Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Cloudy weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Chennai-based Saravana Bhavan is the largest South Indian restaurant chain in the world, with dozens of outlets in India and abroad.
🚴 Cyclothon in Chennai
The second edition of the Cyclothon will kick off in the city later this year.
What’s it about? State Sports Minister Udhyanidhi Stalin announced the launch of the HCL Cyclothon. The event will bring together professional and amateur cyclists on October 8 along the East Coast Road (ECR). The first edition happened in Noida earlier this year.
- The event is under the Cycling Federation of India with prize money of ₹30 lakh, split evenly between the professional and amateur groups.
- The professional category will be a 55 km race. Amateurs can compete in this race or a 25 km mountain bike race. The third Green Race category is open to all above 18 years.
Details: Registrations are now open and will close on September 20. Details are at www.hclcyclothon.com.
👨💻 IIM training for civic officials
Six Corporation officials from all departments attend training programmes at IIMs.
What’s it about? The training programmes are aimed at improving the civic body’s handling and implementation of infrastructure projects and integrating artificial intelligence (AI). The training programmes will help familiarise them with the latest technological developments.
- S Rajendiran, chief engineer (general), CA Balamurali, superintending engineer-electrical, and AS Murugan, Zonal officer – Thiru Vi Ka Nagar are getting trained at IIM Shillong. Some others are attending training at IIM Lucknow.
- At IIM Shillong, some of the subjects covered are case studies, project appraisals, and project management dashboards. Officials will learn about how AI can benefit selection and planning. They’ll also learn how to use virtual assistants like ChatGPT.
📱 Online property tax payments
The number of people who pay property tax online has increased over the past few months.
What’s it about? According to data from the Chennai Corporation, around 60% of small taxpayers pay their property taxes online. This shows a significant increase from last October when that number was only 35%.
- While small taxpayers preferred online payment, there’s still a large chunk who are hesitant. There are still some issues with the online payment method that have prevented people from opting in, especially for large amounts.
- Apart from increased online payments, more properties are paying taxes. On average, the Corporation collects tax from 6-7 lakh properties. This year, so far, it’s expected to be 9 lakh.
Additional payment methods: The Corporation has plans to launch a subscription option for property tax payments. Owners can subscribe to have an automatic deduction of the amount from their accounts.
🎙️ Motherhood and standup
Standup comedian Anu Vaidyanathan’s BC:AD (Before Children, After Diapers) offers a unique and funny take on motherhood.
Who is she? Anu Vaidyanathan sees Chennai as her home since she grew up here. Being a Tamilian herself, she feels at home with audiences that understand the language and helps her experiment with part of her routine in Tamil.
- The BC:AD show is an opportunity for her to bring her insights on motherhood as a mom herself. The theme of her new set is how life changes after having children and how everything revolves around motherhood and parenthood.
- She aims to make her comedy routine relatable irrespective of the city she’s performing in.
Experiences as a mother: She doesn’t conform to the notion that having children means the end of a career. Anu worked on her recent set for eight months after having her child. It was only after being a mother did she pursue other endeavours like writing books and making movies.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Concert with a Cause presents a live musical performance this Sunday.
- The Hysterical Improv Show is an unscripted comedy experience happening this Saturday.
- Hi Life Chennai will showcase designer wear and accessories from across India this Saturday.
- Attend Chennai Sante, a handloom and textile exhibition, this weekend.
- Seasoned Souls is a theatrical escape and anthology of four monologues happening this Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- The current fines for traffic violations are high enough: 80.0% 🏆
- The current fines for traffic violations aren’t high enough: 20.0%
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!