The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Improving disabled students' ability

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Improving disabled students' ability

A special unit aimed at helping disabled college-going students in Tiruchi district to pursue higher education has been established at Holy Cross College in the city through a University Grants Commission project, `Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs'.

The unit, set up under the auspices of the Department of Rehabilitation Science, will extend support to disabled students to pursue higher education and provide access to various education aids and special learning materials to improve their academic skills. Lack of education aid has often been the primary reason for disabled students to discontinue their studies, points out Maria Kamalam, Head of the Department.

Joseph Xavier, District Disability Rehabilitation Officer, inaugurated the project. Speaking on the occasion, he assured support for the projects. Victor, Junior Employment Officer, Employment Exchange, Tiruchi, said that it was the responsibility of rehabilitation professionals to improve the standard of living of disabled persons. Rosy, principal, presided over the function.

Disabled students in need of support can get in touch with the unit functioning at the college over the telephone at 2704343/2704330 or through E-mail at holyrehab@rediffmail.com.

* * *

The Shepherd Extension Department of St. Joseph's College, Tiruchi, which has been playing a proactive role in community work, has successfully managed to force the reopening of a pre-school at Keelapatti in Inamkulathur panchayat which had remained closed for a few years.

The students had adopted the village and constructed a building for the school in 1998 with financial assistance from Canara Bank. Though the school had been functioning for three years, it was subsequently closed down.

However, II year M.Com students of the college with the help of VRO, a local voluntary organisation, conducted a survey in the village, which revealed that parents were keen to send their children to the school again. The voluntary organisation deputed a few teachers for the school following which the school was reopened recently, much to the satisfaction of the Shepherd members.

Samuel Jayaseelan, Superior, Clive's Hostel, St. Joseph's College, was the chief guest. Paul Sadaiyan, area coordinator of VRO, presided.

* * *

It was time to welcome freshers as the academic year got underway. A host of institutions in the city and the neighbouring districts of Pudukottai and Perambalur organised a Freshers' Day to greet students who stepped gingerly into the portals of higher education with high expectations and ambitions.

The occasion served as the perfect platform for the new entrants to acquaint themselves with their seniors, the faculty and the environs of their colleges. The events also helped break the ice, so to say, and make the `freshers' feel at home and shed their inhibitions on entering the hallowed portals of their respective institutions. In many colleges, the academic heads addressed the students and provided an overview of the college curriculum. In some places, the faculty also held forth on the competitive environment the students would be facing. For the seniors, it was an occasion to make friendly jibes at their juniors.

Meanwhile, Jamal Mohammed College in the city organised a blood grouping camp for all 1,300 `freshers', including 300 girls, of the college. The camp was organised by the Leo Club of the college in association with Friends Blood Bank and the Lions Club of Tiruchi Midtown. The college maintains a registry on the blood groups of the students as a ready reckoner so that student volunteers could donate blood in cases of emergencies.

* * *

There is nothing uncommon about colleges bringing out newsletters to highlight academic activities and achievements. `Eco Voice,' fledgling newsletter of the Economics Department of Holy Cross College, serves as an effective medium of communication for students as it combines current affairs with issues of academic importance.

The latest issue, while taking justifiable pride on some outstanding economists becoming the country's top political administrators, focuses on current issues relating to the country's economy.

The newsletter provides career information, curriculum updates and information regarding the major events of the month. With A. Pushpalatha, Reader, as the editor and Anne Mary Fernandez and Mena Seetharaman as chief editors, the newsletter seeks to encapsulate relevant information to students of economics in a neatly designed format.

* * *

The intricacies of the Union Budget 2004-05 were laid threadbare at St. Joseph's College and Jamal Mohammed College in the city. V.B. Athreya, Head of the Department, Bharathidasan University, presented an in-depth analysis of the budget in a compelling lecture during the inauguration of the Commerce Association of St. Joseph's College.

Highlighting the positive features of the Budget such as the focus on agriculture, irrigation and primary education, he dwelt on some of the `disturbing features' such as enhancement of the cap on foreign direct investment in insurance, telecom, and civil aviation sectors, which, he said, had implications on the country's security also. John Britto, the Principal of the college, presided over the inauguration.

The Economics Association of Jamal Mohammed College raised a discussion on the budget with the Vice-Principal of St. Joseph's College, welcoming the development goals set in the document. The budget was `acceptable' to all sections of the society, he said. R.K. Perumal, a chartered accountant, gave an account of the taxes in the budget. The Principal of the college, M. Sheik Mohammed, welcomed the budget for its emphasis on rural economy.

(Contributed by Prathibha Parameswaran and S. Ganesan in Tiruchi.)

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Set up more biogas plants, villagers told

Need for tie-up between farmers, industry stressed

Improving disabled students' ability