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India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Men should rule: Kerala actor's sexist rant after film body elects woman head
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) recently created history by electing actor Shwetha Menon as its first female president and actor Cuckoo Parameswaran as general secretary. But the landmark moment was swiftly clouded by controversy after veteran actor Kollam Thulasi made shockingly sexist remarks during the Thulasi, the AMMA veteran notorious for pseudoscience rants and incendiary remarks during the Sabarimala row, stirred fresh outrage with his latest comments on women, suggesting their "position" in addressing the media at the association's milestone celebration, he belittled the achievement, saying, 'They say women will rule, we say men will rule. We have to wait and see what happens. Men should rule, right? Women should always be beneath us. Isn't it? Go use that (for views). Men should always be above women. Isn't it?" His remarks, widely slammed as misogynistic, drew flak for undermining the very milestone his organisation was marking. Thulasi later dismissed the statement as a 'joke', saying, "Now they will become my enemies. I was just joking'.However, the backlash has reignited conversations around the alleged deep-rooted sexism in Malayalam remarks come at a time when AMMA is already under scrutiny, following the Justice Hema Committee report that exposed systemic exploitation and discrimination against women in the Malayalam film industry. Alongside Menon and Parameswaran, actors Jayan Cherthala and Lakshmi Priya were elected as vice-presidents, with Ansiba Hasan as joint secretary and Unni Sivapal as treasurer. The executive committee includes actors Sarayu, Vinu Mohan, Tiny Tom, Neena Kurup, Santhosh Keezhattoor, Dr Rony David Raj, Sijoy Varghese, Joy Mathew, Anjaly Nair, and Asha have been tasked with restoring credibility to AMMA after its previous leadership stepped down amid sexual misconduct several members, including actor Asif Ali, hailed the new leadership as a chance for inclusivity and reconciliation, Kollam Thulasi's words have cast a shadow over AMMA's fresh start.- Ends
International Business Times
01-07-2025
- Health
- International Business Times
Transforming Healthcare Through AI: Deepan Thulasi's Strategic Approach to Patient-Provider Matching
Deepan Vishal Thulasi Vel has spent over twelve years developing AI-driven solutions that address critical inefficiencies in healthcare and insurance operations. His work at Cigna has focused on creating machine learning models that improve patient-provider matching and enhance transparency in healthcare recommendations. Thulasi's provider ranking model was instrumental in enhancing the Cigna provider directory, ensuring that patients received the most accurate and relevant search results. His team, 'Brighter Match,' won the Cigna Technical Project of the Year award in 2021, recognizing the measurable impact of AI implementation on healthcare service delivery. The core challenge Thulasi addressed was straightforward but complex: how to efficiently connect patients with appropriate healthcare providers while ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining user trust in automated systems. AI-Driven Provider Recommendation Engine Development The machine learning model Thulasi developed at Cigna incorporated multiple data sources to create personalized provider recommendations. The system analyzed patient medical history, geographic preferences, provider specialization data, and historical patient satisfaction metrics to generate ranked provider lists. The recommendation engine utilized predictive modeling techniques to identify optimal patient-provider matches based on compatibility factors including medical conditions, treatment preferences, and accessibility requirements. This approach represented a significant advancement over traditional alphabetical or proximity-based provider listings. The system's architecture included feedback loops that enabled continuous learning from patient interactions and outcomes. As users engaged with the platform and provided satisfaction ratings, the algorithm refined its understanding of successful matching criteria, improving recommendation accuracy over time. Explainable AI Implementation in Healthcare Thulasi's work emphasized the development of explainable AI (XAI) systems that provide transparent reasoning for their recommendations. In healthcare applications, regulatory compliance and user trust require AI systems to articulate the logic behind their decisions rather than functioning as black-box algorithms. The provider recommendation system included justification mechanisms that explained ranking decisions in terms of relevant factors: provider specialization alignment, geographic accessibility, availability patterns, and comparative patient satisfaction data. This transparency enabled both patients and healthcare administrators to understand and validate AI-generated recommendations. Implementation of explainable AI proved critical for regulatory compliance in the heavily regulated healthcare industry. The system's ability to provide clear audit trails and decision rationales facilitated integration with existing compliance frameworks while maintaining HIPAA requirements and other healthcare data protection standards. Corporate Client Retention Analytics Thulasi developed predictive models to identify corporate clients at risk of terminating their insurance contracts. In the business-to-business insurance market, client retention directly impacts revenue stability, as losing major corporate accounts can result in the simultaneous loss of thousands of individual covered members. The retention analytics system processed multiple data streams including service utilization patterns, claim processing metrics, customer service interaction frequency, and satisfaction survey responses. Machine learning algorithms identified early indicators of client dissatisfaction that might not be apparent through traditional account management approaches. These predictive models provided account management teams with specific insights about factors driving potential client defection, enabling proactive intervention strategies. According to industry analysis, AI-driven client retention approaches can improve retention rates by 15-25% when effectively integrated with account management processes. Background and Retail Experience Before transitioning to healthcare AI, Thulasi developed recommendation engines for retail companies including Bed Bath & Beyond and Toys R Us. This experience in personalization and customer behavior analysis proved valuable when applied to healthcare provider matching, where understanding patient preferences and satisfaction patterns became critical for system effectiveness. Innovation and Industry Impact Recognition of Thulasi's contributions extends beyond internal awards. His work has led to patent-pending innovations in AI-driven healthcare solutions, representing advances in how AI systems can optimize healthcare service delivery while maintaining transparency and regulatory compliance. Thulasi's approach demonstrates the practical application of machine learning technologies to address operational inefficiencies while maintaining user trust. His focus on measurable impact improved search accuracy, reduced administrative burden, and enhanced client retention provides evidence that AI implementation in healthcare can deliver concrete business value. The provider recommendation systems and retention analytics models he developed represent scalable approaches that other healthcare organizations can adapt for their operational requirements. His emphasis on explainable AI and quantifiable results provides a framework for effective AI implementation in regulated healthcare environments.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Building free houses for poor students: Udupi's Yakshagana Kalaranga shows the way
: A II PU student Thulasi who lost her parents sometime ago was in mixed mood when Yakshagana Kalaranga of Udupi got her a new house built for free, through a donor, about two months ago. The house built in about three months at her native place Aadrugoli near Kirimanjeshwara in Udupi district was opened on March 3. It was the 66th free house built by the Kalaranga for poor students in the district. In all, 70 free houses were got built since the Kalaranga launched the free housing project in 2012 for poor students enrolled under its Vidyaposhak initiative. All the houses were built through donors. The 70th house built for pre-university student M. N. Varada of Golihole, near Byndoor, was inaugurated on May 2. 'Another 20 houses are in the pipeline. Of them, 10 houses will be built by June 15,' Murali Kadekar, secretary of the Kalaranga, told The Hindu. Promoting education, Yakshagana The Kalaranga is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of Yakshagana and education. Its Vidyaposhak initiative launched in 2005 provides students facilities like scholarships, textbooks, book-bank scheme, health check-up and medical facilities, and free coaching for meritorious students from economically weaker families. Students, mainly from Kannada medium, securing 80% and above in Class 10 and residing in Udupi district are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Construction of houses for Vidyaposhak students who live in dilapidated/thatch-roofed houses without any amenities is a humanitarian support extended by the Kalaranga. Mr. Kadekar said that a team of volunteers of Kalaranga visited the houses of applicants to assess the need for scholarships. While doing so they identified the need for houses for students. M. Gangadhar Rao, president of Kalaranga, said that the organisation had got two types of housing models, single bedroom and double bedroom. The houses were built based on the need of students. Each house is built through a donor. Donors from middle class 'A majority of donors are from the middle class and are those who have experienced the pains of poverty in their lifetime. Such donors connect to the needs of poor families easily,' Mr. Rao said, adding that a temple priest in Udupi too donated his savings for building a house. The construction cost varied from a minimum of ₹4 lakh to a maximum of ₹7 lakh, Mr. Kadekar said, adding that all the houses had tile roofs and the built-up area of each house varied from 450 sq ft to 500 sq ft. Kalaranga provided a table and two chairs to each house. 'A majority of houses have been built for girl students as donors opt for building houses to girls facing housing issues,' Mr. Rao said. Thulasi, a II PU student, said, 'My family lost the house in heavy winds and rains in 2017. Later, we were living in a small room. Now, I live with my grandmother and sister in the new house built by Kalaranga. It is of great help. I don't have words to explain my happiness.'
