Coimbatore City police's Facebook page a big hit among residents

A resident suggests on the Facebook page of the Coimbatore police that more traffic policemen on night duty should be provided with breath analyzers to check instances of drunk driving. so that unhealthy practice of inhaling air from mouths of others could be stopped.

Another seeks intervention of city police commissioner Amaresh Pujari against policemen who ask for bribes during passport verification.

Barely two weeks after the commissioner started the Facebook page to interact with city residents, over 2,254 persons have already aired their views on various aspects of policing through the forum. On most occasions the commissioner himself responds with solutions, while his subordinates reply to queries in his absence.


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Tamil Nadu Electricity Board employee Balasubramaniyan posted a question on the page as to why all traffic police constables in night round are not provided with breadth analyzers. "On many occasions, I see policemen asking two-wheeler riders to blow to know whether they consumed alcohol or not. It is not good for the health of policemen on traffic duty to inhale the air from the mouths of others," Balasubramaniyan reminds the commissioner. A pleased commissioner assures Balasubramaniyan of immediate measures to rectify it. He also explains the fund constraints that prevent the force from ensuring breath analyzers to all.

Besides, some citizens are also taking the initiative to correct wrong perceptions with regard to functioning of the police. A woman who had recently moved back to India, sought action through the Facebook page against a neighbour who had diverted sewage into her residential compound. However, a visitor to the page clarified that action could be taken against the neighbour only by the city corporation and not the police. The visitor also provided a detailed description of the powers of the city corporation in dealing with such persons.

Among different sections of the city police, the traffic police received some positive reviews from net users. A number of visitors expressed their appreciation for traffic police constables deputed on the dusty Mettupalayam Road. Some of them even recommended face masks for them. But there were complaints about the functioning of police as well. A visitor charged that sought intervention of the commissioner against policemen who seek bribes during verification for issuing passports.

the bribe for giving a positive passport verification report ranged between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500. Many others complained about the refusal of police officers to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers.

There were a few who sought intervention of the commissioner to check usage of mobile phones by policemen on duty at traffic signals. The commissioner owed it to the lack of sufficient walkie-talkies. "Because of the lack of sufficient walkie-talkies, policemen at traffic signals have to contact the network using mobile phones,'' he answered. Speeding of police vehicles also turned into a matter of discussion on the site. City resident Vasanth Chellappa, was clueless on how to lodge a compliant against a person who cheated him to the tune of Rs 38,500. He was provided with steps to lodge a complaint against the swindler. A man who brought up the issue of online fraud mails offering money worth several crores was also directed to file a complaint.

"These steps are extremely useful for those who have never entered a police station. It is a good sign that the city police is lending an ear to our grievances,'' said R Radhakrishnan, who runs an advertisement agency in the city.

Body donation on the rise in Coimbatore

Medical education in the city is all set to get a boost with more residents approaching the Government Medical College here pledging to donate their bodies. Since January this year, 80 city residents have pledged their bodies for research work of MBBS and MD students at the college. This is happening at a time when lack of cadaver is hitting medical education and research in other parts of the country.

In fact, the changing profile of persons coming forward to donate their bodies seems to be an encouraging sign for the medical college authorities, who usually depend on unclaimed bodies from different government hospitals in the district and surroundings. "A majority of the people pledging their bodies includes elderly, who otherwise are considered orthodox and conservative. Now it seems people have started shedding their inhibitions and discarding myths in this regard to come forward for this noble cause," said P Sivaprakasam, Resident Medical Officer of the Medical College.

Till recently, body donation was considered as a taboo in the city like elsewhere. According to Sivaprakasam, those pledging their bodies now come forward from all sections of society, including old as well as young.

It was just on Saturday, parcel company employee S B Jagadeeshwaran (58) and his wife N R Manjuladevi (42), who works as record clerk at Coimbatore District court, had pldged to donate their bodies to the medical college. They found 79th and 80{+t}{+h} position in the list of donors. Body donation is defined as the act of giving ones body after death for medical research and education. It is indeed a noble act that benefits the society at large. Cadavers and donated bodies remain a principal teaching tool for anatomists and medical educators teaching gross anatomy and so the donors are helping medical education to flourish,'' said Sivaprakasam.

"I am very much enthused by the idea. It is quite thrilling to know that my body would help medical students to excel in their chosen field. After all, more number of qualified doctors means more health and betterment for the society,'' said Manjuladevi when TOI sought her reaction. The body is in anyway going to perish within minutes after death. Why not we donate it for the betterment of the society?,'' she sked.

There is a lack of awareness amongst the people about the need to donate cadavers,'' pointed out Jagadeeshwaran, who is involved in co-ordinating blood donation activities in the city and the encouraging of people for eye donation.

According to him, voluntary donation of body is not much different from donation of organs including eyes, kidney, liver, heart or simply blood. The only requirement is a mindset. Decision of an individual to donate his or her body for anatomical reaserach is a vital contribution towards the understanding and advancement of medical science,'' he said.

"It is remarkable that 80 people pledged their bodies this year. Since January, the medical college is in receipt of three bodies of people who were registered earlier," informed Sivaprakasam.

For donating body, people have to follow certain formalities. The most important of all is the consent of their own family members, who have to sign the forms provided by the medical college. The registration can be done only at the medical college and a person can pledge for organ donation by filling up a donor form in the presence of two witnesses. One among the witnesses must be a close relative. The pledge must be prepared in Rs20 stamp paper and get attested by notary public. The medical college, on its part, will give the concerned person an organ donor card bearing a registration number. Any person of any age and background can be a donor. If below 18 years, permission is required from parents or guardian.

During the time of death, there would be verification. Autopsied bodies and decomposed bodies would not be accepted. Body would also be rejected if the death was due to a contagious or communicable disease, suicide or homicide. On getting information of death, the body would be embalmed and handed over to Anatomy department.

Munching Bananas keeps you stress free - A Research study by Avinashlingam Institute

Many ailments these days are said to be caused by the stress of modern living. So here’s an easy and natural way to beat stress: drink 200 ml of lime juice or milk or eat a banana daily for three months. This simple diet is said to bring occupational stress levels down by 40 per cent and boost iron content, especially in women, according to a study. Nutritionists R. Usharani and U.K. Lakshmi from the department of food science and nutrition, Avinashlingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, in their presentation at the city-based National Institute of Nutrition, claimed that a person with occupational stress index score of 230, could reduce the score by 99.9 points by drinking 200 ml of lime juice daily.

The score will come down by 73 points if the person takes 200 ml of milk daily, and will be down by 98 points if she eats a banana a day. The researchers selected four groups of women employed in an industry, whose occupational stress index was measured at 230. The group that had the lime juice gained the maximum benefit, followed by those who ate banana. Those who consumed milk daily too successfully lowered their stress levels, but to a lesser extent. This diet was given to the groups for 90 days and at the end, those who did not consume any of these three foods were found to have elevated stress levels. For those who were on the diet, their haemoglobin content increased.

“Haemoglobin levels of all the groups that had taken milk, lime juice or banana, had increased. In case of lime juice, the increase in iron content in the blood was 1.3 grams per decilitre. The figures for those who had milk and banana were one gram and 1.1 gram per decilitre respectively. Those who did not have any of these foods showed a significant reduction in their haemoglobin levels,” the team said.Many ailments these days are said to be caused by the stress of modern living. So here’s an easy and natural way to beat stress: drink 200 ml of lime juice or milk or eat a banana daily for three months. This simple diet is said to bring occupational stress levels down by 40 per cent and boost iron content, especially in women, according to a study. Nutritionists R. Usharani and U.K. Lakshmi from the department of food science and nutrition, Avinashlingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, in their presentation at the city-based National Institute of Nutrition, claimed that a person with occupational stress index score of 230, could reduce the score by 99.9 points by drinking 200 ml of lime juice daily.

The score will come down by 73 points if the person takes 200 ml of milk daily, and will be down by 98 points if she eats a banana a day. The researchers selected four groups of women employed in an industry, whose occupational stress index was measured at 230. The group that had the lime juice gained the maximum benefit, followed by those who ate banana. Those who consumed milk daily too successfully lowered their stress levels, but to a lesser extent. This diet was given to the groups for 90 days and at the end, those who did not consume any of these three foods were found to have elevated stress levels. For those who were on the diet, their haemoglobin content increased.

“Haemoglobin levels of all the groups that had taken milk, lime juice or banana, had increased. In case of lime juice, the increase in iron content in the blood was 1.3 grams per decilitre. The figures for those who had milk and banana were one gram and 1.1 gram per decilitre respectively. Those who did not have any of these foods showed a significant reduction in their haemoglobin levels,” the team said.

US focusing to invest in Coimbatore SME, 3rd largest investment in India!!

Coimbatore and U.S. businesses can work together in several areas and this will help the industries here achieve their ambitious development goals, Jennifer McIntyre, U.S. Consul General in Chennai, said here on Friday.

Addressing Coimbatore industrialists at a meeting organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, she said that U.S. companies would be able to partner with Indian high-technology companies to build high-speed infrastructure.

Bilateral trade and U.S. investments in India had grown manifold. In order to achieve and realise the next level of relationship, the two countries should build on several natural platforms, such as human development, and in the fields of education, women empowerment, and health where Coimbatore was making impressive strides. People-to-people connections would help build mutual understanding and trust.

In the coming years, cities such as Coimbatore would play a key role in increasing commercial and transit linkages throughout South Asia. The U.S. was committed to expanding bilateral economic ties with India.

It was the third largest foreign direct investor in India, with substantial investments in computer software and hardware, telecommunications, housing and real estate and construction. In 2010, the U.S. provided over 27 billion dollars of FDI.

Through a U.S. – India initiative called the economic and financial partnership, the U.S. government was working with India to develop financial instruments and public-private partnership models to mobilise the significant private capital needed to build the India of tomorrow.

On the bilateral trade, exports from the U.S. to India had quadrupled over this period, while Indian exports to the U.S. has grown by over 180 per cent. However, despite the increase in bilateral trade, India was only the 12th largest trading partner for the U.S. “Given the size of our respective economies, we must do better. Both of our markets have enormous untapped potential,” she said.

James Golsen, Principal Commercial Officer, US Consulate General, Chennai, said the Consulate worked with Indian businesses on several areas. It provided basic introductions, especially for the small and medium scale units, and organised Indian delegations to the trade shows in the U.S.

It also arranges trade finance. Trade between India and the U.S. was growing dramatically. Several multinational companies were already present here and now the U.S. small and medium-scale enterprises should come here, he said.

Coimbatore man applies for patent to 20 varieties of idli. Yes "Idli"!!

If variety is the spice of life, then nobody other than Kovai Iniyavan of Coimbatore has truly lived upto the adage.

A 38-year-old school drop out from Coimbatore, Kovai has not only developed scores of varieties of idlis, but has also applied for patents for 20 types of the popular south Indian dish.

The caterer has applied for patent and Intellectual Property Rights for these idlis claiming all the recipes were exclusively developed by him. His menu card boasts of 200 types of idlies comprising apple, orange, tomato, pizza , pudina, curry, honey, etc varieties.

“They differ in taste, shape and smell. He makes idlis with various kinds of fruits, vegetables and spices,” said Gnanavel Murugan, a foodie from Chennai.

Kovai learnt the art of idli making from Chandra, a widow in Coimbatore whom he helped in transporting the idlis she made to hotels.

“Later I started helping her in idli making and she taught me how to prepare soft and tasty idlies. It was a new experience and she shared all knowledge with me,” he said.

Idly is the simplest and safest of all foods, says Kovian.

“But one has to be careful while preparing the batter. Housewives grind rice and lentils and leave it overnight for fermentation. That is not the correct method,” said Iniyavan.

Though he grinds the rice the previous day, the lentil is ground only three or four hours before the idly is steamed.

“The rice and lentil are mixed just two hours before preparing the idli,” he said.

Kovian asks housewives to use aluminum vessels to steam idly. “Pour the batter only after the water starts boiling and use only two layers at the same time,” he said.

On the anvil are idlis made of tender coconut, carrot, chocolate, pomegranate, coriander, etc. “This will make idly eating a new experience because every day one can think of having a new variety,” he said.

Coimbatore students make it to final round of Google contest

A few students from Coimbatore are eagerly waiting to know if their paintings would make it to the Google's homepage on November 14 to mark Children's Day. They are among the 45 school students who were picked up from among 1.5 lakh participants from across the country.

Four of the finalists from the city shared their excitement on being selected to the final list with The Hindu onThursday. Bhavika Dugar (Std. V), M.R. Lakshana (Std. VII) and Mahak Khemka (Std. VII) of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at R.S. Puram and R. Abhinav (Std. VI) of Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School are the young artists who made it to the final round.

The theme of the ‘Doodle 4 Google' competition was ‘India's gift to the world'. Various features of Indian culture like yoga, ayurveda, mathematical and scientific contributions made by the county, and various Indian art forms seemed to be the recurring themes in the finalists' paintings. Images of Gandhi and Buddha were also chosen by many. Bhavika Dugar's painting featured the cultural heritage and spirituality of India. Bhavika, who has won many prizes in painting competitions, is also a national-level swimming champion.

Mahak Khemka is a budding artist who has won prizes in many painting competitions. Her painting on the theme ‘Unity in diversity' portrays India as a democratic country where people who speak different languages and believe in different religions co-exist.

“I had heard the story about how God balances the planet on his index finger and wanted to portray that. I wanted to highlight how Indian culture is unique in the world,” said Lakshana.

Abhinav said that through images of Buddha and Taj Mahal, contributions in algebra, mountains and birds, he wanted to capture Indian life and the country's significance in the world.

Google had invited entries to the competition on October 15. Students from Standard 1 to XII from 350 schools had participated in the contest. The entries by 45 finalists were left open for public vote from October 24 to November 4. The winners would be declared on November 9 in New Delhi, the organisers said.

According to the organisers, the participants were categorised according to their age into three groups: Group 1 (Classes I to III), Group 2 (Classes IV to VI) and Group 3 (Classes VII to X).

The best entries would be chosen based on artistic merit considering the age, drawing skills and use of colours. Creative representation of the theme and use of Google logo were the other criteria. The supporting statement that explained the vision in the doodle would also be considered, the organisers said on their website.

“Google has sent two air tickets for each finalist to travel to New Delhi to attend the final award ceremony,” said Mahak's mother Minakshi Khemka.

According to the search engine's website, Google's Doodle designer Dennis Hwang would pick up the national winner. The first prize winner would get a technology starter package. His/ her school would be given a technology grant of Rs. 2 lakh, the organisers said. All finalists would receive a Doodle 4 Google certificate and a Google goodie bag, they said.

Is a Theater overcharging for your ticket. Act now!

Taking firm action against a theatre for non-compliance, the district administration has cancelled its license to screen films, after it was discovered they had been selling tickets at a higher price than notified by the government.

District collector M Karunagaran gave orders to cancel the license of Ganga theatre in the city following several petitions and complaints registered by the public about excess fare being collected by the theatre, said S Santhakumar, Regional Divisional Officer.

"I personally got many calls from the people, besides the petition filed by them to the district administration. Based on these complains we visited the theatre and checked the situation and found that the theatre was indeed selling the tickets at a higher price," he said.

The team also cross checked with the public who purchased tickets and found that a Rs 10 ticket was sold for Rs 20 and a Rs 25 ticket for Rs 40. Since the theatre fell under category C, the theatre had no right to sell tickets at a higher price. He said the C Form license was cancelled based on section 9 of the Tamil Nadu Cinema Regulation Act and this would deny the theatre any rights to play movies in the theatre.

It is not uncommon for a theatre to sell tickets at a higher cost than what has been approved, said Suresh Kumar, high court advocate, who has filed cases in the court against theatres for not providing bills for eateries, lack of hygiene and others issues.

He said that the failure of the government to be firm with theatres has encouraged them to fleece the public.
"Besides selling tickets in the black market, theatres also charge more than the actual rate printed on the ticket, especially during the release of a new movie, as people are willing to pay any amount to view the film," he added. There are many people who are forced to avoid theatres due to the exorbitant prices. Stringent action by the Coimbatore district administration against such theatres is a welcome step and similar steps should be taken in other places as well, Suresh Kumar said.

He further said that the administration should also look into other aspects like the facilities provided in these theatre. Many theatres do not have emergency exit, or proper billing system for eateries and unhygienic toilets, he added.

"Though this is just the beginning, we hope the administration will continue to identify such fraudulent theatres to curb extortion," said S Prem Kumar, a resident of R S Puram, adding that eateries in movie houses also charged high prices for their products.

When TOI contacted officials of Ganga theatre, they were not available for comment.
Source: TOI

What will you do if you sight a snake in the City?

What should a person do when they sight a snake? Who should they turn to for help? These questions remain unanswered as there is no system in place to handle such a situation. It was evident on Friday too when a snake appeared on a busy stretch holding up the traffic for more than an hour

The city has no official snake handlers and the people are left at the mercy of private snake charmers who try to make a fortune out of every rescue call. Depending on the size and specie of the snake, charmers charge anything between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 10,000. Even authorities at the Coimbatore Corporation's Zoo have to rely on private snake charmers in case of emergencies.

District Forest Officer V. Thirunavukkarasu said Sadiq from the Nilgiris, a snake handler who has the expertise of even catching King Cobras has come forward to offer training in snake handling to field staff of the Forest Department.

The training programme will be held in November. The objective is to have 30 to 40 professional snake handlers available in all the six ranges of the Forest Department. At present, the department was making use of the services of five trained volunteers who are part of nature conservation groups and NGOs.

He said people can call the District Forest Office at 0422-2456911 when they sight a snake.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department had fire and rescue men who were trained in handling snakes. At present, Coimbatore has four firemen with skills in handling snakes. People can call fire control room at 101. Though Firemen used to be trained at State Fire Service Headquarters in snake handling, it is not being done in the last couple of years, it is reliably learnt.

IBM deputes its experts for social initiatives in Coimbatore

Saken Kulkarni is a US citizen of Indian origin. He has been working with IBM Global Business Services for the last three years as a business consultant and helping corporates win business across the world. But on Wednesday, he under took another mission. The young expert will help city based NGO Siruthuli in its ongoing mission to rejuvenate Valankulam tank in the city, which is contaminated and encroached upon.

''I will use my skills as a business consultant to ensure resources for Siruthuli in cleaning up the lake. Water hyacinths have to be removed and the quality of the water will have to be improved, said Kulkarni.

Benjamin Vera Tudela is a US citizen, who has been with IBM for 12 years. A computer science graduate, he has been working in the fields of education and training. For the next six months, he will train teachers of seven rural schools run by Isha Foundation of Coimbatore. ''Rural schools are meant for poor. Training the teachers of such schools means imparting better education to the poor but bright students. This is an opportunity for me to help the economically backward people, he said.

Sverre Sveum Moen is a project manager for IBM and an expert in knowledge management. He too has devoted himself to social, joining city-based Sankara Eye Care Institution. He will work there for six months. He will help the eye care centre which provides free services to the poor, to streamline their systems.

Kulkarni, Tudela and Moen have been deputed by IBM as part of its Corporate Service Corps (CSC) for the benefit of Coimbatore. Seven other top employees of the company are also serving different social service firms in the city for the next six months.

''The initiative is not confined to Coimbatore alone. Another 10 skilled professionals will join various organizations in Chennai next week. A 10 member group is already working with NGOs in Jaipur,aa said Mamta Sharma, corporate citizenship and community affairs manager of IBMas South Asia division.

Over 140 IBM staff from outside India will come here this year to work with grassroots organizations. Meanwhile 200 Indian staff members of IBM will go to other countries this year to serve people there, she added. The company is attempting to get involved with local communities on issues including entrepreneurship, transportation, environment, education, citizen services, health care and disaster recovery.

American Nobel Price winner joins Coimbatore varsity

Nobel Laureate Leland H. Hartwell, currently president and director Emeritus at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, USA, has joined the Amrita School of Engineering and School of Biotechnology of Amrita University at Coimbatore as Distinguished Adjunct Faculty. Announcing this Dr.Venkat Rangan, vice -chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham said in a statement on Tuesday that this is the first time a Nobel Laureate has joined as a faculty of any university in India. Dr. Hartwell won the Nobel Prize in 2001 for his research in genetic studies of cell growth and regulation.