Monday 30 December 2013

DONATE BLOOD..! SAVE LIFE..!

Ring in the New Year with a Noble Deed!
DONATE BLOOD! SAVE LIFE..!
1st January 2014 (Wednesday)
9.30 am to 3.30 pm
Venue: Lotels Serviced Apartments,
No: 6, 4th Main Road, 
Jayachandran Nagar, 
Jaladampet, 
Chennai.
Ph: 43304252/53
In Partnership with:
LOTELS: SERVICED APARTMENTS
INDIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY
VERVE

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Back in Shelf..:

Dear Students of III BA English Lit., Copies of Achebe's Things Fall Apart are now available at Landmark, Spencer's. 
Clicked at Landmark, Mount Road

Monday 16 December 2013

Release of the Sixth Issue of Eclectic Representations

Dr. Ranga Narayanan receiving the first copy of ER
Dr. G. N. Devy, Chairperson, Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, released the sixth issue of Eclectic Representations, on Monday, 16 December 2013, in the Media Centre, Madras Christian

Friday 13 December 2013

APHASIA IN THE 21st CENTURY


The Department of Humanities and Social Science (DoHSS), IIT Madras is conducting its third Academic Conference structured around the theme Urban Spaces. The Conference is inter-disciplinary in nature, with the Call for Paper proposals open in the three streams of Economics, Development Studies and English Studies.

Taking place in the February of 2014, between 7th and 9th, the Conference will have a session on each of the streams, featuring leading thinkers in their respective fields of work and research while also offering an array of events including paper presentations, movie screenings, and workshops. Paper-proposals are open to undergraduate, post-graduate and PhD students.
For more details, click HERE

Saturday 16 November 2013

Congrats Udhayaraj, DoE, MCC ❤️



Hearty Congratulations to dear Udhayaraj, on receiving the 'Top Notcher' Prize and Certificate from the Vice-President of India, for excellence in his MA English Programme here at MCC. We wish, pray and bless that you win many more laurels in the years to come. 
Your proud teachers. 

Photo Courtesy: Dina Thanthi (scanned picture)

Monday 11 November 2013

All geared up..!

A security blanket has descended on the salubrious portals of Madras Christian College, even as inquisitive eyes in grey and white corduroys strut across the length and breadth of the campus, with walkie talkies to assist them in their zealous mission. Barricadings in vantage positions  have been strategically placed to help usher in the dignitaries to the venerated venue. 

Interestingly, 'chaos' of all hues and colours, has been asked to fall in line for the big show, and for once, the id card got its respect at the entrance points. For absent-minded professors who happen to have lost their id cards, solace is nearby. They could now sport any 'one' from among the govt. issued identity cards like passport, driving licence, voter’s id etc. on D-day.

Yes, the reason for the season is that, MCC's  D-day is at hand. Wednesday, 13 November 2013 - the day that celebrates the 34th Graduation Day and the Valedictory of the 175th year celebrations. Distinguished dignitaries who are expected to adorn the hallowed dais of the Anderson Hall on this memorable day include, the Vice President of India, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, the Deputy Chairman - Rajya Sabha, and the Minister for Higher Education. Students and staff, past and present, are expected to throng the venue in large numbers, to reminisce their eventful days in their alma mater. God bless MCC. 

Thursday 24 October 2013

The sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of the ultra-modern indoor sports stadium, was performed by the retiring staff members in an august ceremony conducted near the Pavilion today at 10:45 am. The event also saw the dedication of the RO Drinking Water Purifiers, which are strategically placed, one on each side of the Arts and Science blocks respectively for the benefit of the student community. Dr. Stephen Jebanesan, Head, Dept of English was given the honour of inaugurating the RO Purifier located in the Arts Block, while Dr. Ramesh Sundar, Head, Dept of Pol. Science inaugurated the RO Purifier in the Science Block.  





Saturday 19 October 2013

Withdrawn books for Sale at British Council

The withdrawn book sale is being organised from Sunday 20 October till Thursday 24 October between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the British Council Division.

All books which BCD had in their IT, Science, Medicine, Engineering, History and India Collection will be on sale. Junior books and magazines will also be on sale. 

The books are priced between Rs.50/ and Rs.500/- based on their value and condition.

The sale will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Since the sale is extended only to library members, you are requested to carry your membership card with you. There is no restriction on the number of books an organisation (in the case of institutional membership) can buy.

Saturday 28 September 2013

Seminar @ Madurai - A Report

Dr. Ganesh was the Chief Guest at the UGC-Sponsored National Seminar on Indian Writing in English, organised by MTN College, Madurai, in association with TJELLS on Saturday, 28 September 2013. His brilliantly absorbing and thought-provoking talk was on “Indian English Literature: Shifting Terrains”.

Outlining the broad framework of Post-Independence Indian Literature in English (ILE), he classified the post-Independence ILE into two broad generations of writers – the 1950–mid-1980s and late-1980s–current, respectively.

Identifying the general trends in the Poetry of the First Generation of Writers, he outlined the shift in themes and techniques, from idealistic nationalism  and romanticism to personal engagement with the problems of a newly formed, extremely diverse nation, wherein national identity came into conflict with personal experiences.

Praising Amitav Ghosh as a novelist with substance, he said that, Ghosh belongs to a relatively new genre of novels called the research novel.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Theatre @ WCC..:

Women's Christian College, Chennai, played host to the staging of two brilliant plays – Mahesh Dattani’s "Where there is a Will" which revolves around improving interpersonal relationships, and the other, “Jokumaraswamy” which centres on the superstitious life and schemings of a village zamindar named Gowda. The fund-raiser plays were staged on three consecutive days (26 Sep. to 28 Sep.) to a packed hall of enthusiastic spectators.

Both the plays were directed by our former professor Dr. Rajani, whose ‘director’s touch’ was palpable not only in the brilliant performance of the actors but also in the carefully made-up stage props as well.  

Both the plays were fine(time)-tuned to 50 minutes duration each, and the characters made themselves endearing to the audience by their passionate performances which led to thunderous ovations and applause all along. 

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Research Methodology Workshop: A Report

Dr. Joseph Dorairaj, Professor of English, Gandhigram University, conducted a workshop on Research Methodology today, (04 September 2013) for our MA, MPhil and PhD scholars. The workshop started with the invocation by Dr. Ann Thomas, followed by Dr.Stephen’s welcome address. Dr. K.Ganesh introduced the resource person of the day, Dr. Joseph Dorairaj. The first session of the workshop touched upon the theoretical framework of Research, and its various nuances, while the second session highlighted the best practices in research.

Defining Research as a “systematic activity that is directed toward discovery and the development of an organized body of knowledge” (Best and Kahn), he also outlined the three elements or components, namely: (1) a question, problem, or hypothesis, (2) data, and (3) analysis and interpretation of data,” respectively.

A good research, then, is “expected to make a contribution to knowledge. It is expected to be ‘original’. . . It does not have to be ‘original’ in the much more daunting sense that it springs fully armed from the head of the  researcher without reference to any previous account”, but, “on the contrary, in fact: it is much more likely to involve assembling ideas that have not been brought together in quite that way before. And it does not have to shift the paradigm: the contribution can be quite small, a piece of the jigsaw”. Citing Belsey, he said, that, “research is expected to make a difference to the standard account of a topic, whatever the topic might be”. Dr. Dorairaj also outlined the three basic concepts in Research Methodology, like the Research Tools, Research Methods and Research Methodology, and the three domains of Research activity, which are broadly divided into: Physical and Life Sciences: (experimental – laboratory-based),     Social Sciences: (empirical & numerical – quantitative and qualitative), and, Literature: (textual analysis).

Professor then proceeded to detail on the various types of research, namely, Pure/Basic/Fundamental and Applied Research, Experimental (lab-based) research, Deductive and Inductive Research, Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Diagnostic Research, Intervention Research, Action Research, etc.

On choosing a topic for one’s research, Dr.Joseph Dorairaj quipped that, most research starts with a hunch, or, an inspired guess. Moreover, it should be interesting, and one should be passionate about it. The work should not only be original, but also preferably non-canonical, and that which contributes to the existing body of knowledge. Most of all, it should have a usefulness or relevance to society. He also suggested around five key texts like Research Methods for English Studies, which  would provide a frame of reference for the research scholar. 

The session ended on a happy note, with feedback by Sebastian (MPhil), Ajil (II MA), Lemma (I MA) and the Vote of Thanks by Prof.Phebe Angus.

Our sincere thanks to our Photographer Mr. Jagadeesh Kumar (BA English, MCC), and to our Videographers Mr. Albert and Mr. Naseem of the MA Communication Department, MCC.            

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Seminar Review:


walking with the leader...
The two-day National Seminar on “Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis: The Scope of Postcolonial Theory and Literature” organized by the Research Department of English St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, on 2nd & 3rd September 2013, was informative and thought-provoking by all means. All the plenary sessions and satellite sessions were well-organized and resulted in rich exchange of ideas. Plenary Sessions on Postcolonial Studies, Diasporean Literature etc were very informative and challenging to both teachers and researchers in these fields. Dr. K. Ganesh gave a brilliant talk on Diaspora Literature, while Prof.A.S.Dasan and Dr.Joseph Albert spoke extensively on Postcolonial Studies. to be contd...

Friday 23 August 2013

And the rich legacy continues to live on...

Legendary (late) Dr.Vishnu Bhat's grand daughter little Isha's (II Std) spontaneous short story on caring for mother Nature, that appeared in Young World, The Hindu, Bangalore Edition, recently. Three cheers to little Isha. We, at MCC are so happy that the legacy continues to live on... God bless.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Petition the Speaker for a Noble Cause...:


As India finished celebrating sixty six years of Independence, political parties in the country are making amendments to the Right to Information Act (RTI) in order to keep themselves out of its purview. The Central Government has acted  in a hasty manner by introducing the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in the Lok Sabha and it is likely that the amendments would be passed next week.

This would in effect: Exclude all political parties from the purview of the RTI Act…

As Citizens of this country, we all have an equal stake in saving the RTI Act as it ensures that organisations working in the public interest are answerable to the people.

I encourage you to sign  this petition and demand the Speaker to facilitate widespread public consultation on the RTI (Amendment) Bill, because, without the freedom of information, our Independence would mean nothing…

PS: As told to me, by our alumnus, Vidya Venkat. This post is on her behalf, and on behalf of every responsible Indian. To petition the Speaker, click HERE

Friday 26 July 2013

Plants, Politics and Society - Past and Present


Dr.Narasimhan’s lecture was on Plants, Politics and Society, and how plants have been used as economic and political tools in the past as well as in the present. Excerpts from his speech:


There’s an interconnection that exists between every field of study. However, we don’t have the eye to see this interconnection among the various subjects of study.

A holistic approach is very important today but unfortunately it is missing in our present curriculum, because we have the habit of looking at subjects as water-tight compartments. If we look at history even Before Christ, plants have always been resources for building kingdoms and empires. Wars, especially Kalinga Wars, and Alexander’s were fought mainly to access land resources, especially fertile lands to feed the growing population and vast armies of their countries. And, whenever they went for a war, they also took along with them a section of people as slaves. Hence, agreement and slavery are inseparable. In India, our slavery system is caste-based.

Monday 22 July 2013

Dr.Rajeevnath Ramnath delivering the lecture on Applied Linguistics

Friday 19 July 2013

Guest Lecture - Invite

Dear Students of I MA/II MA English Literature,

You are invited for a lecture by Dr.Rajeevnath Ramnath, Associate Professor of English, Assumption University, Thailand, on the topic, "Why not an "app" for Applied Linguistics?", on Monday, 22 July 2013 between 9.30 and 11.30 am in the M.Phil Classroom.

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Inauguration of the English Literary Forum

The English Literary Forum was inaugurated by Dr.V.Rajagopalan, former Head, Dept of English, MCC, to a packed Anderson Hall which listened with rapt attention to his spellbinding lecture on 'Appreciating Literature.' 

Good literature, according to him, should deal with the tension between good and evil. Knowledge has to be demystified and subjects defamilarised, he said, and added that the burden of his address was to validate the classics. 

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Global Reunion 2013

Join us at MCC for the Gala Global Alumni Reunion 2013 on 27, 28 July 2013. 
You can register online by clicking on this link HERE.
Email: mccglobalalumnireunion2013@gmail.com
Mobile: +918056195510

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Postponed by a Day:

The MA English Lit entrance test scheduled for 21 June 2013 has been postponed by a day. It will now be held on Saturday, 22 June 2013, at Selaiyur Hall Indoor Theatre, due to unavailability of the Exams Office on that day.
Kindly look up the Dept Notice Board for the shortlisted candidates.
for The Head

Friday 14 June 2013

Are You Under their Influence?


Each one of us would have had to put up with at least a dozen negative people who hover around us all along in our lives. 

Negative people, by the way, are the ones, who drain out the energy in us (call them “energy vampires” if you want), and send in a negative energy through their continuous rantings and ravings about all the unpleasant, difficult, unfair people and things that happened in their lives. 

These people not only carry toxicity on their hips, and gossip on their laps wherever they go, but also have the knacky tact (or call it their potential or their USP) of draining a person of one’s energy, even on a minute's shorty talky with them, like in a one-to-one aka tete a tete too.

These 'energy vampires' are capable of producing the boundless negative energy in a jiffy the moment you start conversing with them. 

They always tend to see the darker side, the half empty glass and worry more about the future than live the present. They are people who can never have a good word even for the likes of Mother Teresa or Swami Vivekananda. 

Hence, negative people sometimes have the ability to give you negative energy which can lead you to even depression at times.

The only way in which these people feel powerful is by hurting others in every little way possible, to the extent that they have no idea how negative they have become in life, until they are pulled out of their complacency by some good Samaritan.

Well, you can easily spot them from off a distance! 


Firstly, you can never see a smile on their faces. If at all they smile, it would be a triumphant glee at having succeeded in their gossipy gyrations on a pavapetta, unsuspecting friend.


Secondly, they will never have a good word for even a single human soul on this lovely planet earth! Not even on the flora and the fauna!


When they open their mouths, venom and negative words, spew out with an effortless spontaneity, more powerfully than from off a volcano's!


Thirdly, they are better off at always being critical of others, that they cease being humane!


Fourthly, they would have contributed nothing from off their words, their deeds or from off their wallets to making this world a better place for even one single person on this six billion plus planet! 

Finally, nothing on this planet makes them happy, as much as gossips and venomous words do!

Thoughts for a new academic year...

[click on pic, to enlarge]

Thursday 13 June 2013

Entrance Exam - MA English: Reg

All candidates who have applied for MA English Literature are required to sit the entrance test to be held on Friday, 21 June 2013 at the Examinations Hall. The test will comprise an essay question [25 marks], and  25 objective type questions [25 marks]. All questions will be based on the BA English Literature syllabus.
For more details, you are requested to follow the 'announcements' put up periodically on the Department Notice Board or, contact the Head, Department of English.
With all best wishes, 
for The Head

Gone are the days when one had to hop from one leading library to another looking for that one book that has been eluding you all along. And, if the OPAC gives the word ‘OUT’ against your favourite book, you are bound to go wild with disappointment, more so, if you’re a passionate bibliophile!

Today, thanks to the burgeoning online portals that specialise in renting textbooks, you may heave a great sigh of relief.

Wednesday 12 June 2013

"Experiential Learning has become the Buzzword"

‘Reinventing’ the Higher Education System

MCC Amongst India’s Best Colleges| ‘The Week’ Report

[9th June 2013 Issue] 

“The Indian Higher Education System is Reinventing Itself to cater to the increasing demands of the economy, with new courses, new formats, new ideas…”

This is the byline to the Cover Story in The Week’s Survey of the Best Colleges in India, 2013.

In fact, it’s a matter of pride that MCC finds a place among the TOP FIVE and the TOP TEN in most of the key categories.

The COVER STORY that follows, in the same Edition [9th June 2013] of ‘The Week’ has a lot of vibrant thoughts for those of us faculty members and decision makers in the field of higher education.

Hence me thought of giving us all, a few salient extracts from this very insightful article, culled out from THE WEEK, 09th June 2013.

So here we go -

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. – Confucius

The pearl of wisdom from the Chinese philosopher seems to be dawning on college education in 21st-century India.

You Branch Out & Explore!

Welcome to a system, where you do not just learn; you practise. Where you do not just listen; you absorb. Where you are not rooted in a classroom; you branch out and explore.

Well, it might sound Utopian, but Indian colleges are, indeed, following the concept of "learning by doing".

Institution - public and private - are realising that a formularised approach will not click anymore.

Experiential learning has become the buzzword

Earlier, practicals were restricted to the domains of applied sciences and management, but now subjects such as English and social sciences also are being given the experiential treatment.

Take, for example, Delhi University's Kamala Nehru College for women. It organises tours to historical sites and museums for students of history to understand and appreciate the bygone eras.

"The students perform skits and dramas on historical tales," says Dr Minoti Chatterjee, principal of the college.

"All of us have read about the Indus Valley civilisation, but our students learn about it by visiting the actual site. Similarly, for psychology students, there is internship with Vimhans [Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences]."

It is No More Just Classroom Teaching

Sriparna Chakraborty, who recently graduated in English from Amity University, Noida, is all praise for the changing ways of education.

"It is no more just classroom teaching," she says.

"There are seminars, where eminent people from the literary world talk about their experiences. Also, if we are studying drama and there is a complex scene, it is enacted. We learn a lot by doing, so presentations and research works are given to improve our speaking and writing skills."

Application-based learning is Rapidly Picking Up

Application-based learning, too, is rapidly picking up, thanks to industry collaborations. Today, most top colleges have active involvement with the industry for catering to the changing needs of society.

According to a study by the Gurgaon-based employability solutions company Aspiring Minds, only 17 per cent of the five lakh engineers who annually gradu-ate from India are fit for the IT services sector.

Making Students Industry-Ready

Human Resources Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, too, pointed out the issue at a recent conference -  

"We are seeing that the students who are coming out [of universities and colleges] are not necessarily industry-ready, and the industry is spending a lot of resources in re-training them...."

Academia-Industry Interface

However, colleges and the industry are now joining forces. For instance, students at Delhi University's Shahid Sukhdev College of Business Studies are required to do live projects with companies. At Patiala-based Thapar University, students take up contract research on agro-biotechnology.

The university has worked on improving the quality of potato tubers for PepsiCo and Mc Cain Foods, and on eucalyptus clones for writing and printing paper company Ballarpur Industries.

Vocational Courses: Corporates in Board of Studies

Colleges are looking at courses from a vocational angle, too. And the corporate sector's advice is sought for curriculum design and updating. Manipal University, for instance, invites corporates to its board of studies. Amity University involves the industry right from the shortlisting of applicants.

"There is a great deal of value addition that we get through corporate tie-ups," says Dr G.K. Prabhu, registrar, Manipal University.

"What we teach should be relevant to the industry, and that is why we take their help in designing our courses. Infosys, for instance, has a programme called Campus Connect, wherein they train our faculty. We, in turn, do research projects for them. It is a symbiosis."

Furthermore, internships with the industry - limited to technical and management streams earlier - is now common under subjects such as public policy, international affairs, development studies and foreign languages courtesy NGOs, think-tanks and media houses.

The Surge in Research: A Welcome Trend

Another welcome trend is the surge in research. For one, the IITs, which have been criticised for excessive focus on undergraduate education, have ramped up research work.

Currently, IITs take in about 3,000 Ph.D students annually, against 1,000 five years ago.

"There is a lot of exciting work in the areas of nano electronics and smart grid technology," says Gautam Barua, director, IIT Guwahati.

"To give a push to research, IITs have discussed with the government about allowing meritorious B.Tech students to start research in their third year. We will start it from 2014."

Some IITs have set up special centres for large-scale projects. IIT Delhi, for instance, has a centre for bio-medical engineering and low-cost design innovation. IIT Madras and Bombay have set up centres for combustion and photovoltaic researches, respectively.

All IITs should have Research parks and Innovation Centres

"The Kakodar Committee had recommended that all IITs should have research parks and innovation centres," says Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi director, IIT Madras.

"Most of the IITS have done that. About 33 per cent of our students are research scholars, and we are planning to encourage undergraduate pass-outs to take up research."

Private institutes are not falling behind, either. Thapar University has received government grants worth 76 crore for research projects, mainly in biotechnology and agricultural sciences.

Manipal Institute of Technology is working on emerging areas such as nanotechnology, ad hoc wireless networks, nuclear engineering and pattern-recognition.

Research & Innovation

Says Amity University vice-chancellor Dr Atul Chauhan –

"Research is an important part of all our programmes. Without research and innovation, it would be impossible to find solutions for our country's problems."

Prof. P. Ray, dean (academics), XLRI, Jamshedpur, terms research "our life blood".

His students have been coming up with solutions for actual problems of corporates and the government, he says.

A major shot in the arm for college education in India is the National Knowledge Network - a Central initiative to provide ultra-high-bandwidth broadband network to interconnect leading science and technology institutions.

The NKN could be an effective tool for seamless exchange of ideas and sharing of lectures, databases and virtual libraries between campuses. Also, it would be a platform for real-time distance education.

The NKN, which has already connected 1,001 institutions, aims to add another 500 in the coming months.

The rejig in the education system is not limited to highbrow spheres. Soft-skills training, for instance, is an area that is being given a thrust these days. Some institutes like Manipal have made it a compulsory subject, while

others offer it at the end of the course. "Soft skills have become vital today because one has to become a team leader; one has to carry people along," says Ray.

Thrust for Multidisciplinary or Liberal Education

With considerable change in the learning environment, a great deal of reinvention is on. The Indian system seems to be going the American way - multidisciplinary or liberal education.

Basically, it is about taking up several subjects at the undergraduate level, instead of specialising in just one. So a student can study a host of subjects and, eventually, pursue a specialisation.

Delhi University's new four-year undergraduate programme, in effect, is a shift towards the multidisciplinary system. But even as the move has created a furore among students and teachers, experts say DU has actually arrived a bit late.

Colleges such as O.P. Jindal Global University and Foundation for Liberal and Management Education (FLAME, Pune) already have a clutch of multidisciplinary courses in liberal arts.

So one can study history, enjoying fine arts and music at tandem. The system is apt for students who want to explore before choosing a career path.

Meanwhile, some colleges are experimenting with the interdisciplinary system - one subject as major and an interest area as minor. Shiv Nadar University and a couple of IITs have this system in place.

"Studying several subjects together is fun and helpful," says Ganesh Gupta, a second year student at Shiv Nadar.

"When I took B.Sc with mathematics as major and economics minor, I understood the application of maths in data analysis and statistics. In terms of career, too, I have an additional option of economics."

Multidisciplinary: The Way Forward

Experts believe that multidisciplinary is the way forward.

"For a society to develop in a holistic manner, we need people who can think in a broad and multidisciplinary way, says Dr.C. Raj Kumar, vice-chancellor, O.P.Jindal Global University. "In a diverse society like India, first and foremost one needs the skills to navigate through the complexities...'

Career potential for every course is strong in a developing economy.

And courses are springing up by the day. Experts say that students should neither shy away from offbeat courses, nor get distracted by pop-ups.

"Look at what your interests are; ask questions like how and where would you want to see yourself five years down the line,"

says Shalini Manchanda, director at Career Track, a career counselling firm.

"If these checks and balances are in place, you will not regret your decision."

Oh what needless pain we bear..!


A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As he raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on his face, he inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

He replied, “The absolute weight does not matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm.  If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralysed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

Tuesday 11 June 2013

How to Pursue a Medical Administrative Position [Guest Post Exclusive]


If you are looking for a career change and are interested in medicine then a career in medical administration may be what you are looking for. The first thing you need to do is understand what medical administration entails. Medical or healthcare administration is a specific field which involves the maintenance of relationship within a medical environment such as clinics, hospitals and health centers. As with anyone who works in a hospital or medical center, such individuals are considered to be health care professionals. Medical administration encompasses a wide range of different tasks. These include the management of different departments to ensure a smooth-running establishment, the analysis of different hospital policies, taking care of finances and dealing with accounting. There are also some medical management professionals who are going to specialize in specific areas of the industry.

Certification

In order to be qualified for medical administration it is pertinent to get a bachelor's degree within the field. While it is possible to be certified with such a degree, this is not always going to be enough. Many people consider the standard credential to be a Master's degree. As a result, it is

Monday 3 June 2013

Back in the Reckoning and how!


It’s official now. English Literature has rightfully regained her regal ranking as the royal choice for applicants to the arts and the humanities courses. For the first time in many years, MCC witnessed an epoch-making event when, the admissions office, ‘admitted’ that, this year, application sales for BA English Literature far exceeded the demand that usually lays in store for the BCom Course. Once regarded as the hot pick among Chennaiites, the coveted BCom course in MCC had for long held monopoly as far as demand was concerned. Indeed, applications this year showed a remarkable trend. There were as many as 35 students who had scored above 1110/1200 and were all eyes on taking up English Literature.

One of the most established and widely recognised courses in the realm of academics, the English Literature course per se has evolved a lot over the decades, and today, it holds a preeminent position among the arts and humanities. There are quite a few interesting reasons as to why English Literature is and has always been a great course for study.

First of all, the efficiency of the course lies in its elasticity. I wish I don’t sound out of place when I pull off T.S.Eliot’s term ‘compatability’ to come to my rescue here, in order to augment my point better. Dictionaries the world over have a more or less similar definition for the word ‘compatible’, meaning, the capability to exist or perform in harmonious, agreeable, congenial combination, with efficient integration. Indeed, English Literature has the capacity to absorb the various literary schools and philosophical movements into its rich repertoire and thereby engage the students with a wide variety of texts (both literary and non-literary), in a lively and supportive learning environment.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

One more year..!

snippets from our little garden...

When we moved into our new house, the first things that met my eyes were the trees and plants around our house that were in a ‘withered, withering, about to wither’ condition. The coconut trees were almost dying as they were not properly cared for. In short, the whole garden was  kinda chaotic.

So, with the help of two good gardeners, we had the coconut trees pruned, and had the flower-bearing ones cut to size. The crotons, the lily plants and the rose plants were given a ‘facelift’ and then, with a long garden hose to assist us, we began the regular routine of watering them. Soon, the plants began responding with gusto to the water-treatment. Moreover, watering the plants had by now become a profoundly therapeutic exercise, and the results were there for us to see.

Monday 6 May 2013

Adieu! Adieu!

Dear II MAs and III BAs!

You were a great and awesome class. Some of you were here with us, in the Department of English for five long years, while some of you joined us two years ago, and some others joined us three years ago, and yet, you made your stay in MCC impactful and memorable.

For the past one week, the department was witness to scores of grateful students coming in, and bidding adieu to each and every staff member. We are so proud of you guys.

We, the faculty wish you the best in all your endeavours, and remember, the Department of English is always open to you, as you are a part of the grand old English department family, and we all join in wishing you all a very Bright and Prosperous Future filled with Happiness, Peace and Joy.

As a proud and cheerful student of MCC, go out into the world, and make a mark for yourselves in whatever you do! Dare to be different! Make a mark! And… always stand up for what is right.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Unexpected behaviour:

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes.

One morning, when the boy was around two years old, the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and put it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to it and, fascinated with its colour, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages.

When the child collapsed, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned; she was terrified. How would she face her husband?

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

“I Love You Darling”.

The husband’s totally unexpected reaction is proactive behaviour. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother.

Monday 15 April 2013

Gemini Ganesan and his College Days

[Excerpts from THE MCC Magazine]
By Ms. Narayani Ganesh

The Madras Christian College used to be located at Parry’s Corner, close to where the High Court stands today. First established in 1837 by British missionaries as a school, the institution was upgraded to a college in 1865, and renamed ‘Madras Christian College’. A hundred years later, the College acquired four hundred acres of what was known as the Selaiyur forest estate in Tambaram. The institution shifted here in 1937, in a move that is still referred to as the ‘great migration’. Here, Appa studied Chemistry and after graduation, worked as a lecturer-demonstrator for some time before changing tracks.

Other reputed colleges in Madras then were Presidency College, Loyola College and Pachaiyappa’s College, all exclusively for boys. M.C.C was co-educational. Appa was a good student and sportsman and enjoyed the good things of life. The diary he maintained in 1942 has a few gems that reveal the kind of life he led as a college student. M.C.C encouraged extracurricular