The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Three-day week

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Monday, May 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Three-day week

The Government has made a lot of efforts to control inflation. Politicians talk of increasing purchasing power. Introduction of a three-day week with half the population working from Monday to Wednesday and the other from Thursday to Saturday may solve many problems facing the poor. Advantages of a three-day week are: Complete elimination of unemployment; increased employment opportunities for women; removal of mass illiteracy in a year or two; younger people can study and work simultaneously; elders can take care of additional responsibilities; more time for children to play and learn; efficient working; healthier people; happier people; work will become a pleasurable activity; more time for hobbies; increased productivity; less traffic congestion; decongestion in cities. Above all, it will result in controlling population as the education level will increase.

V.S.Venkatavaradan,

Salem.

Save this college

Chikkaiah Naicker College in Erode was started in 1954. E.V.R Periyar was one of the administrative committee members of the college. This college served many socially backward and poor rural students. It has produced many professionals, officials and administrators. The college is aided by Tamilnadu Government and the fee here is less. Because of irregularities the college was brought under the control of Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Coimbatore region, in 1998. There are many vacancies in teacher posts in the college. Many more posts will be vacant soon owing to retirement of some staff. Efforts were made to fill some posts during March. But interviews were cancelled at the last minute. Future of students will be in jeopardy if the vacancies are not filled immediately.

V.S. Ganesamurthy,

Erode.

Railway reservation

Erode railway station has now a new computerised reservation centre. Ticket counters are housed in a spacious and well-ventilated area with good lighting. Chairs have been provided to the public and there is orderliness. Although nine counters have been opened, only four are functioning. While counters 3, 4, and 6 work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with half-an-hour lunch break, at counter 5 the working hour is indicated as from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with half-an-hour lunch break.

As the four counters cannot cope with a large crowd, there has been considerable delay in the issuance of tickets.

The booking clerk has also to issue tickets to concession form holders. As it involves more clerical work, the clerk takes a long time to issue tickets.

Sufficient staff should be posted to ensure speedy issuance of tickets. One counter should be exclusively for concession tickets.

C. Bhaskaran,

Erode.

Bad road

The 10-km road between Boys Company and Yellanalli in Coonoor taluk in the Nilgiris district, via Aruvankadu Railway Station, Ubbathalai, Pororai, Kothangatty, Kethorai, Edumakandi, Odyaratty, Mokkatty, Kekkatty and Ponds Company is in a bad condition.

This road should be widened and blacktopped. Roads in the Nilgiris district should be repaired once in four years.

A small canal should be built on the side of the road to facilitate easy flow of rain water.

This is to protect the road for a long time.

G.N. Devaraj,

Bhavanisagar.

Subway needed

In Erode the number of vehicles increases every day. Widening of roads and converting some into four lane enable vehicle riders to drive in high speed causing fatal accidents.

Pedestrians find it difficult to cross roads, except at signals. The situation is worse on Perundurai Road, GH Road, Mettur Road, opposite railway station, bull-fight statue junction, Opposite Lotus Appolo Hospital, Brough Road, Gandhiji Road, Sathy Road (opposite bus stand in particular), Veerappan Chatram, Bhavani Road etc. A subway or an overbridge for pedestrians in the above areas should be built.

S.P. Vijayanand,

Muthur.

Focus on English

This refers to the report ‘Students can now read and write Tamil, and schools to focus on English next academic year’ (May 3). Thanks to a six-month intensive coaching launched by the department of school education, about 10,000 government school students from classes VI to VIII have crossed the “threshold” of basic literacy. About 12,000 students were found to be lacking in basic reading and writing skills. Chief Educational Officer S. Karmegan has announced that in the next academic year the focus will be largely on English teaching in schools. This is most welcome. Though students have sound knowledge in their professional subjects they find it difficult to get a suitable job because of their inability to communicate in English effectively. Information technology organisations prefer candidates with good knowledge in their professional subjects and excellent communication skills. Students should be trained right from school in English communication. Only then can they face challenges in a competitive world.

V.Joseph Emmanuvel,

Tiruchengode.

Teaching English

Anna University, Coimbatore, in collaboration with Ebek has been conducting a training programme for teachers of English in engineering colleges on Saturdays. One of the centres is Vivekananda College of Engineering for Women. Ebek is successfully conducting the programme. Eminent professors are invited to talk to batches of teachers from nearby colleges on various topics such as group discussion, preparing report and presentation, using phone, sending e-mails and the other related subjects. Dr. Noel, professor and head of the department of English, Bharathidasan University, Thiruchirappalli, has been assigned to train teachers in the latest teaching methodology.

Listening tests conducted by Ebek for the second semester internal evaluation of engineering students contain talks and conversations by British speakers.

Students from rural areas find it difficult to understand the pronunciation and intonation of British English. Indian speakers should be included instead of the British speakers to avoid this kind of difficulty.

M.Vathapureeswaran,

Tiruchengode.

Thanks, inspector

This is with reference to my letter to the editor regarding theft in West Coast Express (Feb. 11). Many people advised me to drop the matter owing to the possible involvement of gangs in the theft. However, considering the safety of future passengers I contacted the Kozhikode Inspector Sasidaran and gave him the list of calls which were made using my cell which I obtained from Aircel. The details of the IMEA numbers were also given. With this in hand Mr. Sasidaran traced the calls to a girl in Kollam, who received 50 calls from the stolen mobile.

The calls were from a college lecturer in Palakkad who used to regularly travel from Palakkad to Kasargod and steal from women in the AC coaches of West Coast Express. We are grateful to Mr. Sasidaran for bringing the culprit to book.

Prince Herbert,

Coimbatore

Speed breakers

I wonder what purpose will speed breakers serve as far as town buses are concerned. Town bus drivers are not concerned about speed breakers and they try their vehicles’ endurance on them at high velocity of speed. Passengers have to either hold tight the available bars or get ready to go for a parachute landing to test the rock hard seats.

If the bus is crowded, the landing may be soft. I agree that the speed breakers are not painted clearly to get noticed.

But it is invariably the attitude of the drivers which is not passenger-friendly. The drivers should be instructed to reduce speed while negotiating a speed breaker.

Authorities should ensure that the life of the vehicles and that of the commuters is prolonged.

D. Haemanthkumar Robert,

Coimbatore (Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and phone number)

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