Latest news with #Thangaraj


Time of India
18-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Elusive warbler spotted in Ladakh after 46-year gap
Elusive warbler At an elevation of 3,200 metres, Ladakh's rugged mountain sweep in the backdrop, a group of five sat huddled and listened intently to the 'click-clickclick' captured in a recording. The insect-like call was proof that one of the most elusive bird species they had come looking for was there. Visual proof came soon enough, making July 15 the day when a confirmed sighting of the long-billed bush warbler would be recorded after 46 years, in a thicket in Kargil's Suru Valley. The last time the bird (Locustella Major) was seen was also in Ladakh in 1979, when a group of birders from Southampton University were on a tour (1977-80) to chronicle avian fauna. Between 1979 and now, one more sighting of the longbilled bush warbler was documented when ornithologist James Eaton spotted it in Naltar Valley of GilgitBaltistan in 2023. The current expedition by five birders – Harish Thangaraj, Lt Gen Bhupesh Goyal, Manjula Desai, Rigzin Nubu and Irfan Jeelani — was planned specifically to spot this warbler. Team leader Thangaraj told TOI the group 'has years and years of experience sighting birds' and 'what we are now looking for are 'lost birds' – that were spotted decades ago but were never seen since'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This Feb, the group had made another expedition in search of the bird but failed to spot it. 'We searched in Gurez and Tulail valleys at altitudes between 2,400m and 2,800m. But it yielded no results, possibly because of altitude mismatch,' Thangaraj said, referring to the Gilgit-Baltistan sighting, which was at a higher reach. After the unsuccessful attempt, the group stepped up research and got in touch with Eaton. It was the Malaysia-based American ornithologist who steered them on the right path – in this case, near terraced fields surrounded by rumex and gooseberry shrubs at Sankoo in Suru. 'The bird was found in a willow amidst terraced fields. It's the first time it has been seen on a willow, which will now be added to its known habitats,' Thangaraj told TOI . At 3,200 metres, this is also the highest recorded altitude at which the bird has been seen. Classified as 'near threatened' by International Union for Conservation of Nature, long-billed bush warblers were commonly seen in Ladakh and GilgitBaltistan till the 1930s. In the decades since, birding expeditions were sparse. In 2015, Eaton wrote, birder Shashank Dalvi sighted two warblers in Suru, but it was too brief for him to take a picture. 'Expansion of settlements combined with climate change, could be pushing the birds to go higher,' Thangaraj said. Pankaj Gupta, a Delhi Bird Society member who was not part of the expedition, said the 'rediscovery' of the bird is 'nothing short of extraordinary'. 'It reminds us how much remains hidden in our fragmented landscapes, and how urgent it is to protect these last remaining pockets of wilderness,' Gupta said.


Time of India
17-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Elusive warbler spotted in Ladakh, its first official sighting in 46 years
Gurgaon: At an elevation of 3,200 metres, Ladakh's rugged mountain sweep in the backdrop, a group of five sat huddled and listened intently to the 'click-click-click' captured in a recording. The insect-like call was proof that one of the most elusive bird species they had come looking for was there. Visual proof came soon enough, making July 15 the day when a confirmed sighting of the long-billed bush warbler would be recorded after 46 years. The tiny brown bird was trilling from a thicket in Kargil's Suru Valley. The last time the bird (Locustella Major) was seen was also in Ladakh in 1979, when a group of birders from Southampton University were on a tour (1977-80) to chronicle the region's avian fauna. Between 1979 and now, only one more sighting of the long-billed bush warbler was documented when ornithologist James Eaton spotted it in Naltar Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2023. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon The current expedition to Ladakh by five birders – Harish Thangaraj, Lt Gen Bhupesh Goyal, Manjula Desai, Rigzin Nubu and Irfan Jeelani -- was planned specifically to spot this rare warbler. Team leader Thangaraj told TOI the group "has years and years of experience sighting birds" and "what we are now looking for are 'lost birds' – that were spotted decades ago but were never seen since". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "There are more such birds on our list," he added. Earlier this year, in Feb, the group had made another expedition in search of the bird but failed to spot it. "We searched in Gurez and Tulail valleys at altitudes between 2,400m and 2,800m. But it yielded no results, possibly because of altitude mismatch," Thangaraj said, referring to the Gilgit-Baltistan sighting, which was at a higher reach. After the first unsuccessful attempt, the group stepped up research and got in touch with Eaton for an insight into the warbler's habitat. It was the Malaysia-based ornithologist's knowledge that steered them on the right path – in this case, near terraced fields surrounded by rumex and gooseberry shrubs at Sankoo in Suru Valley. "Eventually, the bird was found in a willow amidst terraced fields. It's the first time the warbler has been seen on a willow, which will now be added to its known habitats," Thangaraj told TOI. At 3,200 metres, this is also the highest recorded altitude at which the bird has been seen. Classified as 'near threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), long-billed bush warblers were commonly seen in Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan till the 1930s. In the decades since, the area received very little attention, and birding expeditions were sparse. In 2015, Eaton wrote, birder Shashank Dalvi sighted two warblers in Suru, but it was too brief for him to take a picture. "Expansion of habitation and settlements in the lower altitudes, combined with climate change, could be pushing the birds to go higher up," Thangaraj said. Lt Gen Goyal said he hopes the sighting will set the birding community aflutter. "I believe this expedition will inspire birders to find lost birds," he said. Pankaj Gupta, a Delhi Bird Society member who was not part of the expedition, said the "rediscovery" of the bird is "nothing short of extraordinary". "It reminds us how much remains hidden in our fragmented landscapes, and how urgent it is to protect these last remaining pockets of wilderness," Gupta said.


New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN Milk & Diary dept's ‘White Wave' scheme to turn sick milk co-operative societies profitable
COIMBATORE: The Milk and Dairy Development department has joined hands with educational institutions to revive sick co-operative societies and make them profitable under the 'Mission White Wave' project. Minister for Dairy and Milk Development T Mano Thangaraj on Friday inaugurated in Coimbatore city the first training workshop on the pilot project. MoUs in this regard were signed by the Aavin and two private management education institutes 'There are 1,365 non-functional milk societies in the state. In order to restructure them, two educational institutions, Ratnam Educational Group and Kumaraguru Educational Group, will jointly implement the project. MBA students will be selected from these institutions. Training on cooperative societies will be provided to them in a systematic manner,' the minister said. Addressing the press after inaugurating the workshop on Friday, Thangaraj said steps will be taken to restructure societies into profitable societies by working with the private educational institutions for a period of three months, he stated. The minister added that the project will be expanded throughout Tamil Nadu if it is successful, and this will increase milk production, sales of dairy products and the activities of Aavin. He further said that the department has planned to open more Aavin sales centres in rural areas. 'There are 9,232 milk producers' cooperative societies in Tamil Nadu. Steps are being taken to convert all of these into profit-making societies,' the minister said.


The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Guest lecturers concerned over low remuneration for attending faculty development programmes
Guest lecturers in government arts and science colleges have expressed concern over being repeatedly assigned to attend the faculty development programme (FDP) under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme for low remuneration and have suggested that the authorities should regulate the upskilling initiative with a higher allowance. 'The FDP is held to re-train teachers and equip them with the skills and knowledge to deal with the new generation of students and subjects in Naan Mudhalvan. While we appreciate the initiative, we have noticed that many institutions are giving their guest lecturers the task of attending the six-day programme, with a daily allowance of ₹250. This amount is not sufficient to cover even the travel cost of commuting to the training centres,' V. Thangaraj, state president, Tamil Nadu All Government College UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association, told The Hindu. 'Guest lecturers are already working for lesser pay, and are sanctioned salaries only for 11 months of the year. Pressuring them to attend FDPs on such a low allowance is not fair,' said Mr. Thangaraj. A Lalgudi-based teacher, who recently attended an FDP session on the Khajamalai campus of Bharathidasan University in Tiruchi, said: 'We have to spend out of our pocket, because the allowance is sanctioned only a few months after the FDP. The authorities could increase the amount to ₹500 to make it more affordable for participants,' said . 'It takes at least two hours for us to reach the training facility, especially if we are travelling by bus,' he added. Some guest lecturers said they were being singled out by their institutions to attend the FDPs, while permanent staff were being excused. Mr. Thangaraj also suggested that laptops could be commissioned for all teaching staff, as it would streamline their work, especially in conjunction with Naan Mudhalvan requirements. 'At present, teachers who do not own a laptop are made to share computer terminals during the FDPs. Most of our work is digitalised these days. Laptops will help us to do it better,' said a teacher.


The Hindu
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Focus on sustainable agriculture that is profitable and environmentally friendly, says Minister
With many farmers moving away from agriculture, there is a need to focus on sustainable farming that is both profitable and environmentally friendly, said Minister for Milk and Dairy Development Mano Thangaraj at the valedictory of the Tamil Nadu Climate Smart Dairy Entrepreneurship Programme at the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas) in Chennai on Monday. Mr. Thangaraj said loans would be made available to all farmers across Tamil Nadu, and that plans were being developed to ensure that all cooperative societies operate profitably. He added that a review was under way to optimise the use of the 2,500 veterinarians in the Animal Husbandry Department and to enhance the research capabilities of Tanuvas. As many as 112 dairy entrepreneurs went through a three-month training in breeding, nutrition, housing, animal health, and milk value addition as part of the Climate Smart Dairy Entrepreneurship Programme conducted by the Kumaraguru Institutions and the Environmental Defense Fund. Shankar Vanavarayar, president of Kumaraguru Institutions, said true rural transformation would begin when farmers became entrepreneurs. As part of the programme, around 40 entrepreneurs went on a 'Dairy Yatra', a 6,000-km cross-country learning expedition through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. The participants gained first-hand exposure to innovative dairy practices from the lush pastures of Coimbatore to the arid landscapes of Rajasthan, said Thanammal Ravichandran, programme manager, Kumaraguru Institutions. Mr. Thangaraj, along with K.N. Narendra Babu, Vice-Chancellor, TANUVAS, presented certificates to the dairy entrepreneurs.