Regular Articles

• Vol. XXXII No. 18, January 1-15, 2023

Why TN continues to dither on its Heritage Act

-- by The Editor

The Hindu on December 27, 2022, carried an interesting article on how the Telengana State Government, while it has been doing its bit for heritage conservation in fits and starts, lacks a holistic vision and a plan for what it wants to do with its past. The article pointed out that despite five years having […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 18, January 1-15, 2023

City police tap into Facial Recognition Technology to the alarm of people and politicians alike

-- by A Special Correspondent

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in administering the city, if you notice. This year alone, Chennai has used many tech-based solutions to solve a swathe of civic problems – March saw the usage of drones to spray water bodies with mosquito larvicide, October’s scramble to complete stormwater drain work leveraged precast technology,

• Vol. XXXII No. 18, January 1-15, 2023

Heritage Watch: Diamond Jubilee of the Music Academy Auditorium

It has been a citadel for the performing arts for sixty years. Yes, the Music Academy’s TT Krishnamachari Auditorium completed sixty years on December 20, 2022, for it was on that day in 1962 that Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, former Maharajah and then Governor of Mysore, formally cut the ribbon

• Vol. XXXII No. 18, January 1-15, 2023

Short ‘N’ Snappy

-- (Wo)MMM

Margazhi Mishaps The Woman from Madras Musings loves the city at this time of year. Each Madras December holds promise of beautiful cultural performances and (Wo)MMM loves the whole scene, from concerts and theatre to classical dance and kutcheris. It is curious though, that – in (Wo)MMM’s experience, in any case – while the former […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 18, January 1-15, 2023

Our Readers Write

Gandhi Nagar Memories The article on Gandhi Nagar (MM, December 1st) brought back memories of my childhood (late forties, early fifties) when my father Dr. T.M.B. Nedungadi had purchased a plot in the newly formed layout and built a house which was let out. The address was No.23, 4th Main Road, Gandhi Nagar. One of the […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 17, December 16-31, 2022

Manohar Devadoss – a life of indomitable courage and cheer

– The Editor

It is hard to believe that Manohar Devadoss is no more. He was so full of life. Born in 1936 at Madurai, Mano was blessed with a natural sense of perspective that led to art as a hobby. He found his métier in ink-on-paper, a tough medium, but a fortuitous choice. While in his thirties, […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 16, December 1-15, 2022

Can we please let medical education be in English?

-- by The Editor

The Health Minister of the Government of Tamil Nadu announced in October that textbooks for the first-year syllabus of MBBS are being prepared in the Tamil language and that once ready, and subject to approval from the Centre, the State will take steps to begin a Tamil medium college in Chennai for medicine. This is […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 16, December 1-15, 2022

An informed public calls for Transparency in governance, not Translucence

-- by A Special Correspondent

What do the Smart Cities Mission and the proposed airport at Parandur have in common? A lack of transparency. In August, the Davidar Committee – a one-man panel led by retired IAS office PWC Davidar – submitted a report to Chief Minister MK Stalin concerning the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission projects in Tamil […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 16, December 1-15, 2022

Short ‘N’ Snappy

-- MMM

‘Lifting’ The Spirit It is very easy to get dispirited when you are dealing with Government agencies. At least that is the experience of The Man from Madras Musings, which is why he prefers to keep his interactions with the powers that be to a bare minimum. But then these are times when MMM finds […]

• Vol. XXXII No. 16, December 1-15, 2022

Our Readers Write

Vincent’s Jottings Watching shoppers is an education in itself – it is food for writing. And so my favourite part about the Smart City-ed parts of Pondy Bazaar is the provision of street furniture. The sidewalks in Pondy Bazaar are so wide that one gets a decent mid-range and long-range view of the environs – […]