Art – Page 127 – Take off with Natarajan

This Collector Has 1 Lakh Followers on Facebook. And He Interacts with Them Everyday…

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Prasanth Nair, the Kozhikode District Collector, is well known for his active presence on social media. With more than one lakh followers on Facebook, this government official makes sure that residents get a chance to interact with him whenever they want. He also conducts many campaigns to solve various local issues.

“Thank you 1,00,000 compassionate hearts,” says the cover image of a Facebook page called ‘Collector, Kozhikode‘. It is page which is personally handled by Prashanth Nair, the collector who heads the Kozhikode district administration in Kerala.

He has more than one lakh followers, and the page is full of recent updates, and numerous interactions.

Source: Facebook

It is one of the very few social media pages of government officials where all the comments are answered. Issues are discussed here, campaigns are conducted and a lot of activity keeps taking place almost every day.

In spite of being criticized several times by politicians for his highly visible presence on social media, this government official has no plans to stop. He represents those administrators who want to reach out and remain connected with as many people as possible in this digitised world.

The page helps him solve many problems for the people of Kozhikode as well. It is full of photographs of campaigns asking people to take action in many different ways. One will also find people writing about their complaints and the issues they face in their residential areas. And the best part is that all queries, suggestions and comments are answered without fail, by Prashanth.

One of the very famous campaigns on his page is called ‘Operation Sulaimani’, which was started with the aim of addressing the issue of hunger in urban areas.

Through this project, he offers Sulaimani Coupons to people in the city who cannot afford a meal for various reasons. This could be anyone, people who are poor, or a traveller who suddenly finds that he/she does not have the required money to buy food instantly. These coupons are taken into consideration by a large number of restaurants in the city and are distributed at outlets run by student volunteers, at shops and government offices, and taluk and village offices. The restaurants which offer food in return for a coupon, get the equivalent money reimbursed from an account maintained by the campaign implementing agency.

He also conducted an online campaign to improve the facilities of Kuthiravattom mental hospital. Other than that, ‘Project 4N’ was an initiative started by him to fix potholes on roads. Then there was a campaign against urinating in public places – the ‘Trimoothri Photo Contest’, where he asked people to send in photographs of people seen urinating. All these campaigns got wide traction on the page.

But all of this has not been easy for the officer. Recently, Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president K.C. Abu, complained that the collector is spending a lot of time on social media and does not have time to receive phone calls. But Prashant simply says that he on Facebook to talk to the citizens and solve their. He believes that social media platforms are additional places to interact with citizens as much as possible.

“The people are out there in social media, so we need to be there. It’s as simple as that. Pasting notices on the notice boards of the village office is no longer the way to reach out to the public. Social media as a platform makes administration more transparent, seamless, fast, publicly accountable, and ‘informal’,” he told The Indian Express.

Source……..Tanaya Singh…www.the better india.com

Natarajan

Image of the Day…” Upside-down Rainbow…”

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Brief, beautiful circumzenithal arc

Circumzenithal arcs are sometimes referred to as “upside-down rainbows” or “a smile in the sky.”

Amanda Cross in Lancashire, UK, submitted these photos to EarthSky. They show the beautiful sky phenomenon known as a circumzenithal arc. Amanda wrote:

Sun halo spotted on the school run, dashed home for camera then the circumzenithal arc appeared above, smiling. Worth dashing home for! Smiling in the sky, upside down rainbow 🙂

Only lasted 10 minutes then it was gone, brief but beautiful.

Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics says of these graceful and colorful arcs:

The circumzenithal arc, CZA, is the most beautiful of all the halos. The first sighting is always a surprise, an ethereal rainbow fled from its watery origins and wrapped improbably about the zenith …

Look straight up near to the zenith [overhead point in your sky] when the sun if fairly low and especially if sundogs are visible. The center of the bow always sunwards and red is on the outside.

Les says that the most ideal time to see a circumzenithal arc is when the sun is at a height of 22 degrees in the sky. Look here to see Les Cowley’s illustration of the various kinds of halo phenomena, related to circumzenithal arcs.

Bottom line: Photo from September, 2015 – Lancashire, UK – of a circumzenithal arc. They’re sometimes called upside-down rainbows, or “a smile in the sky.”

Source…..www.earthskynews.org

Natarajan

The Origin of the Term ” Conman ” ….!!!

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The Original “Conman”

“Have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?”

With these 13 words politely expressed, as often as not William Thompson would acquire another watch. Of course, Thompson wasn’t even close to the first to run such a daringly simple scheme, but his bold method of gaining his mark’s trust led a writer in the June 8, 1849 edition of the New York Herald to pen a piece “Arrest of the Confidence Man,” giving us the first known documented instance of the term “confidence man.”

Within a decade, Herman Melville published his novel The Confidence-Man, which further popularized the phrase. Over time, this has been shortened to the familiar “con man” or “conman” and the derivative “con artist.”

Schemes like Thompson’s have been around for seemingly as long as humans have had assets to swindle, with various names for the scammers popping up over the centuries. As for early-on in the United States, before Thompson, con men were commonly called diddlers, after a character, Jeremy Diddler, from the 1803 play Raising the Wind, by James Kenney.

Analyzed in depth by none other than Edgar Allan Poe in an 1840 essay,Diddling, Considered as One of the Exact Sciences, Poe noted the qualities necessary to succeed at diddling: audacity, minuteness (focusing on the small crime), self-interest, ingenuity, perseverance, impertinence, nonchalance, originality, and a grin.

Having his fair share of each of these, good manners and being well dressed, Thompson was remarkably successful with his scheme… that is, until he was finally caught, as described in the aforementioned 1849 edition of the New York Herald:

“Arrest of the Confidence Man—For the last few months a man has been traveling about the city, known as the “Confidence Man,” that is, he would go up to a perfect stranger in the street, and being a man of genteel appearance, would easily command an interview. Upon this interview he would say after some little conversation, “have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until to-morrow;” the stranger at this novel request, supposing him to be some old acquaintance not at that moment recollected, allows him to take the watch, thus placing “confidence” in the honesty of the stranger, who walks off laughing and the other supposing it to be a joke allows him so to do.

In this way many have been duped, and the last that we recollect was a Mr. Thomas McDonald, of No. 276 Madison street, who, on the 12th of May last, was met by this “Confidence Man” in William Street, who, in the manner as above described, took from him a gold lever watch valued at $110; and yesterday, singularly enough, Mr. McDonald was passing along Liberty street, when who should he meet but the “Confidence Man” who had stolen his watch.

Officer Swayse, of the Third Ward, being near at hand, took the accused into custody on the charge made by Mr. McDonald. The accused at first refused to go with the officer; but after finding the officer determined to take him, he walked along for a short distance, when he showed desperate fight, and it was not until the officer had tied his hands together that he was able to convey him to the police office. On the prisoner being taken before Justice McGrath, he was recognized as an old offender by the name of Wm. Thompson, and is said to be a graduate of the college at Sing Sing.

The magistrate committed him to prison for a further hearing. It will be well for all those persons who have been defrauded by the “Confidence Man” to call at the police court Tombs and take a view of him.”

Bonus Fact:

While Moby Dick is now considered a great classic of literature, in its day, it wasn’t very successful and only earned Herman Melville $556.37, with less than 3000 copies sold over the four decades or so from when it was published to when Melville died.

Source…….www.today i foundout.com

Natarajan

Prayers to Mother Earth….A Teacher of all Time

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Nature is quiet, yet powerful. Nature is proud, yet humble. Nature is complicated, but simple in its actions. Nature is always there, and you cannot avoid it. Our planet is an open book, it’s got nothing to hide from us. There’s actually no limit to what it can teach us about life. Here are some statements of appreciation we ought to give to the best and most important teacher of all time – Earth.

Earth, teach me quiet

– as the grasses are still with new light.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me suffering

– as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me humility

– as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me love and care

– as mothers nurture their young.

Earth, teach me courage

– as the tree that stands alone.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me acceptance

– as the leaves that die each fall.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me renewal

– as the seed that rises in the spring.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, teach me to forget myself

– as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth, nothing and no one can teach me more than you do.

I will always look up to you.

Source..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

” சங்கத்தமிழ் மூன்றும் ஆங்கிலமும் தா …” !!!

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

பிள்ளையார் சுழி!

விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி-செப்டம்பர் 17-09-2015

மகா சுவாமிகளுடன்…

பரணீதரன்

காவ்யம் கரோமி நஹிசாருதரம் கரோமி

யத்னாது கரோமி யதி சாருதரம் கரோமி

பூபால மௌளி மணிமண்டித பாத பீட

ஹே சாகஸாங்கா கவயாமி வயாமி யாமி..!

(பெரியவா சொன்ன கவிதை)

தேனம்பாக்கம் சிவாஸ்தானத்தில் ஒரு மாலை நேரம். ஸ்ரீகாஞ்சி மகாசுவாமிகளுக்கு வந்தனம் செய்துவிட்டு எழுந்து நின்று, கருணைமுகில் அருள்மழை பொழியக் காத்திருந்தேன்.

”ரமண மகரிஷியைப் பத்தி உலகம் பூராவும் தெரிஞ்சுண்டது. பால் பிரண்டன் அவரைப் பத்தி விவரமா எழுதுனதுக்கு அப்புறம்தான்… தெரியுமோ?”

”மகரிஷியைத் தரிசனம் பண்ணிட்டுத்தான் கப்பல் ஏறணும்னு பால் பிராண்டனைக் கட்டாயப்படுத்தினது பெரியவாதானே…”

”அது இருக்கட்டும்… என்ன சொல்ல வந்தேன்னா, பால் பிரண்டன் ரமணரைப் பார்த்துப் பேசின அனுபவங்களை எல்லாம் இங்கிலீஷ்லே எழுதுனதுக்கு அப்புறம்தானே உலகம் தெரிஞ்சுண்டது. அதுக்கப்புறம்தானே அங்கேயிருந்து நிறையப் பேர் ரமணாச்ரமத்துக்கு வந்து தங்க ஆரம்பிச்சா. அவாளும் நிறைய எழுதினா. அதுமாதிரி நம்ம சேஷாத்ரி சுவாமிகளைப் பத்தியும் இங்கிலீஷிலே எழுதினா அங்கே இருக்கிறவாளெல்லாம்கூட தெரிஞ்சுப்பாளேனு எனக்குத் தோண்றது”.

”பெரியவா அனுக்கிரகம் பண்ணினா நான் முயற்சி பண்றேனே”.

”நீ இங்கிலீஷ் என்ன படிச்சிருக்கே?”

”அதிகமா ஒண்ணும் படிச்சதில்லே. ஆனா, இங்கிலீஷ் மேலே எனக்கு ரொம்ப ஆசை. காலேஜ்லே இருந்தப்ப நிறையப் படிப்பேன்..”

”காலேஜ்லே என்ன படிச்சே?”

”பி.காம்”

”மெயின் சப்ஜெக்ட் இல்லை. Non-detail ஸ்டடிதான். ஆனா, லைப்ரரிலேருந்து நிறையப் புத்தகங்கள் எடுத்துண்டு போய்ப் படிப்பேன். அப்போலேருந்தே இங்கிலீஷ்ல எழுதணும்… பேசணும்னு எனக்கு ரொம்ப ஆர்வம் உண்டு!”

சற்று நேரம் எதையோ யோசிப்பதுபோல் மகா சுவாமிகள் மௌனமாயிருந்தார். நான் காத்திருந்தேன்.

பெரியவா பேசத் தொடங்கினார்: ”ஒரு கதை சொல்றேன். கேளு. போஜராஜானு கேள்விpபட்டிருக்கியோ?”

”கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்கேன்”

”அவனோட ராஜசபையில் பெரிய பெரிய கவிகள்லாம் இருந்தா. அந்த ராஜ்யத்தில் கவிதா ரசனை இல்லாதவாளே கிடையாதுனு சொல்லுவா… ஒரு நாள் ராஜா, மந்திரியைக் கூப்பிட்டு, ‘நம்ம ராஜ்யத்தில் கவிதை பண்ணத் தெரியாதவன் யாராவது இருக்காளானு விசாரிச்சுப்பாரு.. அப்படி ஒருத்தன் இருந்தான்னா அவனை அழைச்சிண்டு வா!’னு சொன்னார். ‘சரி’னு மந்திரியும் ஊர் ஊரா போய்த் தேடிப் பார்த்துட்டு, ‘கவிதை பாடத் தெரியாதவனே இல்லை. ஒரே ஒரு ஏழை நெசவாளி மட்டும், ‘கவிதை எழுத எனக்குத் தெரியாது. ஆனால் எழுதணுங்கற ஆசை இருக்கு!’னு சொன்னான். ‘இதுவரைக்கும் நீ கவிதை ஒண்ணும் எழுதினது இல்லியே?’னு நிச்சயம் பண்ணிண்டு இதோ அழைச்சுண்டு வந்திருக்கேன்’னான்.

போஜராஜா நெசவாளியைப் பார்த்து, ‘நம்ம ராஜ்யத்தில் எல்லாரும் கவி பாடுவாளே.. உனக்குப் பாடத் தெரியாதுன்னு சொன்னியாமே?’ என்று கேட்டார். ஒண்ணும் தெரியாதவன்கூட போஜராஜாவைப் பார்த்தான்னா அவன் மனசுலே கவி பொங்குமாம். ராஜா இப்படிக் கேட்டதும் அந்த நெசவாளி, ‘கவிதை பண்றேன். ஆனா அர்த்தத்தோட அழகாப் பாடத் தெரியாது!’னு முதல் வரிலே சொன்னான். ரெண்டாவது அடியிலே, ‘கொஞ்சம் முயற்சி பண்ணினா நன்னாவே பாடிடுவேன்’னு சொல்லிட்டு, மூணாவது அடிலே மளமளனு அமர்க்களமா ராஜாவைப் புகழ ஆரம்பிச்சுட்டான். என்ன சொன்னான் தெரியுமா, ‘மத்த ராஜாக்களெல்லாம் உன் பாதங்கள்ல விழுந்து வணங்கறப்போ, அவர் கிரீடங்கள்ல இருக்கிற ரத்தினங்களோட சிவப்பு நிறம், உன் பாதங்கள்ல பட்டு அந்தப் பீடமே சிவந்து போற மாதிரி இருக்கு’னு அழகா வர்ணிச்சுட்டான்!

நாலாவது அடிலே, ‘நான் கவி பண்றேன், நெசவு செய்யறேன், போயிட்டு வரேன்’னு கவிதை நயத்தோடு சொன்னபடியே புறப்பட்டுப் போயிட்டான்” என்று சொன்ன பெரியவா, ”நீயும் போயிட்டு வா!” என்று எனக்கு ஆசி வழங்கி அனுப்பி வைத்தார்.

பெரியவா சொன்ன கவிதை இதுதான்…

காவ்யம் கரோமி நஹிசாருதரம் கரோமி

யத்னாது கரோமி யதி சாருதரம் கரோமி

பூபால மௌளி மணிமண்டித பாத பீட

ஹே சாகஸாங்கா கவயாமி வயாமி யாமி..!

ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதுவதற்கு குரு எனக்கு ஆசி வழங்கிவிட்டார். குருவருள் பரிணமிக்க, தெய்வத்துணை வேண்டுமல்லவா? அடுத்து விநாயகரிடம் விண்ணப்பித்துக் கொண்டேன்.

அதன் பின்னணியைக் கூற வேண்டுமல்லவா? சின்ன வயதிலிருந்தே என்னுள் ஒரு நெருடல், ‘ஒளவைப் பாட்டி, விநாயகரிடம், பாலும் தெளிதேனும் பாகும் பருப்பும் இவை நாலும் கலந்து உனக்கு நான் தருவேன். நீ எனக்கு சங்கத் தமிழ் மூன்றும் தா’ என்று கேட்டது என்ன கணக்கு? நான்கைக் கொடுத்துவிட்டு பதிலுக்கு மூன்றைக் கேட்பானேன்? நான்குக்கு ஈடாக நான்கைக் கேட்டிருக்கலாமே?’ என்று என் சின்ன புத்திக்குத் தோன்றியது.

அது போகட்டும்… வயது ஆக ஆக என்னுள் வேறொரு சந்தேகம் முளைக்கத் தொடங்கியது. ‘சங்கத் தமிழ் மூன்றும் தா’ என்றால் என்ன? இயல், இசை, நாடகத் தமிழா அல்லது மூன்று தமிழ்ச் சங்கங்கள் வளர்த்த தமிழா?

இது ஒருபுறம் இருக்கட்டும், ”நான்கைக் கொடுத்து மூன்றைக் கேட்ட ‘பழைய நெருடல் கணக்குக்கே வருகிறேன். ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுத காஞ்சி மகானிடம் ஆசி பெற்ற பிறகும் நூல் எழுத என் ஆங்கில அறிவு போதும் என்ற நம்பிக்கை பிறக்கவில்லை. தும்பிக்கையானிடம் சரணடைந்தேன். ஒளவைப் பாட்டியைப் போலவே தா’ எனக் கேட்டுவிட முடிவு செய்தேன். கூடவே, அதை எப்படிக் கேட்பது என்ற பிரச்னை எழுந்தது.

ஒளவைப் பாட்டி நான்கைக் கொடுத்து மூன்றைக் கேட்ட கணக்கு சிறு வயதிலிருந்தே என் மனதை உறுத்தி வந்ததால் நான்குக்கு நான்கையே கேட்டு கணக்கைச் சீர் செய்துவிடுவது என்று நான் முடிவு செய்தேன். எனவே,

‘பாலும் தெளிதேனும் பாகும் பருப்பும் இவை

நாலும் கலந்துனக்கு நான் தருவேன்- கோலம் செய்

துங்கக் கரிமுகத்துத்தூமணியே நீ எனக்கு

சங்கத் தமிழ் மூன்றும் ஆங்கிலமும் தா’

என்று செய்யுளை மாற்றியமைத்துக் கொண்டேன் (ஒளவைப் பாட்டி மன்னிப்பாராக).

இந்த அத்துமீறலுக்கு என்னை நானே சமாதானப்படுத்திக் கொண்டேன். ஆண்டவனைப் பொறுத்தவரை மொழித் தகராறு இருக்க முடியாது; அது நமக்குள்தான். உண்மையான பக்தன். எந்த மொழியில் வேண்டிக் கொண்டாலும் அவன் உள்ளம் பகவானுக்குப் புரியும். அளிக்க வேண்டியதை அளித்து ஆட்கொள்வார்.

ஒரு நாள் பிள்ளையார் சுழி போட்டுவிட்டு தைரியமாக எழுதத் தொடங்கினேன். ஸ்ரீசேஷாத்ரி சுவாமிகளைப் பற்றி எழுதுவதற்கு ஜகத்குருவிடம் ஆசி கோரினேன். அதற்கான ஆங்கில அறிவை அருளுமாறு ஆனைமுகத்தானிடம் பிரார்த்தித்துக் கொண்டேன்.

ஒரு மகானைப் பற்றி எழுதத் தொடங்கினேன். ஆறுமுகனுக்கு மூத்தவர் ஆறாக அருளிவிட்டார். பத்தாண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ‘Six Mystics of India’ என்ற எனது முதல் ஆங்கில நூல் வெளிவந்தது

Source….Expeience of Bharanidharan in http://www.periva.proboards.com

Natarajan

IT hub wakes up to traffic, pollution woes…..

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

10,000 vehicles off the roads; 2 lakh man hours and 1 lakh litres of fuel saved

he IT industry is known for its innovative, time saving, efficient solutions for a wide variety of challenges.

Now it appears that the sector has woken up to another challenge – traffic and environmental pollution that diminishes the quality of life of its employees.

The industry in Hyderabad employs 3.5 lakh and the city is among the top-5 in the country that accounts for $100 billion worth of IT exports.

But it has just realised the pressure it’s exerting on the city traffic and the impact of the additional carbon emissions to the environment.

A survey found that about one lakh man hours are being wasted each day with employees struggling to get to the offices, negotiating tough traffic.

So, as a start, about 11,000 IT employees are now taking public buses on Thursday to get to their offices in the Hi-Tec City-Gachibowli IT Hub of Hyderabad. Thousands of others car-pool, walk or cycle to their offices as part of an initiative by HYSEA, which represents firms that export IT services worth $10 billion.

“About 40,000 litres of fuel is being wasted each day, resulting in 96 tonnes of additional emissions of carbon dioxide. The numbers are staggering considering the small area,” Ramesh Loganathan, President of HYSEA (Hyderabad Software Exporters’ Association), told BusinessLine. And what it achieved over the month is encouraging.

Benefits aplenty

Most companies in the IT corridor reported reduction of up to 20 per cent of cars. Over 10,000 motor vehicles are off the roads each Thursday. The city is free of about 273 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Enthused by the response to the Car-Free-Thursday initiative, the association is now planning to expand the scope.

It is going to ask companies to discourage staff coming in cars on Thursdays. It wants them to introduce parking fee and introduce a system of allowing cars with even or odd numbers.

The association has decided to lend its voice to the World Car Free Day that is slated to happen on September 22.

Hyderabad is among the 1,000 cities across the world that consented to join the movement.

In association with the Cyberabad police, Road Transport Corporation and other stakeholders, the HYSEA has come out with a vision document ‘Re-imagining Transport in Our Cities’.

“The idea is to promote sustainable transport and make Hyderabad a congestion-free and pollution-free smart city,” the document said.

The industry, with the help of the IT department of Telangana, is planning to develop necessary infrastructure to encourage the staff to use cycles.

“To begin with, we are asking hundreds of Car-Free-Thursday initiative volunteers to use cycle at least for a day or two to get to their offices,” Loganathan said.

Source…K.V.Kurmanath …www.thehindubusinessline.com

Natarajan

A Rare Picture of Snubfin Dolphin in Australia…

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

A rare Australian snubfin dolphin taking a leisurely backstroke off Hinchinbrook Island National Park. PICTURE: QUEENSLAND NATIONAL PARKS

RANGERS have spotted a snubfin dolphin frolicking off north Queensland’s Hinchinbrook Island in a small pod, in an extremely rare sighting of the vulnerable species.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Emma Schmidt has been working in the waters off the island for 12 years, but has only encountered the sociable mammals twice.

“They are very rare, so this photo was just pure luck,” Ms Schmidt said.

“We were heading to Sunken Reef Bay and I noticed a pod of about 10 Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and among them was this cute little snubby.

“It was playing and mucking around jumping out of the water and in the photo it looks like it’s smiling.”

Ms Schmidt said while the animals were difficult to find, the Hinchinbrook Channel was a regular snubfin pod hotspot.

“They like the sheltered inshore waters rather than out of the reef.

“They are very shy, but there is one charter operator who regularly sees a pod,” she said.

Snubfin dolphins are Australia’s only endemic dolphin and are at risk of being put on the endangered list. This one was spotted off the coast of Northern Western Australia by the World Wildlife Fund. Pic Deb Thiele/WWF.Source:News Limited

Source….www.news.com.au

Natarajan

Raspberry Pi Kits for School Children in Kerala…..

September 22, 2015September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Children in Kerala will enjoy high quality computer science education as the state government has taken a very useful step to ensure that both government as well as aided schools are able to provide better computer science education to the students. This, they are doing with the help of advanced technology like the Raspberry Pi kits for children. Here’s more.

The Kerala government has launched two school-projects with the aim of teaching basic computer science to students in a better manner.

These are the ‘Learn to Code’ project, which is in the second phase of execution, and the ‘Electronics@School’ project which was launched this Saturday.

Photo Credit: Esme Vos/Flickr

The ‘Learn to Code‘ project was launched in February by the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. In the pilot phase of the project, 2,500 selected students of class eight were given Raspberry Pi kits and were trained in programming by IT experts.

The Raspberry Pi is a computer developed by an UK-based firm to help in the teaching basic computer science at schools.

It is a low cost, credit card sized computer, which gets plugged into a display unit (like a monitor or TV), and uses a simple keyboard and mouse for operation.

Photo Credit: Clive Darra/Flickr

It performs the basic functions of a desktop and can be used for things like word processing, playing games and watching videos. It can also be used for internet surfing besides helping children learn programming in languages like Scratch and Python. Each kit costs Rs. 4,324 and includes a Raspberry Pi B+ board, enclosure, 8GB SD card, HDMI cable, HDMI-to-VGA cable, USB keyboard and USB mouse.

The project is being implemented by the Technopark Technology Business Incubator (TTBI) in association with Kerala’s IT@School project, and Kochi-based mobile internet technology incubator Startup Village. The complete project aims to distribute 10,000 kits to selected students annually, and that will be followed by training and mentorship sessions.

“We require skilled employees for India to become a manufacturing powerhouse, who can build products for industries such as electronics and ICT. To build these products, we need excellent coders and they are the key to building startups which will turn into billion dollar companies,” IT Principal Secretary P.H. Kurian said.

During the inauguration of the ‘Electronics@School’ project, the Chief Minister said that 10,000 students will be selected on the basis of merit and they will get the Raspberry Pi kits. Other than that, the government will take steps to provide these kits to every government and aided school to help in common coding practice. The second phase of the project was flagged off with the distribution of these kits to 7,500 schoolchildren.

Under Electronics@School project, kits for hands-on training in basic electronics will be provided to selected children. The kit is based on the simple concept of puzzle solving that helps students understand electronics through a trial and error method. Thus, children can make simple electronic items.

“This year government will distribute 6,000 Electronics kit to various Schools across the State. The Electronics Kit is aligned with the Physics curriculum of classes 9 and 10”, said state Minister for IT and Industries P K Kunhalikkutty.

A coding competition was also conducted in the first stage of the ‘Learn to Code’ project; the awards for which was given during the inauguration. The Education Minister PK Abdu Rabb also said that both the ‘Learn to Code’ and ‘Electronics@School’ projects would be made part of the curriculum.

The Raspberry Pi kit distribution is the first such project in India and currently the only state-sponsored programme of its kind in the world.

Source…..Tanaya Singh…..www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

How 32 Youth Groups Are Fighting Hunger in Rural West Bengal …….

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Kshama Mondal, 19, of Housibad village, which falls under Jhunjka gram panchayat in Chhatna block of Bankura district, West Bengal, enjoys learning new facts related to the food and nutritional needs of her people and then putting this important information to practice. From being an active participant in the nutrition camps that are organised regularly in her village, Kshama has moved on to encouraging others. As a member of the Hosibad Naba Tarun Taruni Dal, a youth group in her village, she is involved in creating awareness on nutrition, health, education and development. Encouraging this process are the activists of the Kolkata-based non-government organisation, Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC).

Currently, 32 youth groups, comprising 10-15 members, have been set up in Ghosher and Jhunjka gram panchayats, covering 32 villages of Chhatna block. Over 50 per cent of the members are girls like Kshama. –

$Youngsters in 32 villages of Ghoshergram and Jhunjkagram panchayats in Bankura district of West Bengal have formed groups that spread awareness on issues related to health, education and development. (Credit: DRCSC\WFS)$

Youngsters in 32 villages of Ghoshergram and Jhunjkagram panchayats in Bankura district of West Bengal have formed groups that spread awareness on issues related to health, education and development. (Credit: DRCSC\WFS) Anirban Banerjee of DRCSC, shares, “We partnered with Welthungerhilfe of Germany to implement the Fight Hunger First Initiative (FHFI) in the rural areas of West Bengal. Food security, income security and education security form the focus of this programme. We realized that to ensure sustainable progress in all three areas, it was imperative to involve the youth, which is why we are reaching out to youngsters between 12 and 22 years.”

He believes that not only will young people be able to mobilise and motivate their family and friends but eventually, as adults, they will also be in a position to sustain the movement to ensure a far reaching impact.

One group has been constituted in each village and they have been trained to function independently.

Suryakanta Das of DRCSC’s Education Team, elaborates, “The groups are involved in creating awareness and monitoring Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and mid-day meals. Besides this, they conduct workshops and discussions on nutrition, check on the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and even keep an eye on the workings of the school management committee or the village education committee for the proper implementation of the Right to Education Act.”

Kshama looks forward to being with her group as their joint activities help them form a bond with the community.

$Girl youth club members explain the Infant Young and Child Feeding (IYCF) cards to the pregnant women and lactating mothers in their villages. (Credit: DRCSC\WFS)$

“I like explaining the Infant Young and Child Feeding (IYCF) cards to the pregnant women and lactating mothers. It feels nice to be in a position to help and guide them towards better health,” says the teenager.

Her group even conducts workshops where the nutritional value of different leaves, fruits, grains that are available in the area is explained and the local women taught to cook nutritious meals. “For us young girls these are important learnings for life,” she smiles.

Another way in which the youth groups put forth their messages is through street plays.

“We write and stage the street plays on themes like basic hygiene, hand-washing, healthy diet and good food habits. We also emphasise the importance of taking children for timely check-ups to the primary health centre,” elaborates Amita Roy, 15, of the Bortor Ashar Alo group from Bortor village under Ghosher gram panchayat.

Commemorative occasions like World Water Day, World Climate Day, World Health Day, Global Family Day, Earth Day, and so on, are observed in Bortor village with rallies and plays. The youngsters now even act as the bridge between the school and the community, calling for meetings between parents and the school management or village education committees so that the local community’s Right to Education is realised.

However, it is their green fingers that are truly inspiring. Ten groups have created gardens on the premises of 11 primary schools as well as two ICDS centres, all of them managed and maintained by the enthusiastic members themselves.

To get to know the local topography better, the groups draw up a village profile map, clearly demarcating the agricultural land, fallow land, ponds, rivers, forest, and so on.

$Ten youth clubs in the region have created gardens on the premises of 11 primary schools as well as two ICDS centres, all of them managed by the young members. (Credit: DRCSC\WFS)$

“While its mostly the boys who participate in this activity, there are some girls too who take part, especially those interested in mapping, topography, resource management,” remarks Sarla Tudu, 16, of Dharam Mandoya group from the tribal village of Kendua under Jhunjka gram panchayat.

At the Siuli Pahari Primary school, a wonderful green patch is being cared for by the Siuli Pahari Nabajiban Dal.

Kakoli Mal, 13, a group member and a secondary school student, elaborates, “We have pitched in to create this school garden, utilising whatever area was available for the purpose. The students help us out by watering the plants or doing the weeding, but the hard work of planting and manuring is done by us. We have planted a variety of vegetables, tubers, leafy vegetables and this produce is used to prepare healthier mid-day meals.”

Those involved in managing the school gardens hold weekly classes on natural resource management and talk to students about their local environment and the ecology as well. The merit of using organic fertilisers, such as vermi-compost or compost and liquid manure, is widely known these days.

“For the youth, participating in such group initiatives has many advantages. It provides practical learnings related to environmental education, which is a part of their syllabus in school. Apart from this it prepares the ground for them to become eligible for the work-for-pay schemes of the panchayat, like doing surveys, once they turn 18. Many of the youth in the 18-22 age group, who are part of the initiative, have become vocal participants in the gram sabha meetings and have the potential to be community leaders. They have realised that knowledge is power,” observes Das.

One successful youth leader who has emerged through this intervention is Laltu Gorai, 21, who has been elected the Upa-Panchayat Pradhan of Benagoria village that falls under the Ghosher gram panchayat. Laltu has been able to better facilitate the implementation of schemes like the MGNREGA because of his broader awareness and community experience thanks to the experience he gained during his work for the local youth group.

There have been numerous multiplier effects of this intervention. Currently, youngsters from within the community are motivated to come forward and work together to bring about positive changes in their lives – be it related to their health, education or employment. The trust factor is high and the bonding strong, which only brightens the chances of this transformation being sustained in the coming years, too.

Written by Ajitha Menon for Women’s Feature Service (WFS) and republished here in arrangement with WFS. – in http://www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

Image of the Day….Best Seat in the World…!!!

September 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The central bugle of our Milky Way galaxy shines brightly above the vast ocean of lights of Yaqing Temple in China.

View larger. | Jeff Dai submitted this photo of the Yaqing Temple, Sichuan, China. He calls it ‘Lights or Stars.’ Visit his Flickr page.

Jeff Dai submitted this photo to EarthSky – taken September 9, 2015 – and wrote:

Lights or Stars? Today most city skies have become virtually empty of stars. But there is someplace beyond your imagination. Pictured above, the central bugle of our Milky Way galaxy shines brightly above the vast ocean of lights of Yaqing Temple. Located at Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province of China, Yaqing temple lies in an isolated valley with 4,000 meters above sea level. The monastery is associated with the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. With more than 30,000 Sangha members now, it’s the largest concentration of nuns and monks in the world.

This is a single exposure image, No photo montage, additional filter and black card.

Read more about the Yaqing Temple and Monastery

Posted by Deborah Byrd …www.eathskynews.org

Natarajan