Friday, May 30, 2003
Friday, May 30, 2003 |
| Southern States | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Southern States
-
Tamil Nadu-Chennai
By R. Sujatha
In the 300-year old heritage building, known among students as Chennai's own Red Fort, anatomy classes are held. Zero Hall, an impressive classroom of the Triumphants' 99, is a pointer to the desperate condition of classrooms. Today, the tall windows of this room have netlon and a new coat of paint, though the workmanship leaves much to be desired. The hall has been repainted and classes can now be held, but the wiring outside has not been attended to. The room was named Zero Hall, after it became the control room for college culturals. Students say their professors recalled that they were interviewed by authorities for medical seats. Later, the Indian Council of Medical Research conducted its monthly meeting but the hall was abandoned about 15 years ago and rumour has it that it was used to sell handloom saris! Today, thanks to MMC students, the hall has been restored and the tiered seating arrangement capable of housing 200 students is still the pride of the students. The restoration came at a price. The classroom was to be used by the MBBS final year students. Rubbish is still heaped at the entrance to the hall. Even teachers dreaded coming into the room. Plasters were falling off the roof and professors refused to take classes. Lockers, provided for students' use in the room had been in disuse for many years. When the college authorities cited lack of funds, the students decided to help themselves. The final year students of the '99 batch and the first year students of this year's batch contributed Rs. 100 each. The rest of the renovation cost of Rs. 75,000, came from the alumni of the college. Funds for the College Welfare Committee come from students' fees but that was not enough. The undergraduate students' library is an apology for a room. The false ceiling leaks, and more than half the chairs do not have cushions or back rests. The room has half a dozen window air-conditioners but they do not function and the library cannot be used much. Several tube light holders are empty and fans don't function efficiently. Books are stored atop shelves in a haphazard fashion in the reading room. One of the better classrooms is in the physiology department. The benches in the first two rows are broken and have no seats but the room was used as an exam hall during the medical entrance examination. A tube light has been replaced with a 60 watt bulb. A few years ago, the reading hall of the postgraduate and the undergraduate medical students was converted into an ENT block for the GH. Students say, house surgeons and professors working in the hospital trek through the hospital to the library in the college and use the rest room because there are none in the hospital. Because the college is within the precincts of the GH, where there are number of people moving around, security is inadequate. Last Saturday, a professor's car was broken into and valuables were taken away. Visitors to the GH have made the college campus a resting place.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
