Category Archives: Education

Gundert was foster father of Malayalam, says MGS

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Historian M.G.S. Narayanan releases the book Malayalavum Herman Gundertum by handing over a copy to literary critic M.M. Basheer at a function at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur on Tuesday.
Historian M.G.S. Narayanan releases the book Malayalavum Herman Gundertum by handing over a copy to literary critic M.M. Basheer at a function at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur on Tuesday.

‘Even serious historians have neglected books like ‘Kerala Pazhama’ by Gundert’

“If Thunchathezhuthachan was the father of Malayalam Language, Herman Gundert was its foster father,” opined historian M.G.S. Narayanan. Releasing the book ‘Malayalavum Herman Gundertum’ (Malayalam and Herman Gundert) at the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur on Tuesday, Mr. Narayanan said that even serious historians have neglected books like ‘Kerala Pazhama’ by Gundert, who is mostly known for the first lexicon in Malayalam as well as ‘Rajyasamacharam’, the first newspaper in the language.

Study of Gundert’s works have helped historians much in clearing certain misunderstandings and misconceptions. His works were milestones that marked the history of Kerala. The myths portrayed in his books give us a hint of the culture of those times. He was recovering the culture of Kerala for the later generations through his books. His work as a missionary only showed that the problems and culture of people are the same around the world, Mr. Narayanan said and appreciated the Malayalam University for establishing a ‘Gundert Chair’ in Germany.

Vice-Chancellor K. Jayakumar, in his presidential address said that the university has set aside the traditional methods and has formed its own policy on research activities.

The book, in two volumes, was published by the Gundert Chair established by Malayalam University in Tubingen University in Germany. A seminar on ‘The contemporariness of Gundert’ was held later.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / Staff Reporter / Kozhikode – February 03rd, 2016

I wasn’t aware my name was nominated in the achiever’s list: Shima Sendhil

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

She hails from a family of educationists and is married to one. So, it was only natural that Shima Sendhil, who spent more than a decade in the US, came back to the country to help with the family run educational institution.

seemasendhilCF24jan2016The director of Rathinam Educational Institutions tells us, “I hail from a remote village in Ernakulam, Kerala and my father was a headmaster of a school there. We moved to the US, when I was just 15 years old. After completing my studies in the University of Florida, I worked for a private concern as a programmer for five years. I moved to Coimbatore to take over the family business after the stint. When my husband heard the news about the award, he was quite excited. He asked me to consider this achievement as a motivation to take up many more programmes for the benefit of students.”

Shima has been voted as one of the #100Women Achievers of India in the category of education by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. “I wasn’t even aware of the fact that my name was nominated in the list. It was only when the Ministry asked for my profile that I believed the news was true. A lot of credit goes to my husband for being a pillar of support.”

When it comes to education, Shima ensures that she doesn’t leave any stone unturned as far as benefiting her students are concerned. “We have associated with many corporate companies to provide skill-based training to our students, through their CSR activities. The activities include training in electrical work, plumbing, IT and even costume designing. The idea is to make our students more employable.”

Shima says that her five-year-stint in the US has helped her pick many tricks of the trade and implement them back home in Coimbatore. “For instance, we have upgraded many technical aspects in the college and have also begun providing smart classes for students.” This apart, Shima has also taken steps to provide scholarships to underprivileged students. “We have also been undertaking tree plantation drives, helmet awareness campaigns and providing support to the needy in the times of crises, like the Nepal earthquake and Chennai deluge. We are now envisioning a waste-free campus in 2016 by which we intend to reuse plastics and covert food waste into gas & thus, use negligible resources from outside. This apart, we have a plethora of new activities in the pipeline, focusing on women.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / P . Sangeetha, TNN / January 17th, 2016

Kannur girl wins laurels

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Sub Lieutenant Darshita Babu wins two gold medals at the passing-out parade.

The cynosure of all eyes at the passing-out parade of cadets at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) here on Thursday was a Kannur girl, who completed her primary course as a Naval officer and won medals for meritorious performance as a trainee.

Sub Lieutenant Darshita Babu, a mechanical engineering graduate, who won the Chief of the Naval Staff gold medal for best cadet in overall order of merit for the Naval Orientation (Regular) Course and also the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South) gold medal for the best woman trainee of the course in the Autumn Term 2015 at the passing out parade, is a native of Ulikkal near Iritty here.

“It is a matter of great pride that the woman cadet who got two awards at the passing-out parade is a Kannur girl, from the local community,” said Navy Chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan during his interaction with the press after the parade.

Daughter of Dinesh Babu, who is an employee at Ulikkal Government Higher Secondary School, and Lissy Babu, Darshita will be going to Visakhapatnam for a sub course. She is specialising in naval architecture.

“What inspired me to join the Navy was my association with the National Cadet Corps (NCC) during my school days,” she said adding that her training at the INA was a challenge.

She said that the training gives the cadets mental and physical stamina that brings about positive changes in their personality.

A graduate from T.K.M. Engineering College in Kollam, she said that she had the total support of her parents.

She is a Karate black belt holder and during her college days she was a player in the Kerala University women’s football team.

She has also been trained in classical music and dance.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Ezhimala (Kannur) – November 27th, 2015

K A Isaac Commemoration

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education

IssacKERALA12oct2015

Thiruvananthapuram  :

Kerala Library Association organised the 10th Professor K A Isaac commemoration lecture at the Library and Information Science department’s lecture hall, University of Kerala. Dr Jagdish Arora, director INFLIBNET Centre Ahmedabad delivered the lecture.

Speaking on the occasion, Jagdish elaborated on 10 technologies librarians should know to improve and strengthen their institution. P Jayarajan, former country head British Council and library advisor Lamayalam University presided over. T K Subramoni, former chief manager British Library shared his memories of Professor Isaac.

KLA president K P Vijayakumar and general secretary Dr M Lalitha also spoke.

source:  http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / October 12th, 2015

Assumption College Overall Winners of College Games

Education, Sports

Athira Sasi, of Alphonsa College, Pala, who won gold in women’s 1,500 m race in the Ninth College Games 2015 at SAI-LNCPE, Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday | B P Deepu
Athira Sasi, of Alphonsa College, Pala, who won gold in women’s 1,500 m race in the Ninth College Games 2015 at SAI-LNCPE, Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday | B P Deepu

Thiruvananthapuram  :

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday said the success of Kerala athletes in the 35th National Games has proved that they can scale great heights with confidence and hard work.

Chandy was speaking at the valedictory function of the 9th College Games 2015 held at the Sports-Authority of India – Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (SAI-LNCPE) in Kariavattom.

“Kerala is adopting all possible measures to help its sportspersons to train and perform. In the last four year, the state government has spent around Rs 18 crore on complimentary prizes for athletes and around 300 athletes have been recruited under the sports quota to government services,” he said.

“We are in the final stages of giving jobs to another 150 athletes who made Kerala proud in the last National Games,” he said. “The National Games was a huge challenge organisation-wise as well as sporting-wise and we have proved ourselves,” he said. Chandy congratulated the Kerala State Sports Council and participants of the College Games  for the success of the three-day event. “I hope all the athletes will be able to come up to expectations,” he said.

Sports Council president Padmini Thomas said  the quality of the Games has increased this year with the sheer number of new meet records set. “I am happy that plenty of those records were broken by trainees from the Council’s college hostels,” she said.

The Chief Minister distributed prizes to the winners of the College Games, including to the overall winners Assumption College, Changanassery, who defended their Games title. Assumption were also champions in the women’s section while St Thomas College, Pala, took the honour in the men’s division. The closing ceremony also featured a band display from students of Sainik School, Kazhakootam and a march-past by the participating teams.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / September 12th, 2015

Meet Lydia Sebastian, 12-Year-Old Keralite who is Smarter than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Meet Lydia Sebastian, 12-Year-Old Keralite Smarter than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawkingaboutmodafinil.com/ Allan Ajifo/ Flickr
Meet Lydia Sebastian, 12-Year-Old Keralite Smarter than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawkingaboutmodafinil.com/ Allan Ajifo/ Flickr

Lydia Sebastian, 12, has achieved the maximum score in the Mensa Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test, beating the IQ scores of physicists Albert Einstein and Professor Stephen Hawking.

In the mental ability test, the 12-year-old girl has scored the maximum, which is 162. With this, she has created a record as the IQ score of Einstein and Hawking were 160.

Born to 43-year-old Arun, a radiologist at Colchester General Hospital, and mother Erika Kottiath, who is an associate director at Barclays Bank, Lydia started reading books when she was just a few years old.

“She also had an early interest in reading. When she was a few years old she was reading books that were for children several years older than her. And maths is her favourite subject. She won a prize for that when she was at primary school,” her father told  The Daily Mail .

Hailing from the south Indian state of Kerala and settled in Langham, Essex in the United Kingdom, Lydia’s parents are astonished with the achievement of their daughter after the result was published on Friday, 28 August.

Lydia is a student at Colchester County High School in Essex.

source: http://www.ibtimes.co.in / International Business Times / Home> News> Science / by Anu James / September 03rd, 2015

Investiture Ceremony of Navy School

Education

Kochi :

The Investiture Ceremony of Navy Children School, Kochi was held at Sagarika, Naval Base on Wednesday.

Rear Admiral R B Pandit, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command and Chairman, Navy Children School, Kochi was the chief guest. In a formal ceremony, he conferred  respective appointments on the leaders of  the school cabinet.

Paul Joseph of Class XII was invested as the Head Boy and Hemani Yadav of Class XII as the Head Girl.

In his address, Pandit congratulated the newly-formed Prefectorial Council and reminded them of the strategies required for effective leadership.

He also underlined the desired qualities of a leader and expressed that all students must imbibe these qualities and values.

Principal Dr Nellie Paul Verghese in her welcome address stressed the importance of the Investiture Ceremony, by referring to it as a Red Letter Day in the School Calender.

She motivated the office-bearers to move forward with courage and confidence and explore their hidden potentials to blossom as a global citizen. She reiterated that together we can make a difference.

Shireen Francis, Vice Principal, Co-scholastic highlighted the qualities of the installed leaders.

Elsie Babu, Vice Principal, Academics administered the oath to the appointees.

Capt. Sandeep Chakravarti, Command Education Officer and Vice Chairman, Navy Children School, Kochi, Cdr Shruti Dhawan, Director, Navy Children School, Kochi, PTA President and other dignitaries and parents were also present to witness the grand pageantry.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service /  July 24th, 2015

Three from Ernakulam figure in top 500 ranklist

Education, Records, All

Kochi  :

When UPSC civil services examination results were announced on Saturday, Ernakulam had its share of joy when threeresidents secured ranks in the top 500 list.

Sarayu K M, who secured rank 220, was the topper in the district. Bhavika Mangalanandan of Elamkulam and Satheesh V Menon of Maradu secured 249 and 342 ranks.

Sarayu (23) secured the rank in her first attempt and she is thankful to the Cusat librarian who helped her to achieve her dream. She started her coaching a year ago after she completed her BTech in civil engineering from M A College in Kothamangalam.

“Librarian Beena Cherukunnathu helped me to get magazines, allowed me to browse the internet and provided a lot of books to read. I studied in a Malayalam medium school. During school days, I found that many of my classmates belong to poor families and saw their struggles. So I wanted to serve the society. I believed, I can ace the exam,” she said. Malayalam was her optional subject.

Bhavika Mangalanandan secured the rank in her third attempt and her aim is to get into the IFS. “After completing MTech from IIT Delhi, I worked in Bangalore for some time. Though my mother is a government employee, she is very much involved in social service, especially women empowerment. Her involvement in social service influenced me to take up civil service,” she said adding that she did her coaching in Thiruvananthapuram. Geography was her optional subject.

Satheesh, son of a daily-wage worker, dreams of joining the IFS and he said he has a plan to achieve his goal in his next attempt. “I give coaching in engineering and medical entrance to students. I got secretariat assistant and high court assistant posts, but IFS is my ultimate aim,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com /  The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / July 05th,  2015

Brennan College conferred special heritage status

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Kannur :

In what can be termed yet another feather in the cap of this illustrious institution, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, has been accorded special heritage status by the University Grants Commisson (UGC). The college, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, has been sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the conservation of valuable articles of historic and archaeological importance.

“We have received a communique in this connection from the UGC. The recognition and financial support would go a long way in preserving several articles of historic significance in the college dating back to the colonial period,” said principal P M Ismail. “Every department in this historic college has something or the other, including rare furniture, and they need to be preserved.”

As a start, the college plans to set up a small museum on its campus. Later, steps would be taken to preserve vintage buildings, too. “From the specimens and microscope in the zoology department to various other articles and documents in other departments, the college is a treasure trove that needs to be preserved for posterity,” said Valsalan A, head of the history department, who took the initiative – along with colleagues Dinesan V, Gireesh Vishnu Namboodiri and Sudheer Kumar P – to obtain UGC aid as part of recommendations in the 12th Plan.

The college, incidentally, also houses the remains of a fort on its campus, which has been described as a redoubt (temporary fortification) in William Logan’s Malabar Manual. This too needs to be protected, Valsalan said. Since there are limitations to use the UGC aid for this purpose, their plan is to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the coming days, he said.

The college was established in 1862 by Edward Brennen, a master attendant at Thalassery port, as a free school in Thalassery town. Later, in 1890, it was elevated to the status of a II-Grade College, and was shifted in 1958 to the new building at Dharmadam. In 2011, the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with A-grade.

Now, with this rare accomplishment, the college plans to organize a year-long 125th anniversary celebration, which would be finalized later, the principal said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / July 04th, 2015

Latex Backpack for Rubber Ryots Bags Top Honours

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Thiruvananthapuram  :

‘Latex Carry Backpack’, designed by students of Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirapally,  was adjudged the best project at the 10th National Innovation Contest- TechTop 2015 that concluded at the Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (MBCET) here on Saturday.

The prize, instituted by Degree Controls, was awarded to Ajin Omanakuttan, Alen Anil, Mintu Elizabeth Shaji and Parameswaran S of Amal Jyothi College of Engineering by Governor P Sathasivam at the valedictory function. The prize comprise cash award of Rs one lakh.

Greeshma Unnikrishnan of IIT Mumbai won the second prize of Rs 50,000 for her project ‘Cost Effective Monitoring System for Intravenous.Infusion’, while the third prize (Rs 30,000) went to MBCET for their project called ‘Upasana: Diagnostic Toolkit for ASHA Workers.’

One of the highlights of TechTop this year was the Junior Innovation Challenge introduced for high school students. Of these, Placid Vidya Vihar School, Kottayam, won the top honors in the category, comprising cash prize of Rs 25,000, for the project ‘Easy Patient Transferring Machine’.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor P Sathasivam noted that entrepreneurship and innovation were crucial for economic growth of the country.

The Latex Carry Backpack, which won the first prize, aims to address a common issue that rubber tappers face when they transfer the milk from the tree to the containers.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / June 28th, 2015