The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : No sign of shine

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Monday, Sep 21, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

No sign of shine

On way to Coimbatore in the middle of Avinashi one can see tonnes of garbage and plastics dumped in pits and on road sides. But who cares to clear them. This is not a sign of India shining, but declining.

Prashanth Raghavan,

Erode.

Professor’s post

This refers to the report that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has created a post of professor in colleges (Sept. 12). The UGC has changed designations - assistant professor, associate professor and professor. To be eligible for a professor’s post one should have a Ph.D, presented papers in conferences, published books etc.

Only a few can fulfil these conditions. Others will remain in the associate professor’s post till retirement. This is unjustifiable.

The Tamil Nadu Government should relax the strict conditions for the professor’s post.

V.S. Ganesamurthy,

Erode.

English for BE/B.Tech

The anomaly about the syllabus for English for the first year BE/B.Tech courses of Anna University, Coimbatore, is that the subject is named as Technical English. But what is taught is Business English. All internal tests and the external university examinations for the first year come under Cambridge University ESOL programme called BULATS (business language testing service). According to rules, the syllabus that is approved by the Board of Studies and ratified by the Academic Council of Anna University, Coimbatore, should be taught and the test also should be based on the syllabus for Technical English. But Anna University, Coimbatore, has thrown rules and conventions to the winds. For commercial profit, it has an MoU with the Cambridge University ESOL and a private tutorial institution to conduct the BULATS examination for engineering students. If the university wants to proceed with the present programme of BULATS then they should call the subject Business English instead of Technical English. Both Anna University, Coimbatore and the private tutorial institution are making use of the fame of Cambridge University to give an impression to the gullible people that they are training teachers and engineering students to achieve international standards.

It is alleged that crores of rupees have changed hands as part of this programme and that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption is investigating the misuse of the programme. Anna University, Coimbatore, should scrap the programme and prescribe the standard syllabus of Anna University, Chennai, for Technical English for first year BE/B.Tech students of this region.

S. Mahalingam,

Erode.

NMR ride

This has reference to the report ‘Heritage run: special children enjoy NMR ride’ (Sept. 16).

It was thoughtful of the Southern Railway authorities to have included 39 children as special guests to participate in the NMR Day celebration mainly because it gave the children a wonderful opportunity to travel by a train which is unique in every respect. As far as the children are concerned, a journey by the NMR train is far more exciting than a monotonous journey by bus or even a car. Even for the elders, if they are not in a hurry, a journey by this train is exciting right from the word go.

P.K. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam.

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

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