come underground sewage lines and piped water. Over a decade later, those promises remain unkept. With changes in leadership due to assembly elections, the wait could be longer.
- Only a few areas in Kamarajar Nagar, JB Estate, and Mittanamille have houses connected to underground sewage lines. Others continue to depend on tankers to clean septic tanks. Some fear sewage will flow back into their homes.
- The underground sewage project was proposed in 2008 to cover 30,000 houses in the first phase. The pipes were finished being laid only in 2016. Avadi Corporation commissioner told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the wait for underground drainage would be at least another five years.
Who said what? Officials said 35,000 sewage and 30,000 drinking water connections are currently working. Jayakumar, a resident of Pattabiram, said he wasn’t sure when he’ll get water since the pipe from the underground line was given only a few days ago. Former AIADMK minister from Avadi, K Pandiarajan, said contractors couldn’t do the work since it would show how the previous work of laying pipes wasn’t properly done.
🧑🏫 Appointing HoDs
The University of Madras has proposed a headship rotation system for heads of departments’ (HoD) appointments.
What’s it about? The University of Madras syndicate has approved a headship rotation system proposal for the 2023-24 academic year. It’ll replace the system by which heads of departments are appointed based on seniority. The proposal will soon head to Governor RN Ravi, the university’s chancellor, for approval.
- The new system will see HoDs hold posts on a rotation basis for a three-year term. The goal is to weed out internal conflicts and bring efficiency and transparency to the administration.
- Previously, the head of a department was a senior professor. With the career advancement scheme (CAS) implemented, the number of candidates increased and led to infighting among faculty.
Who said what? Vice-chancellor S Gowri said a majority of the teachers wanted the headship rotation in place. Former vice-chancellor P Suraisamy spoke in favour of the move as central universities followed the rotation system.
🤡 Gentle clowning
Nadia Cristina Rodrigues, a hospital clown, will train her Indian counterparts in the art of gentle clowning.
What’s it about? Nadia, a professional hospital clown, will train Chennai hospital clowns in gentle clowning, specifically for the elderly. It’s being done in partnership with The Little Theatre. The rise in the elderly population in Portugal drove Nadia to take up gentle clowning.
- Gentle clowning is about connecting with the elderly to show them compassion. It’s proven useful in improving the well-being and memory of the elderly, especially those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
- For elders, it’s a way of treating them with respect which is an important lesson in gentle clowning. They are careful around them and dress up in a way to get their affection.
Who said what? Nadia said she realised it was important to take care of the elderly since they often don’t have family members around. Aysha Rau of The Little Theatre said seeing Nadia’s work convinced her to train the core team and take them for an outreach trip to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Chetpet.
🏍️ KTM RC Cup concludes
The KTM RC Cup concluded where the best racing talent from 8 cities competed.
What’s it about? The KTM RC Cup recently concluded at the Madras International Circuit. It’s the largest racing championship in India that saw teams from 8 cities competing.
- 25-year-old Navaneet Kumar from Puducherry took top honours. Amarnath Menon from Kozhikode and Allwin Xavier from Thrissur came in second and third, respectively. They win a trip to Austria for a track day with Jeremy McWilliams and watch a MotoGP race.
- Throughout the different stages, participants raced with the KTM RC 390 GP. It features technology like cornering ABS. Combined with KTM’s power-to-weight ratio, it’s a powerful combo.
KTM Academy: The event was announced in December 2022 to democratise racing in India. KTM experts travelled the country to find and train KTM owners with a passion for racing. They went through the academy, and 80 were shortlisted. The top 20 made it through the qualifiers.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer earpods/earphones or headphones?
- I prefer earpods/earphones.
- I prefer headphones.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite Olympic event?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- A feasibility report for the Metro’s phase 2 extension will be ready in three months.
- Persons with disabilities aren’t satisfied with the reworked ramp at the Egmore metro station.
- Chennai and Coimbatore schools, thanks to industrial clusters, received more funds from companies and NGOs.
- Medavakkam residents have complained about certain sections having low voltage issues.
- The Pothur Lake at Tirumullaivoyal has been restored and has become home to migratory birds.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I can easily fall asleep on planes/trains: 30.0%
- I can’t easily fall asleep on planes/trains: 70.0% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!