Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny with mostly clear skies for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Safire theatre was India’s first multi-theatre complex located on Mount Road. It was run by HV Shah & his sons. It had India’s first 70mm theatre. It was demolished in 2003.
🛣️ Anna Salai elevated corridor
The proposed elevated corridor along Anna Salai will cut travel time between Teynampet and Saidapet.
What’s it about? The state highways department will begin work on the ₹621-crore elevated corridor along Anna Salai at the end of this year. Over a decade ago, the DMK government proposed a 6 km flyover between Thousand Lights and Saidapet. It was scrapped due to financial constraints and heritage structures en route.
- The four-lane elevated corridor will carry 2.5 lakh vehicles a day and reduce travel time between Teynampet and Saidapet to just 5 minutes.
- Due to the metro rail tunnels underneath, the highways department will strengthen the soil before beginning work. Engineers said new construction techniques like monopile foundations and segmental launching would be used.
🚆 Developing high-speed rail plans
A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed for new rail lines and high-speed rail connectivity.
What’s it about? The state government will form an SPV through Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) with the railways to introduce semi-high-speed and high-speed rail connectivity. Last year, the government said it would partner with the railways for high-speed and freight corridors to increase travel times.
- A tender has been floated to identify routes, stations, and proposed costs for a dedicated freight corridor and high-speed routes. An SPV will help accelerate new railway projects, including last-mile connectivity.
- The Chennai Metro is already studying the feasibility of AC suburban trains on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpet route. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will lay a fourth line between Chengalpet and Tambaram.
Who said what? One official said high-speed and semi-high-speed connectivity is better, cost-effective, and the greener option. Pandia Raja of the zonal rail users consultative committee said an SPV would lead to better coordination in identifying routes and completing the projects faster.
🏨 Hotel management opportunities
Westin Velachery has partnered with colleges to offer opportunities to students pursuing hotel management.
What’s it about? Westin Chennai Velachery has joined hands with 12 institutions to extend opportunities to select students pursuing undergraduate programmes at the colleges. Among the institutions are the SRM Institute of Hotel Management and the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition.
- The partnership will involve a selection method for students. They’ll be given opportunities to grow and learn through internships, on-the-job training courses, and placements.
- Westin Chennai will have the first preference in recruiting qualified students from the colleges at entry-level positions. It’ll also be applicable for existing openings in Marriot Hotels in India.
Who said what? Lakshmanan Ramanathan, the General Manager of Westin Chennai, said the programme would help create a talent pool to meet the industry’s needs.
💬 ChatGPT alternatives
IIT Madras will work on ChatGPT alternatives with a focus on regional languages.
What’s it about? As ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, has risen to some level of prominence, there are some limitations. While it can respond in Hindi, it has limited knowledge of Indian regional languages. IIT Madras will try to rectify that with an alternative that can understand regional languages.
- The institution is trying to keep the focus on the Indian user. An alternative to ChatGPT could be used in languages like Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.
- IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said data generated through the government’s Swayam platform could help create a Maths or Physics Chat.
Enhanced ChatGPT: With the arrival of GPT-4, the enhanced language model can accept image inputs and generate an output accordingly. It also passed the LSAT with 88 percentile and SAT Math with 89 percentile.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you made a purchase based on an ad seen on social media?
- Yes, I have made a purchase based on a social media ad.
- No, I haven’t made a purchase based on a social media ad.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite and least favourite thing about social media?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Resettlement colonies at four locations in Chennai will get sports and recreational facilities.
- The state budget has allocated funds to set up a Global Sports City in Chennai’s periphery.
- Chennai traffic police, in the last two weeks, collected ₹6.7 crores in fines for pending drunk driving cases.
- Chennai Metro gets an additional ₹10,000 crores from the state budget.
- Chennai Lit Fest returns for its 3rd edition next month, featuring literary and journalistic personalities from Tamil Nadu.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have ridden a horse: 22.2%
- I haven’t ridden a horse: 77.8% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What was your favourite theme park experience?
Parthi: “Wonderla, Kochi”
Isaac: “MGM Theme park, where I went with my office colleagues. That was memorable.”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!