Good morning, Chennai!
⛅ Today’s weather: Cloudy with some sunshine.
🧐 Did you know? The Madras Presidency was one of the largest administrative divisions of British India.
🍺 Reopening TASMAC bars
A Madras High Court order could pave the way for the bars to reopen.
What’s it about? The court’s order stated that Tasmac needn’t insist on a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the owner of the premises to run a bar.
- If an NOC was necessary, it would lead to a situation where those participating in the tender would be confined to the existing lessee or the owner. Anyone else wanting to bid higher wouldn’t be allowed to participate.
- The court felt that private individuals wanting to run bars attached to its Tasmacs should be welcomed. Else, it could lead to the formation of a cartel. The court gave the Corporation to float fresh tenders in keeping with the law.
Order on closures: The court also set aside an order that directed Tasmac to close all bars attached to its retail liquor outlets. The reason cited was that Tasmac wasn’t allowed to defend its policy.
🛣️ Battered roads
Broken and unrepaired roads in north Chennai have become common thanks to no repair and maintenance work.
What’s it about? Battered and cut-up roads in several parts mean commuters stumble upon a pothole or road cut every 10-50 metres. Due to a lack of coordination between agencies, the roads are often milled and left unattended for weeks. Commuters are left to deal with accidents and wear and tear on their vehicles.
- In Perambur and Ayanavaram, the metro rail work and construction of the Ganeshapuram Flyover in Vyasarpadi has left residents unhappy. Commuters walk past overflowing sewage from manhole chambers with a makeshift median in peak hours.
- Several interior roads also don’t get any attention. Even though roads like Vadivelu Main Road in Perambur and a small stretch of Patel Road near Madhavaram High Road were relaid, they’re already ridden with potholes.
What’s the issue? Despite complaints from resident groups, local officials don’t hold contractors responsible. There’s a mandatory three-year guarantee period for the resurfaced roads. However, they get damaged before that deadline.
👩💻 IIT-M’s new Centre of Excellence
American company Coherent will set up a new Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras.
What’s it about? Coherent, the makers of sensors, optics, and lasers, will set up the Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the institute’s innovation park campus. It’ll be the company’s first CoE in India, and the first-of-its-kind co-located in a university research park.
- The CoE will focus on research and development (R&D) of products for lasers, optical networking components, Electric Vehicle batteries, and compound semiconductor devices.
- The company chose this location because it wanted to be close to industries that use its products and technology, like electronics, automobiles, and manufacturing.
About Coherent: The company, headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, serves industrial, communications, electronic, and instrumentation sectors. It has R&D, manufacturing, sales, and distribution facilities in over 130 locations in 20 countries.
📽️ Jawan makes history in Chennai
Jawan will be the first non-Tamil film to get a first-day first-show release at the Rohini Silver Screens Theatre.
What’s it about? The highly anticipated movie starring Shah Rukh Khan is all set to debut on September 7. It’ll be released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Advance bookings have sold out even outside the northern belt.
- At Chennai’s iconic Silver Screens Theatre, Jawan will be the first non-Tamil film with a first-day first-show. The movie is expected to have a good run with its Tamil release.
- According to local reports, people waited in long lines to buy tickets for Atlee’s Bollywood directorial debut.
Anticipation: There’s a lot of buzz for this movie, particularly on social media. While early screenings begin as early as 2.15 a.m. in Kolkata and 5 a.m. in Mumbai, the first show in Chennai is at 9 a.m.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever gone boating?
- I have gone boating.
- I haven’t gone boating.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which Bollywood movie is your favourite?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Chennai will host the upcoming Windergy India 2023 event next month.
- The Chennai Corporation plans to launch an awareness campaign on garbage along Adyar Creek.
- Chennai Super Kings, despite a dip in revenue, posted a 63% rise in profits for FY2023.
- The Short+Sweet festival will take place in Chennai from September 7.
- Dakshinna Chitra display showcases stories from the People’s Archive of Rural India.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have taken the UPSC exam: 22.2%
- I haven’t taken the UPSC exam: 77.8% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!