![](https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/1ilk3c/article65420281.ece/alternates/FREE_660/17MA_Campus_SSM.jpg)
A learning experience
Under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, SSM Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dindigul visited Ayyampalayam from April 25 to May 2 in seven batches of 60 students each. In this place, S.P. Jothi, a social worker, has initiated agriculture promotional activities and training programmes for women to improve their socio-economic status. The students visited organic farms, oil press mills, fields with drip and sprinkler irrigation, bio gas plant, check dams, automatic weather station and greenhouse.
On news delivery
FM radio stations have become popular, said ‘Savithra’ Rajaram, Programme Coordinator, All India Radio-Madurai. Addressing a workshop on ‘Techniques on news gathering and news delivery,’ conducted by the Tamil Department of Gandhigram Rural University recently, he said a media person must be neutral, must report only the bare facts and an expert in his beat. A radio jockey or an announcer must make effective use of diction and modulation - the choice of words and raising and lowering the pitch to suit the occasion and subject. Earlier, HoD O. Muthiah welcomed the gathering. Guest lecturer N. Sankaranarayanan proposed the vote of thanks.
The epigraphy students did a study on archaeological sites at Paaadiyur, Ezhuthupparai, Pattanikoil, Karattupatti and Dindigul Rockfort. They found shards and pieces of bones at the entrance of the Naicker-era fort ruins near Akkamma Temple off Seelapadi. During their visit to the Padmagireeswarar Temple on the Rockfort campus, HoD O. Muthiah and guest faculty - K. Siva, S. Rajesh Kanna, Kottaipatti Ramaiyan, Satish of Pasumai FM gave additional details to the students
Funds sanctioned
The Department of Biotechnology, (DBT) New Delhi has approved and sanctioned ₹3.50 crore to the Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, to establish a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Centre (BIC) for a period of five years. The objectives of the BIC centre is to create and maintain sophisticated Bioinformatics resources and conduct workshops/hands-on-training programmes for the benefit of researchers and aspiring students and teachers, especially from the rural background. It is the first university in Tamil Nadu to establish this BIC Centre. Both the BIC Centre and National Networking Project was proposed and initiated by the Project Coordinator and Principal Investigator J. Jeyakanthan, Head, Department of Bioinformatics. Prof. Sanjeev Kumar Singh and Asst. Prof. M. Karthikeyan are the other Co-Principal Investigators.