MM XXVII No. 22.Pmd

Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE G Short ‘N’ Snappy G IE’s Golden Jubilee G Hosting social service G 1813 Medi-catalogue G Two pages on books WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXVII No. 22 March 1-15, 2018 G The Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai in Fort St. George when it was first built (above left) and with ‘Chola’ embellishments in the new Millennium (above right) to make it look more heritage-oriented. And on right is how a refurbished building is maintained. The sad, sad state of Fort St. George G by A Special Correspondent he Government now in power is one that swears by the words, deeds and ideology of the late J. TJayalalithaa, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. And she was of the view that Fort St. George was the rightful place from where our State was to be ad- ministered. If so, why is the Fort in such a shabby condition with State not in Top Three on any no maintenance of any kind? A recent visit to that historic pre- eriodic independent sur- known for several original ini- cinct shows that matters have Pveys, such as the one pub- parameter tiatives to motivate completion only taken a turn for the worse lished by India Today at the end of school education through in the last two years. of last year throw some light on all the first ranks for ten param- ranks on even one of the param- free provision of text books, Of course, the Tamil Nadu the comparative performances eters. These States are eters. It is not a good sign that it uniform, laptop computers, Government is not the sole oc- of States – and of interest to us, Himachal, Kerala, Uttara- has fallen into the bottom half footwear, bus passes and nutri- cupant/owner of the place. As Tamil Nadu – on the social and khand, Andhra Pradesh, in respect of education, gover- tious noon meals. Education is well known, the Archaeologi- economic fronts, but caution is Haryana, Punjab and Telan- nance and economy. It is within has been receiving steadily in- cal Survey, the Army, the Navy, necessary in reading too much gana. It is interesting to specu- five ranks only in respect of creasing funds in the Budget, the Legislature and St. Mary’s into them. late whether compactness has Infrastructure, Law & Order, the share of total expenditure Church are all in occupation of The study covers eleven been a critical contributory fac- and Health. remaining constant at 15 per the Fort, apart from the Gov- criteria for ranking States and cent of a rising revenue. While ernment. But the last named comparing improvements from G by A Staff Reporter these are material aspects of the can surely set an example and 2010-11 to 2015-16. The pa- system, actual results produced also take the initiative in main- rameters are: Education, Entre- by it, in terms of improvement tenance. That it is not doing so tor for ensuring higher gover- It is surprising that Educa- preneurship, Environment, nance standards and more ef- tion has been cited as an aspect in mental skills and communi- is more than evident from the Inclusive Development, Infra- cation ability, are not in keep- general shabbiness that pre- fective implementation through in which Tamil Nadu, in this structure, Law & Order, Tour- greater physical proximity en- study, has scored a rank as low ing with the efforts put in. The vails. How else can you explain ism, Agriculture, Governance, “output” by the Government this eight-foot ramp of rubbish hancing accountability. Large as 14 out of 21. Earlier studies Economy and Health. states like Maharashtra, Tamil have shown that the literacy cannot be faulted, but the “out- that has been built up at the The study divides States come” is disappointing – the rear of the Namakkal Kavignar Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh rate in the State is 73.4 per cent broadly as large and small, the and Karnataka that account for in 2011 compared to the na- two terms representing the Maligai (please see accompany- latter comprising ten states like quantitative and qualitative ing picture)? With such a tower 46 per cent of the national GDP tional average of 64.6 per cent. Puducherry, Delhi, Goa, have not done well in compari- Improvement has been re- aspects of effort. The study’s of inflammable material being Mizoram, and Nagaland. criteria also refer only to quan- allowed to accumulate, are we son with the relatively smaller corded on teacher-pupil ratio Among the “large” states are of the “large” category. from one teacher per 28 pupils titative aspects that we have not laying the whole Fort open the relatively smaller ones in enumerated to show why Tamil to a fire disaster? Let’s face it, if Out of eleven parameters in 2010-11 to one per 19 in terms of population and territo- and 21 competing “large” states, 2012-13, compared to the na- Nadu’s physical output cannot such an event were to occur, rial expanse, like Kerala and be considered inadequate. If God forbid, it would not be the Tamil Nadu has figured in the tional ratio of one per 25 pupils. Uttarakhand. This distinction top half in respect of seven The drop-out rate is low at 1.20 other States produced more first heritage precinct to catch emerges from the fact that such employable pupils than Tamil fire in our city, owing to neglect. parameters, but has not been per cent in the primary level relatively smaller states in the able to capture either the first and 1.74 per cent at the upper Nadu it is worth knowing how (Continued on page 2) “large” category have cornered rank or one of the first three primary level. Tamil Nadu is (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS March 1-15, 2018 The sad state of the Fort In which MMM ages is still being used as an office! here comes a time when Club rolling off their chairs, left dents. It is a task for younger (Continued from page 1) Tage suddenly catches up his hearers stone cold. It soon people. To what purpose is the ASI’s with all of us. And so it has sank into MMM that the group But do we want that to happen sparkling maintenance of its with The Man from Madras had never heard of Austen. He The Chief’s book in the centre of administration office (Clive House) when the Musings, who until recently then changed tacks and began of our Government? rest of what it is supposed to was of the view that he was a mentioning other authors in nd so the Chief comes out If that is the fate of what is protect is run down so badly? young man on the threshold of quick succession Charlotte Awith yet another book under the control of our Execu- The Army for its part ap- life. That he was not so came Bronte, George Elliot, Charles this one on Indian English. tive and the Legislature, what is pears to have redeemed itself home to him rather brutally, Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse, The Man from Madras Musings with the Archaeological Survey somewhat in comparison to the when he, in answer to an invi- Agatha Christie& no, there is yet to get his copy but he is no better. Clive’s Corner, in- tation, went to inaugurate a was not a reaction. What about speculates if the following agencies mentioned above. Of terms will be in it: augurated with much fanfare a course, its King’s Barracks is as literary club at a medical J.K. Rowling? Though MMM college in the city. cannot claim to be a fan, she Cannot able to – this is a few years ago, is now mostly bad as ever but the rest of the The teachers were effusive being a top-ranking author of relatively recent addition to locked and when opened buildings that it occupies are in their welcome and several the present generation, he English and has not yet made reveals a musty room full of very clean and well maintained. came up and said that they thought she would strike a it to the Thesaurus and the peeling plaster. The Army has also barricaded read everything that MMM chord. But no. In desperation Oxford English Dictionary The last house on Snob’s the roads surrounding Parade wrote. He fervently hopes that MMM turned to the Bard of which have over the years Alley lost some chunks of itself Square to prevent access by they will give this particular Avon and asked the students if absorbed most ungrammatical in the rains of last year and the Government cars. This has instalment a miss, by the way. they had heard of Shakespeare. usage as being perfectly all rest remains supported on steel freed up the walking space But then they may not and that There was deathly silence. right. Cannot able to is a replacement for cannot do or rods. The space to the south of around the area to an extent. is one of the risks in writing MMM then decided to speak this column. It may, however, on libraries he had grown up unable to handle something. Snob’s Alley, from where the There are also signs of some re- still be a blessing, for chances with the British Council, the Blunder Mistake – this casual visitor could walk across pair work beginning in a few of to the front ramparts of the the large buildings occupied by Fort, now looks like an equato- the Army.

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