Holiday today - on account of the Rains

Dear Students,

Today has been declared a holiday on account of the incessant rains. The rescheduled dates will be announced shortly.

Regards,

Rufus

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF..! Excellent Tips for Writing a great Semester Exam:

Dear Students,

The following tips, it is ardently hoped, would help you face your exams with the right attitude of mind and in the proper perspective.

Before the Examination:

1. Get a normal night’s sleep before the examination date.
2. Reach the Exam Centre early and relax or discuss with close friends.
3. BE SELF-RELIANT: Check if you have taken your Hall Ticket, your College ID Card etc along with the required stationery needed for the exam. Do not borrow anything like pens, pencils, eraser etc from anybody in the Examination hall.
4. Check again the time and place of the Examination Centre.
5. On the examination day, leave home early so that you will don’t get caught up in traffic jams / hardships / tight-corners etc., as no student is permitted inside the examination centre 30 minutes after the commencement of the exam.
6. Have a light breakfast too, as energy is essential for good thinking.
7.DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES like mobile phone, jewellery, cash etc outside the EXAMINATION VENUE. It might not be safe at all.

During the Examination:

1. Read the question paper and the instructions thoroughly. Mark the questions which you find you can answer. Ask the invigilator for clarifications, if any.
2. Make a rough time scheme and decide how much time you should allot to each question.
3. Leave 15 minutes at the end to review the answers and make corrections, as needed.
4. Before you start on any particular question, make sure you understand it/interpret it correctly.
5. Answer the easiest and shortest question first.
Answers should be brief and conforming to what is asked in the question.
6. If you get stuck up, proceed to the next question and come back at the end if there is time.
Leave a margin of 3 cm at the left side of the answer sheet, if there is no printed margin.

7. Mark the question numbers clearly in the left margin.
8. Clearly understand the difference between the usages "Define", “Distinguish”, “Compare”, “Describe”, “Illustrate”, etc.
9.ORGANISE YOUR ANSWER SHEET: write legibly; use reasonably large size letters; don’t cram; space the lines. NUMBER ALL YOUR PAGES.
10. Do not write your name or any symbols that reveal your identity, anywhere in the answer sheet.

Morning Session starts at 9.30 am.
Afternoon Session starts at 2 pm.

Finally, be honest, and do your best..! God will take care of the rest..!

Here's wishing you happy writing! All the very best..!

II Year BA / BSc / BCom - Part II English Notes - Reg:

Dear Students,

Notes for your II Year III Semester Part II English have been uploaded in an easy format HERE.

You can download or print them by clicking on the respective buttons found on top of the document.

Regards,

Rufus

I BA English - Grammar Notes - Reg:

Dear Students of I BA English Litt.,
Your Grammar notes have been uploaded HERE
Regards and all best wishes,
Rufus

I MA English - Assignments - Reg..:

Dear Students of I MA English Litt.,

The following are the marks for your assignments as part of your paper - "The History of Language".

Aparna, K - 80

Gladys Lydia - 80

Koil Thangam Addlin - 80

Parvathy Nair - 80

Smitha Susan Zachariah - 80

Allen David Isaiah - 80

Dinesh, A - 80

Roland Rencewigg - 80

Clarifications/Corrections, if any, can be made to me personally/by email/ or by phone on or before Friday, 31 October 2009.

Regards and all best wishes,

Rufus

Ornithological Species of Identical Plumage...

Snapped at the Bird watching session at Nanmangalam, organised by OSLE-India, and coordinated by Hopeland, 'Flora and Fauna Convener' of OSLE-India, on Saturday, 17 October 2009.
If you are an eco-enthusiast and interested more in Bird watching,

contact Mr.Hopeland, Zoology Dept, MCC @ 9940567784

HAPPY DIWALI WISHES..:

Dear Students, loving friends and beloved well-wishers,
This greeting comes to wish you happiness and joy of the season.
May This Diwali be as bright as ever.
May this Diwali bring joy, health and wealth to you.
May the festival of lights brighten up you and your near and dear ones lives.
May this Diwali bring in u the most brightest and choicest happiness and love you have ever Wished for.
May this Diwali bring you the utmost in peace and prosperity.
May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the light that we celebrate at Diwali show us the way and lead us together on the path of peace and social harmony.
"WISH U A VERY HAPPY DIWALI"

Standard Tips for writing a good CIA Test..:

Exams are meant to provide you a with a practical and periodic assessment to check what you have learned and what is missing, and as such it is designed to take the best out of you - your potential - your creative abilities and the way you present them with pen and paper. In short, it is designed to challenge! It's also common knowledge that you will not be able to write as much as you know. So, how to give your best in an exam? Just try some or all of these points below:

1. Begin early: You, dear student, are the central element in your education (no matter who you may be). If this is the night before your exam, what follows may be too late. In future, make every effort to stick with the program. Read the syllabus; attend lecture; keep up with the reading; ask questions. If you need help, ask: See your Professor during Office Hours or before or after class. If you have a disability, inform your instructor early in the semester and make appropriate arrangements well in advance of Exam Day. But in any case, prepare yourself for the exam now. Work on your reading, writing, and study skills. Don't wait for the next exam. Do it now. You are the principal player in your education. Accept your responsibility. Please don't say no one told you.

2. Remember: It takes two to learn and it is likely your professor is not an ogre! A good question from you during class would be welcome. If you have any other kind of problem or concern, discuss it with your instructor before or after class or during office hours. Communicate your concern. In the meantime, do your job. Learn to listen critically, develop skills in taking notes, develop good study habits.

3. Importance of Study Sheets: Have a study sheet always! If you have a study sheet in hand and you have reviewed your lecture notes, the next job is to review them again focusing on what the question asks you to do. To be sure, you will have to write something. But what? First, as a rule, the more intelligent prose you write the better. Quality is always the key. So, think before you write. Good writing is succinct(brief). As a rule it is re-written writing. But you have only one shot with an in-class essay! To be on target aim to be prepared.

4. Going to War: That means getting your thoughts organized in order to write clearly. Your essay should have good organization. As Aristotle suggested: A Beginning; A Middle; An end. If 'The Philosopher' and 'Master of Those Who Know' does not impress you, then recall the standard issue of the United States Army:

i. Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em;
ii. Tell 'em;
iii. Tell 'em what you told 'em.

Writing a CIA Test is the academic equivalent of going to war, well, anyway, defending something worthwhile. Boy Scout or NCC Cadet..! Be Prepared.

5. What to include?: If your thoughts are organized, what do you include in your essay? In general be specific. A good essay has a thesis: It says in simple sinewy prose: I will argue that.... A good essay uses carefully selected examples. Like a good poem or a good piece of science or a good historical argument, memorable essays make a general claim supported by specific examples.

6. Time is short: Because time is short your essay should show economy of expression. Make it lean and to the point. Truth is simple. Writers kid themselves more often than they fool their readers.
Be simple, direct, detailed. With Democritus 'Don't speak at length, speak the truth.' Fifty minutes is short, thirty minutes is twenty minutes shorter. So you must select in advance what you judge worthy of your time.

7. Finally, number all your pages: (they're worth the time spent!). Try not to over-write (especially question numbers!), and always see to it that you make your presentations memorable.

["Show me your answer sheet and i'll tell you who you are!" goes the adage! Indeed, your Answer sheet reflects you!]

Write a good and concise introduction to the essay lasting ½ to 2/3 of the first page. Why is this crucial? Examiners are human (oh yes!) and they will form an impression, willy nilly, of whether yours is a 1st class, second class or a weak answer before they turn from the first page. Your intro, therefore is a chance for you to show that you have all the knowledge and skills they are looking for and the rest of the essay will simply confirm it. Bring the essay to a close neatly but don't write a long and fatuous closing paragraph ("thus it can be seen that...") unless you really do have a number of threads left to tie together.

These skills are not natural and, to a great extent, the hope is that there's nothing like a bit of intensive practice to hone these skills to perfection.
Wish you all the very best!

[Thanks a ton to Prof.Robert Hatch. Well, you're words are a real shot in the arm, Professor!]

Tolerance

Introduction:

In his essay “Tolerance” E.M.Forster talks about the need for a sound state of mind, and a right psychology to reconstruct Europe. Architects, contractors, broadcasting corporations etc must be inspired by the proper spirit in the people for whom they are working. People today are indifferent to civic beauty, and they have no taste at all. According to Forster, until we are concerned and worried about our society, reconstruction of Europe would not become a possibility at all.

Love for Private Life – Tolerance for Public Life:

Most people, when asked what spiritual quality is needed to rebuild civilization, will reply ‘Love.’ But according to Forster, love is a great force in private life; it is indeed the greatest of all things: but love in public affairs does not work. The idea that nations should love one another, or that a man in Portugal should love a man in Peru of whom he has never heard – it is absurd, unreal, dangerous etc. In the rebuilding of civilization, something much less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance. Tolerance is indeed a negative virtue, but this is the sound state of mind which will enable different races and classes and interests to settle down together to the work of reconstruction.

Tolerance is Common Sense:

According to Forster, if you don’t like people, put up with them as well as you can. Don’t try to love them: you can’t, you’ll only strain yourself. But try to tolerate them. On the basis of that tolerance a civilized future may be built. There is no other foundation besides tolerance, for the post-war world.

Moreover, tolerance is very essential for the establishment of peace. It is also common sense, because in the post-war world we shall have to live with all kinds of people – from different races, languages, ethnicities etc.

Conclusion:

To conclude, Forster feels that tolerance is not a great eternally established divine principle, but just a makeshift, suitable and apt for an overcrowded and overheated planet. It carries on when love gives out, and love generally gives out as soon as we move away from our home and our friends. Tolerance is needed in the shop, among strangers, in the queue, in the telephone booth, in the street, in the office, at the factory and above all between classes, races, and nations. It is a dull virtue but still requires imagination, as it helps in empathizing with others, which is a very desirable spiritual exercise too.

I BA English - Grammar and Linguistics - I CIA Marks - Reg:

Dear students of I BA English Litt.,

Your I CIA Marks for the paper "Grammar and Linguistics" have been uploaded on our academic website HERE.

Clarifications and/or corrections, if any, can be made to me directly or via email, at rufusonline@gmail.com on or before Wednesday, 21 October 2009.

Regards,

Rufus

I BSc Pbt/Zoo - II CIA Syllabus for Test..:

Dear Students of I BSc Pbt/Zoo(Reg),
You will be tested on the following four components for your II CIA.

1. Units 1 to 30 of Essential English Grammar

2. Any one essay with internal choice from "English Reader"

3. Any one poem with internal choice from "English Reader"

4. One letter-writing with internal choice.

[PS: Last date for submission of assignments is 14 October 2009.]

Regards and all best wishes, Rufus

I BSc Pbt/Zoo(Reg) Internal Marks - Reg:

Dear Students of Part II English [I BSc Pbt/Zoo],
Your First Internal Assessment Marks for your Part - II English paper have been uploaded on our academic website.

[All the marks are temporarily suspended pending scrutiny and revaluation - 19 October 2009]

For I BSc Pb & Pbt Marks, click HERE

For I BSc Zoo(Reg) Marks, click HERE

As regards your assignment, make sure you submit them on Wednesday, 14 October 2009.

For all your corrections and/or clarifications, if any, you can mail me at rufusonline@gmail.com.

Regards and all best wishes,

Rufus

SHARPEN...!

Time to cut a log with a dull saw - 30 minutes
Time to sharpen the saw - 5 minutes
Time to cut the log with a sharp saw - 10 minutes
You just saved yourself fifteen minutes! You've never cut a log?
How does this apply to you?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Time left until your deadline - 5 hours
Time to Sharpen the Saw, refocus and ready to go - 30 minutes
Time it takes to finish the project when you're refreshed - 4 hours
You just saved yourself thirty minutes.
That's how it applies to you.

Sharpen the saw is about balanced renewal in all four dimensions of human need: physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional. As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. All it takes is desire, knowledge, and skill.

Have a checklist for all the four dimensions.
Mental Checklist:
[Check only the items to which you can truthfully answer Yes.]

- I read books and other publications regularly.
- I keep a journal or some sort of log, or engage in a regular writing process.
- I allow music, silence, or some sort of relaxation exercise to clear my mind on a daily basis.
- I challenge my mind through puzzles, problem solving, or games.
- I have a hobby.
- I continue my education either formally or informally.
- I engage in meaningful dialogue at least once a week.
- I visualize projects and plans so I have the end result in mind to guide the process.
- I have a system to retrieve information when I need it.
- I use a system to plan and organize my time and efforts.

These are only steps towards your personal renewal plan. Now, take some time to think about the following questions.

1. If you could choose five things to do that would nourish your soul, what would they be?
2. What is cluttering your life now?
3. What keeps you awake at night?
4. What are you doing so that your family remembers you?
5. What do you want to do more of?
6. Is there something you've always been curious about? What is it?
7. Is there a hobby or craft you'd like to take up? Which ones?
8. Do you have a quiet, safe place to retreat to?
9. Do you surround yourself with sincerely supportive people?

Indeed, people are living, breathing organisms. You would not leave a plant or animal uncared for over a long period of time. Internal human needs require just as much constant attention as external, physical needs. Try assessing your success and progress now.

If you're really brave, try asking for feedback. Check your progress from the perspective of those with whom you relate.

FOUR EASY WAYS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE:

1. Schedule some downtime every day: Write a journal or take a quiet bath before bed.
2. Leave the TV off at least one night a week: You'll be surprised at the extra time you have. Leaving it off may even become a habit!
3. Don't be a slave to the phone: Keep it far away from you, unless it is on very important business.
4. Have a clean-up bin: Pick up clutter and put it in a sort-through-later bin. A clean room can make your surroundings more peaceful.

[Grateful acknowledgements to: Stephen R.Covey]

KEEP THE CERTAINTY OF REWARD BEFORE YOU

Let no youth have any anxiety about the upshot of his education, whatsoever the line of it may be. If he keeps faithfully busy each hour of the working day, he may safely leave the final result to itself. He can, with perfect certainty, count on waking up some fine morning to find himself one of the competent ones of his generation, in whatsoever pursuit he may have singled out.

- Professor William James

Are you Resolutely Determined???

One time a young man who aspired to study law wrote to Lincoln for advice. Lincoln replied: "If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already... always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing."

Lincoln knew. He had gone through it all. He had never, in his entire life, had more than a total of one year's schooling. And books? Lincoln once said, he had walked and borrowed every book within fifty miles of his home. A log fire was usually kept going all night in the cabin. Sometimes he read by the light of the fire. There were cracks between the logs in the cabin, and Lincoln often kept a book sticking there. As soon as it was light enough to read in the morning, he rolled over on his bed of leaves, rubbed his eyes, pulled out the book and began devouring it.

He walked twenty and thirty miles to hear a speaker and, returning home, he practised his talks everywhere - in the fields, in the woods, before the crowds gathered at Jones' grocery at Gentryville; he joined literary and debating societies in New Salem and Springfield and practised speaking on the topics of the day. He was shy in the presence of women; when he courted Mary Todd he used to sit in the parlour, bashful and silent, unable to find words, listening while she did the talking. Yet that was the man who, by faithful practice and home study, made himself into the speaker who debated with the most accomplished orator of his day, Senator Douglas. This was the man who, at Gettysberg, and again in his second inaugural address, rose to heights of eloquence that have rarely been attained in all the annals of mankind.

Small wonder that, in view of his own terrific handicaps and pitiful struggle, Lincoln wrote: "If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer out of yourself, the thing is more than half done already."

Thanks to Dale Carnegie: 'Effective Speaking'

Essay Contest for Students..:

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Trust, Chennai, in association with Self-Imposed Vigilance for Good Governance (SIV-G) is conducting a nationwide online essay writing contest for students in the age group of 15 to 23 years (as on 1 January 2009). This contest is being organized as part of 134th Birthday Celebrations of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel.

The first prize carries a cash award of Rs.5000/-, the second prize Rs. 3000/- and the third prize Rs.2000/-. There will be a good number of consolation prizes as well. The prize distribution function for these competitions will be held on 31st October, 2009 at Chennai.

Theme: Integrity and Good Governance
Last date for submission of essays: 18 October 2009

The essay can be written on any of the three topics given below:
1. 'Inculcating integrity in public life - Sardar Patel's way'
2. 'Relevance of integrity in public life in today's context'
3. 'Is integrity supplement to good governance or compliment?'

For details and registration, click on their website HERE

Join in the Tree Walk...!

Are you a tree lover? If yes, then... Join the tree walk on Sunday, October 4, 2009, at the Birla Planetarium campus, organised by Nizhal, a trust that promotes concern for trees in the city. Besides learning how to identify trees, tree walkers can also learn interesting facts about each tree! The walk starts at 7 am.

To register, call 9445258328/ 9840744453

Are you a Member of atleast ONE GOOD LIBRARY?

"When I got [my] library card, that was when my life began,"

says Rita Mae Brown, prolific American writer and social activist.

"Your Library is your Portrait,"

says Holbrook Jackson.

"Books are the ever burning lamps of accumulated wisdom,"

says George William Curtis.
Indeed, this is the best time to check out some of the good libraries in the City, and a compendium of the same, numbering around 115, is available HERE.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but just think about it for a moment. Are you - right now - who you want to be, what you dreamed you'd be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest.

It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the activity trap, in the “busyness” of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success, only to discover, upon reaching the top rung, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty-successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster. How depressing is that?

Habit 2/7 – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND - is based on imagination - the ability to envision, see the potential, create with your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes and conscience. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. First, there is a mental creation, and second, a physical creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It's about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill it.

To Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

One of the best ways to incorporate this habit into your life if to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

CHECKING YOUR VISION

It’s time for a personal vision checkup. Take a minute and think about each question below. Write out your thoughts clearly in a separate piece of paper.

1. What am I doing right now with my life? Does it make me happy? Do I feel fulfilled?
2. What do I keep gravitating toward? Is it different from what I am currently doing?
3. What did I like to do as a child? Do those things still bring me satisfaction? Am I doing any of them?
4. What interests me most right now?
5. What fills my soul?
6. What can I do well? What are my unique traits and strengths?

A sample Mission Statement is given below: Use it as a point of reference for creating your own:

Be humble, considerate, honest, kind, loving, and most importantly forgiving, but wise.

Give unselfishly to the needy, but try to provide tools for success as well: i.e., offer a job and a handout.

Provide limitless love to my children and my other family members. Allow them to grow and develop unhindered of what I think is best; but allow them to painfully discover what is best for themselves. Set wide boundaries within which they may develop, wide enough where they can make decisions they will anguish over but close enough that they will know how much I love them and that I will always morally support them. Say yes, unless there is a very good and explainable answer for no. Allow them to color in their own future, not striving for any perceived expectations of my own or other people in their lives.

Keep my word.

Find weaknesses in myself and situations and choose to improve them.

Other important values I must never forget: Learning, gaining knowledge and nurturing friendships.

Work and play where my integrity cannot be compromised.

Refrain from building walls -- allow pessimism, criticism to come in, but I will choose to learn from them, not react or hide from them

Refrain from competing, but add to other's success.

Remember and thank those who have helped me. Return their kindness to others that need it.

Allow my values to guide me, not jealously or other peoples' values, competition or wealth.

Look at both sides of an issue before making a decision. Realize that each decision is an independent decision, not necessarily directly related to past or future decisions, and take the time to gather insight to make informed decisions.

Take time every day for reflection, to realize what I learned, what I should learn more about to say thank you, to give myself a pat on the back while looking into what I need to improve upon.

Remember always that my greatest success will be through my childrens' eyes and to build and positively develop that relationship every day.

"Real success is success with self; it's not having things, but in having mastery, having victory over oneself"

[This article is excerpted from Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"]

Part II English - Assignments - Reg:

Dear Students of I BSc Pb& Pbt /Zoology(Reg) and Students of II BA Tamil/Philosophy,

As part of your Assignment test, which forms part of your Internal Assessment Marks, you are asked to buy a brand new copy of the book Essential English Grammar by Raymond Murphy, Cambridge University Press (Rs.90/-)

[or]

a copy of the book Intermediate English Grammar by Raymond Murphy, Cambridge University Press (Rs. 95/-) and do the first sixty exercises to the right of the book. You can start work rightaway. All the best!

PS: Students who are good at English, can opt for doing the exercises from the blue book - "Intermediate English Grammar"

HAVING A WORD FOR IT...:

Several languages cannot match the many words English has available to identify different sizes, types, and uses of vehicles - car, lorry, bus, tractor, taxi, moped, truck, and so on - and might have just one word for all of these.

There is in fact no single word in English for the driver of all kinds of motor vehicles - motorist being restricted to private cars, and driver being unacceptable for motorcycles - a lexical gap which greatly worried the British Automobile Association in 1961. It was felt that such a word would be useful, and they therefore asked for suggestions. Among the 500 they received were: autoist, roadist, chassimover, mobilist, wheelist, doice (Driver of Internal Combustion Engine), pupamotor (Person Using Power-Assisted Means of Travel on Roads), licentiat (Licensed Internal Combustion Engine Navigator Trained in Automobile Tactics). However, none of these ingenious ideas has survived.

Hence, this week's poll (to the left of the blog) gives you a chance to vote a name for the motorcycle rider - one among the seven that you think will be more appropriate - since we are, (according to David Crystal) yettt to find a suitable name to describe the motorcyclist!

Go ahead... Get your imagination working. All the best...!

[Excerpted from: Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. CUP, 1987]

Yet Another Laurel...!

[CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE]
Madras Christian College is the only college in the city to have a huge farm spread over one hundred acres of land. The plant in discussion, Nayantara, was cultivated on one acre of the farm, and is all set to fly to Europe.

The farm was set up in the year 1964 by Prof.Chandran Devanesan.

Image Courtesy: 'The Times of India,' pg.4, 26 September 2009

Medha Patkar @ MCC...:

Ms.Medha Patkar gave the key-note address at the Inaugural session of the National Conference on Human Rights organised by the Dept of Social Work, MCC. The grand old Anderson Hall of Madras Christian College was packed to capacity even well before Ms.Medha Patkar took to the dais. There was indeed a standing ovation when the speaker of the day arrived - to traditional trumpet-and-horn welcome - after which Prof.Mrs.Miriam Samuel, Head, Dept of Social Work, MCC, welcomed the gathering.

Our Principal Dr.Alexander Jesudasan welcomed and introduced the speaker of the session Ms.Medha Patkar. While talking about the glorious past of our country, he said that, some fifty years ago, our nation could boast of a Mahatma Gandhi, a Vallabhai Patel or a Sarojini Naidu - but today, do we have such great people? Indeed, as long as people like Ms.Medha Patkar and Thol.Thiruma(yesterday's speaker) are there, the fight is bound to continue against the various social injustices of today. He congratulated the Dept of Social Work for laying emphasis on praxis and drawing the attention of the international community. Praising Medha Patkar, he said that 'she is a person who 'listened' to the cries of the people and stood up for them - although imprisoned many times - she adopted 'satyagraha' in her fight against the oppressors - be it the corporate lords or the government policies.'

Excerpts from Ms.Medha Patkar's speech:

"Every living being has rights. Unless we talk about everyone's right to live, we cannot feel or belong to the community of human beings. Right to live is one of the very fundamental rights of a human being. Human rights, according to Patkar, are beyond constitutional rights because constitutional rights can keep changing - laws can keep changing - but human rights are the same always and at all places," she said.

Listing out the various aspects of human rights, Ms.Patkar said, "When we talk about human rights, we not only talk about sections of the society who are marginalised, but also those that are denied the right to education, right to shelter, right to services, right to live in one's own culture etc. 'Nobody has the monopoly to being called 'marginalised' any longer. Because, farmers are marginalised in the industrialised scenario, the rural population are being marginalised by the urbane populace and so on."

"Other types of marginalisation include social marginalisation, economic marginalisation, cultural marginalisation etc. Marginalisation cannot be taken care of, by reservations alone. We must also have a system wherein we recognize the rights of the marginalised. And, ironically, rights are not pattas to be distributed. They are inherent to every human being, whether or not they are recognized," she opined.

According to Patkar, we are all part of the agrarian economy. There are communities that are engaged in agriculture. For them it's a lifestyle - of living in proximity with nature - land - forests, surface and ground water etc. If you live a life of simplicity, then you can boldly say what the Mahatma once said - that every one of us has ample resources to fulfilling our needs and not our greed.

Elaborating on the same, she added that, in the whole hierarchy of our economy, it's only the priority of the main stream that dominates - and that's where exploitation comes in - even decisions at the national level, in the 'interests of the common man' are being taken by a high-level committee in Parliament without having any national debates, discussions on the same.

Remember, the lunch you are going to have after this session, is testimony to the hard work and the industrious activity of the country's poorest agricultural labourer, who might have even committed suicide due to poverty, even before you had had your meal today.

Ms.Patkar also made a scathing attack on the SEZ [Special Economic Zones] calling them as 'Special Exploitation Zones', wherein large areas of land are declared as foreign territory - (SEZ) by destroying, not just displacing communities who have been living there for generations. Killing of indegenous communities - call it neo-colonization - is the worst violation of human rights. First of all, who gives this right to trample upon their right to livelihood? Just becuase you get elected and become a governing politician, doesn't mean that you can trample upon the livelihood of indegenous peoples.

Taking a 'mineral water' bottle in her hand, she demonstrated how the mineral water symbolises the vulgar way in which we manage our resources. This water belongs to the community who live with it. We are living in the cities and drinking what is called 'mineralised water', which is a sheer exploitation of their natural resources, which is their inherent wealth.

In Kerala, thousands of people have been adversely affected by the Coca Cola plant. Being a social activist herself who is spearheading the protests, she said that apart from the fact that the soft drink is not healthy, the plant has also damaged the ground water resources. For the last six years, protests have been taking place against Coca Cola in this village. Even the company has admitted that without water it would have no business at all. Coca cola's operations rely on access to vast supplies of water as it takes almost three litres of water to make one litre of coca cola. Added to this is the irony that the company said it doesn't have to pay tax as they are not selling mineral water, but only packaged drinking water!!! Each factory extracts around five to 25 lakh litres of water per day. It's not mere extraction but sheer exploitation! The same happens to land exploitation too!

Today's 'corporatised ministers' for Social Justice, Minsiters of Poverty Alleviation, or Minister of Fisheries are not the only ones empowered to act in the 'interests' of the downtrodden, BPL, Fishing communities etc. Debates and discussions are needed with the masses who should be involved in the decision-making process, before passing any legislations to that effect in Parliament.

You cannot claim a 1 Re/- reduction in your kerosene cost, but Ambanis are getting 20,000 crores profit by exploiting the oil resources of the country, out of which 1,000 crores goes to the govt. Apart from setting up of SEZ which can take away your land and water resources, Tourism can also put a check on your land by grabbing them under the pretext of promoting tourism. Mining is another case in point. The sad fact is that, more than 21 tax concessions are being given on a platter to the SEZs with nil tax for the first five years!

Finally, Ms.Medha Patkar gave a call to the youth to stand up and fight injustice with sensitivity and sensibility for the downtrodden, marginalised etc.

Unless you fight, young friends,

Nothing will survive - not a piece of land will be saved!

Hence, the real dream is to steer the country towards equity and justice - two umbrella concepts upon which future society can be built by young India.

Our Deepest Condolences..:

"Other day I had a discussion with one of my friends and we felt that some people live because they are born, some think that what ever they do the end result will depend on the destiny. Some really think that there is a purpose for life itself."

The above lines form part of the last blogpost titled "Purpose of Life" by Roy J George, who was murdered by factory workers as a result of militant trade unionism in Coimbatore recently. Roy, who donned the role of a HR manager had to face the ire of the trade unions and became the scape goat of the management - trade unions imbroglio.

In him, we have lost not only a good blogger, but also a noble humanitarian, and a dynamic HR leader. May his soul rest in peace. You can check out this noble soul's blog HERE.

Dear Students of II BA English,

For our next lecture on Wilde and his writing, kindly bring a copy of his famous short story 'The Nightingale and the Rose.' The e-version of the same is available HERE.

Regards,

Rufus

I CIA - I MA Marks - Reg..:

Dear Students of I MA English,

Your I CIA Marks for the Paper on 'The English Language' are being uploaded on our related academic blog HERE.

For a commentary and topical analysis of your answer sheets, along with your marks, CLICK HERE.

King Whitney once famously remarked that Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.

So, for a change, and for once, your names have not found a place in the mark statement at all. It's up to you to identify your handwriting and thereby your marks. All the best.!

Regards,
Rufus

Book Launch...:

Penguin Books India and The Americn Consulate-General, Chennai host the launch of

Gurcharan Das' The Difficulty of Being Good - On the Sublte Art of Dharma.

There will also be a panel discussion based on the book.

Venue: Sheraton Park Hotel and Towers

Address: TTK Road, Alwarpet

Date: September 19

Time: 7 p.m

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest 2009

Essay Contest for 12 standard and College / University Students

Ayn Rand in India initiative is encouraging students from India to participate in this global competition based on Ayn Rand's masterpiece "Atlas Shrugged". For the past many years, the Ayn Rand Institute has been hosting the Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for 12th standard and college students.

Deadline: Sept 17, 2009

(Students from India may want to contact Essay@aynrand.in for more details about the contest)

Ayn Rand in India initiative is working to promote the essay contest in high schools and colleges in India. If you would like to be kept informed about this initiative, please contact info@aynrand.in

Please see HERE for topics, rules and regulations, and way of submitting the essay.

Our Deepest Condolences..:

We deeply condole the sudden demise of our student S.Michael John (MSW-HRM) who died in a tragic road accident. May his soul rest in peace. The bereaved family invites you to offer oblation of praise to God's goodness on the life of their dear son, for a thanksgiving meeting to be held at THE PENTECOSTAL MISSION, 162, Beracha road, Kellys, Chennai - 600 010. Please participate and kindly be a source of consolation.
RSVP: 9445297795/9444610618

REVISED SCHEDULE FOR Jun-Nov 2009

Dear Students, the following is the revised schedule for the current semester:

CA Test II - 14 Oct - 21 Oct 2009
Study Holidays begin on: 24 Oct 2009
End of Semester Exams begin on: 2 Nov 2009.
II/IV/VI Sem begin on: 23 Nov 2009.

Compensatory Working Days:
26 Sep 2009 - D.O - II
26 Oct 2009 - D.O - III
27 Oct 2009 - D.O - IV
28 Oct 2009 - D.O - V
29 Oct 2009 - D.O - VI
30 Oct 2009 - D.O - I
31 Oct 2009 - D.O - II

For the College Calendar, Click HERE

For more details and authentication, students are asked to verify the same with the College Notice Board(s).