Latest news with #Priyan
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Pollachi auto driver's son selected as sub-lieutenant in Indian Navy
Bharatha Priyan G with his parents Coimbatore: Bharatha Priyan G, son of an autorickshaw driver in Pollachi in Coimbatore district, has been selected as a sub-lieutenant in the Indian Navy. Priyan pursued his school education at Palaniammal Higher Secondary School in Anaimalai block of Pollachi. It is a Tamil medium school. 'He could be the only person from the Tamil medium to have been qualified in the current batch of the Indian Navy,' said Priyan's mentor Sub Lt (retd) Sugal Esan. Son of Gnanaselvan and Manonmani, Priyan is the first graduate in the family. He did BE mechatronics engineering at RVS Technical Campus in Coimbatore. Esan said the personality test of the Services Selection Board was the toughest part of the selection process. "Out of every 400 or 500 candidates, only one or two make it through. Bharatha Priyan is one of them.' 'The major criterion is that the candidate should have a strong grasp of English or Hindi. Most north Indian aspirants manage it with Hindi. This was ruled out for Priyan. He managed it with English. In this context, breaking the odds is truly a Herculean task. I appreciate his efforts,' he said. Esan is the commander of Delta Squad, a voluntary disaster rescue squad. Priyan has been associated with Esan since 2023. Priyan was part of two major disaster rescue operations -- during the 2023 floods in Tuticorin and Chennai. Priyan previously had made four failed attempts. He was selected in his fifth attempt. He has to report to the Indian Naval Academy in Kerala's Ezhimala on June 30 for training under the short service commission technical (general service) – engineering branch. Esan said Priyan had received a call letter for an interview in the Indian Army. "If he is selected to the Army, he may resign from the Navy."
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
A Bridge Too Far Gone: How FOB Has Disappeared, Piece By Piece
New Delhi: From afar, the foot overbridge in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri looks like a sturdy facility to cross the busy Outer Ring Road. But up close, missing railings, stripped metal supports and a broken lift tell a grim story. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Open drains, one of them being the Bhalswa drain, flank both sides, while buses, trucks and bikes roar underneath, leaving no margin for error. This vital link to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital and nearby bus stops is slowly disappearing, stolen piece by piece. "We've been navigating this broken bridge for over a year now, it is too dangerous to use it," said a nurse working at the hospital. "After night shifts, we're exhausted. Around noon, we head to the bus stop using the FOB. But in this heat, with no railings and broken stairs, if someone faints or loses balance, they could fall straight onto the road or into the open drain. Still, this is our only route." Another nurse said, "At night, drug users are right at the stairs, you're greeted by them at the very first step. They sit underneath doing drugs. It's dark, phones get stolen, and staff or patients who need to cross have no choice but to risk the speeding traffic below." During a spot check, TOI found used syringes, empty liquor and Avil bottles, and other drug paraphernalia in the bushes at the FOB's entrance. Addicts hide here and strip the bridge for scrap to fund their addiction, turning the daily commute of scores of people into a dangerous, nearly impossible ordeal. Two lifts, one on each side, are lying defunct with their shutters down. The tin sheds have been ripped out, electrical panels are missing, and there's no CCTV or lighting. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Tiles at the entrance are either broken or missing, and the steel side panels have been completely removed or forcibly torn off, clear signs of attempted thefts. "We discontinued the lift service because it became too risky," said an operator. "Just two or three months ago, a man took the lift up and fell straight down. He had to be hospitalised. Since then, the lift has been shut." CCTV cameras, light bulbs and tubelights have also been stolen, leaving the overbridge dark and unsafe at night. "We climb the stairs carefully. My knees hurt, and while I can manage slowly, I need support," said 30-year-old local resident Sonia, holding her 11-year-old son's hand tightly. "Sometimes I have to hold onto the stairs themselves just to go up. The hot winds are strong and the bridge is high, but there's no support. People can feel dizzy and fall." School children living nearby have no option but to navigate a much longer route. "Both my children, one is 11 and the other 6, go to the govt school in EE Block in Jahangirpuri. They have to take a longer route every day just to avoid the FOB. During school hours, with so many students, what if one pushes another by accident? So even in this heat, my children walk much farther just to stay safe," rued Priyanka (30). Another woman in her 60s said, "My son told me that he had almost slipped off the bridge five days ago during the rain. The storm made it so slippery, anyone could fall. There's just nothing to hold on to." The bus stops at both ends are also stripped bare, with seats, shelters, and name and advertisement boards all missing. Responding to a query by TOI, a PWD official said, "The main reason is continuous thefts. PWD is well aware and it will be fixed in a few days." A police officer said that they had heightened patrolling in the area.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Time of India
Three on bike: 13-year-old dies after ramming median
Chennai: A 13-year-old boy died after the bike he was riding crashed into a median at Malayambakkam near Poonamallee on Vandalur-Minjur Outer Ring Road on Monday night. The deceased boy's two friends, aged 10 years, who were riding pillion, suffered serious injuries and are recovering at a private said Priyan, a Class VII student of a private school in Nazarethpet, took the bike of his father Kalaivanan, a 39-year-old cab driver who was out of town on work, picked up his friends Karthikeyan and Mukilan and rode along Vandalur-Minjur Outer Ring Road. None of the three was wearing a helmet. While riding at high speed near Malayambakkam, Priyan lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the median. The impact threw all three boys from the vehicle, leaving them with severe injuries. A few passersby sent them to the govt hospital in Poonamallee where doctors declared Priyan dead on arrival. The two injured boys were later referred to a private hospital where they are undergoing treatment for multiple injuries. The Avadi traffic investigation wing registered a case. Police statistics show that in the past four months, five people were killed and 22 others injured in road accidents caused by minors driving vehicles in Chennai city. Under the amended Motor Vehicles Rules introduced in Chennai in 2022, parents can face up to three years in jail and a fine of 25,000 if their children are found to be involved in an accident. At least 12 parents have been arrested for permitting their children to operate Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents involving underage drivers in the country last year. Of the 11,890 such accidents reported across states and Union territories in 2023–24, Tamil Nadu accounted for the most, with as many as 2,063 cases.
