Dr. Meena Kandasamy to deliver PP Gomathi Memorial Oration 2024 in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The P. P. Gomathi Memorial Education Trust, in collaboration with the Karnataka Theological Research Institute, will host the PP Gomathi Memorial Oration 2024 on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 3:00 PM. The event will take place at Sahodaya, Mission Compound, Balmatta, Mangaluru.
Dr. Meena Kandasamy, renowned poet, writer, translator, anti-caste activist, and academic, described by The Independent as a "one-woman, agit-prop literary-political movement," will deliver the oration titled Writing as Resistance.
The annual lecture honours the legacy of Prof. P. P. Gomathi, who served as the Principal of Besant College for Women, Mangaluru. Following her retirement in 1984, Prof. Gomathi dedicated herself to the National Women’s Education Society, Mangaluru, until her passing in October 2014. She envisioned a world free from discrimination and believed in incremental efforts to achieve an equitable society. The Trust established in her memory provides scholarships of ₹1,00,000 annually to academically outstanding yet economically underprivileged girl students. It also organises lectures featuring prominent scholars and activists.
Dr. Meena Kandasamy, born in Chennai in 1984, is celebrated for her impactful contributions to literature and activism. Her works, such as The Gypsy Goddess, When I Hit You: Or, The Portrait of the Writer As A Young Wife, and Exquisite Cadavers, have received international acclaim. She has translated key works on Dalit liberation and feminism and recently published The Book of Desire, a feminist reinterpretation of Tamil classical poetry.
Dr. Kandasamy holds a PhD in sociolinguistics and has been recognised globally for her work, including her election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the PEN Hermann Kesten Prize in 2022.
Past speakers at the memorial oration include Dr. G. N. Devy, Prof. Niveditha Menon, and Vidwan T M Krishna. Last year, Dr. Sindhu Manjesh delivered the oration titled News Media in India: A Health Report, with a Special Focus on Prognosis.
The event is open to the public.
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Statewide ban on IV Ringer Lactate usage: Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru: In response to the deaths of postnatal women at Ballari District Hospital, the Karnataka government has temporarily suspended the use of IV Ringer Lactate solution across the state as a precautionary measure, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Saturday.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the minister explained that doubts about the quality of the IV solution had arisen, prompting the decision. He clarified that Ringer Lactate, along with glucose solutions, has been routinely used in hospitals for years. However, out of the 192 batches supplied by the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society, concerns were raised regarding two specific batches.
"In light of these concerns, we stopped the use of all 192 batches as a precaution. Following this, the supplying company obtained a High Court order for testing, and the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) conducted an analysis. The CDL report confirmed the usability of the solution, allowing the state to form a technical committee to review and permit the use of certain batches that met quality standards. Despite this, doubts have surfaced specifically at Ballari District Hospital," the minister stated.
To address these concerns, the batches supplied to Ballari Hospital have been sent for anaerobic testing to determine whether the IV solution contributed to the deaths. The test results are expected within a week, after which a final decision on the use of IV Ringer Lactate will be made.
"Until then, we have issued directives to hospitals statewide to suspend the use of IV Ringer Lactate. Every life is important to us, and precautionary measures are essential when suspicions arise," Gundu Rao emphasised.
