Student loans and how, PHEROZE L. VINCENT finds out
DOCUMENTS NEEDED
Education records- Banks prefer students with 70 to 80 per cent marks. Carry your mark sheets along.
Proof of admission- Bring your admission letter, course details and duration, details of the university (should be accredited, preferably by a government agency). Admission should be on merit.
Identity- Banks insist on checking your passport, PAN card and proof of age.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Some banks insist that the guarantor be less than 65 years old. They also need proof of her/ his residence.
If you are giving collateral, then it has to be assessed by the bank's accredited assessor, the documents be verified by the bank's lawyer and a non-encumbrance certificate acquired from the sub registrar.
You may be asked to take a life insurance policy.
Banks insist that borrowers be account holders in the bank, living in its vicinity. This is only a guideline and not a reason for denying a loan.
Mahalingam has been hammering me for 15 long years. We met when he came from Tiruchirapalli to make shoes here in Coimbatore. Back then, working out of his shanty in Kamarajapuram, we could produce a dozen pairs a day. Even with a rudimentary anvil like me we could make a profit of 35 per cent.
But after our customers went away to the big footwear outlets, we had to shut shop seven years back. We now work, out of a room in Ramanathapuram, for a local businessman. We have a few direct customers but now we mainly supply shoes to the dealers. Mahalingam and his friend Velu often have to wait long before they get paid. After our boss gets his cut, we make a meagre five per cent profit. No wonder none of their kids want to become cobblers...
Dr. M. N G. Mani tells Pheroze L. Vincent about his mission to win the battles disabled people fight everyday |
Masinagudi reminds me of Malgudi, with its quaint old Mysore charm and the Kannada-laced Tamil spoken by its taxi-men. It is a small dusty town on The Nilgiris border with Karnataka. Small hotels and eateries have come up to cater to tourists who come to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
I'm travelling with British Council's International Climate Champions, an eclectic bunch of youngsters trying to stop climate change.
Our first stop: Indian Institute of Science Research Station, where we meet environment researchers Geetha Ramaswami and Rutuja Chitra- Tarak, who study the dynamics of a dry forest. The Nilgiris mountains boast of four kinds of vegetation: scrub, dry deciduous, moist deciduous and semi evergreen. Masinagudi is in the scrub and dry deciduous part....
http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2010/02/08/stories/2010020850520100.htm
On public demand; here's something I had written a year back for our ACJ lab blog A Chance Journey
Puducherry is home to a wonderful array of cuisines ranging from Vietnamese to Tibetan. The perfect weekend getaway trip, be it spiritual or romantic, is incomplete without enjoying the fine food the town has to offer. A Chance Journey lists five great places for the palate, in and around Pondy, that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
In the fifth place, we have Salem Biriyani on Nidarajapayer Street. Housed in a former customs godown, this place is a must visit for biriyani enthusiasts. What’s unique about this place, apart from the prison cell like chambers where the food is served, is that the biriyani is very different from the popular Hyderabadi or Delhi varieties.
The minimal use of tomato and the small succulent pieces of meat, with their special brinjal curry is the USP of this place. Ponni rice is used instead of Basmati. The taste and the whole theme of the restaurant is rustic, relaxing and proudly Tamil. The Biriyanis ranging from Rs. 50 to 60, are the perfect lunch solution for shoppers who throng the Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nehru Street and Goubert flea markets.
At fourth place we have Lhasa in Auroville. Just along the slope from Auroville bus stop, in Tamil Nadu- 8 km from Pondy, Lhasa is a delightful little thatched restaurant decorated with brilliant Tibetan wall hangings and flags. Run by Tibetan refugees who settled in Auroville in 1959, Lhasa is a popular hangout for college-goers.
The momos are large and the chilly sauce is just perfect. What’s even better is that eight momos cost only Rs. 35. The family that runs the place is very friendly and offers a special soup remedy to customers who look sick. It is impossible to figure out the ingredients of this therapeutic soup and the recipe is a family secret.
Lhasa is the ideal place to stretch your legs after a long day exploring Auroville. The green tea served with jaggery is also very refreshing. What’s unique here is the Tibetan music played, which sounds strangely familiar to old Hindi film tunes.
Coming a close third is Punjabi Dhaba on Sardar Patel Road. Known for its parathas and butter chicken, the Dhaba is run by a Sikh family, out of their apartment. Half a plate of the sinfully-floating-in-butter chicken is enough to feed three. A whole repertoire of parathas, made with potatoes, fenugreek and radish are served, also with butter floating on them. It is an excellent place for the health-carefree to dine. The complimentary mango pickle is coveted by most customers.
Ranked second is China Garden on Lal Bahadur Street. It is an elegant place just above the Baker Street bakery. The owners, from China Town, Kolkata, play western pop music and the Anglo-Indian and Gorkha waiters are more than willing to chat about anything from local politics to the best watering holes in the city. The servings are particularly generous and the food is not too spicy. Tipplers from Bussy Bar, across the street, love to gorge over the exquisite pork served here.
The crowning glory of the Garden is the lemon grass soup. The soup is a potent concoction with finely chopped lemon grass floating in it. It is an excellent appetiser and feels almost magical.
Standing tall at rank one is Aristo on Nehru Street. Do not be deceived by the small blue signboard. Aristo offers wonderful Mughlai and Deccan cuisine. The service is really good. It is particularly famous for its biriyanis and mutton dishes.
On the mezzanine floor, there is a French restaurant called Aristo Garden. This place boasts of the best affordable authentic French and colonial Vietnamese cuisine in town. The soups are works of culinary art. The steaks are also excellent. No liquor or wine is served here.
What’s wonderful about these places is that they are rarely crowded. They have a limited, loyal clientele and the service is always good. These family run restaurants feel just like home.
T.Narendra Rao,
General Secretary,
Water Transport Workers Federation of India,
Camp at: Mormugoa, dated: 20.01.2010. at 0800Hrs.
Dear Comrades,
First of all I would like to inform you all that the Historical wage settlement of the Port & Dock workers was at last signed on 19.01.2010 at Goa at exactly 12.30 Hrs of Indian Standard time. The lengthy process of wage negotiation which was started before 36 months and at last after 26 rounds of BWNC discussion has come to end and finally it was achieved with all of your co-operation and blessings. Really it is a good settlement for the Port & Dock workers of this Era.
However, there is a small itch, out of 5 recognized Federations, 4 Federation leaders have already signed the settlement papers including this Federation. The HMS (Kulakarni) federation did not sign the settlement so fact. Anyway, we hope the best, they will also be signing very shortly, they are waiting for word from their leader Mr.S.R.Kulkarni who is sick and staying at Mumbai.
But the reason which they are telling to their grass rood level cadres is different. That is the management is not providing the pay for the employees who got the promotion. However, the management, has circulated three model calculations of wage fixation for the employees who are getting promotions and method of their wage fixation other Public Sector Undertakings like M/s. Shipping Corporation of Indi a, M/s. Dredging Corporation of India and M/s. Cochin Ship Yard Limited, these three public sectors are coming under the purview of Shipping Ministry.
Any way the agreement is implementable by the Ministry, the sources from the Labour Department said. Because out of 12 BWNC members, 7 members have already signed the document. All efforts would be taken by the Port Management to pay the arrear amount within 60 days from the dagte of signing this settlement, copy of the original settlement papers would be sent to you after obtaininf the official documents from the Indian Ports Association, because they will give the papers only after obtaining the signatures from the HMS Federation.
Other details would be communicated as and when there is communication from IPA.
Thanking you all, with kind regards,
T.Narendra Rao,
General Secretary,
