Latest news with #Velusamy
Time of India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
From mileage to mayday: Why Indian car buyers are now obsessed with safety stars
Live Events Carmakers Investing in Safety R&D (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a car market long dominated by affordability, safety is emerging as the best-performing driver. Five-star Bharat NCAP-rated vehicles made up 15% of all passenger vehicle sales in the country in the first four months of 2025 — up from 10% during January-April 2024 — as Indian car buyers increasingly prioritise protection over mileage and upfront of models with top-tier safety ratings rose 12% year-on-year in 2024, when overall car sales increased 4.3%, according to data from automotive research firm Jato Dynamics. 'Safety is now a top purchase driver,' said Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato are racing to respond to this behaviour change. Safety features like six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock braking systems (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and ISOFIX child seat mounts — all considered luxuries till recently — are rapidly becoming stricter norms in recent years — the latest government mandate requires six airbags in passenger vehicles by October 2025 — is accelerating the trend. But the main driver is demand. 'Buyers place a high value on safety, often gauging it by the number of airbags offered,' said R. Velusamy, president, automotive technology and product development, Mahindra & are looking for two key safety components: advanced features to prevent accidents, and strong crash-test ratings to ensure protection in case of an accident. 'This growing emphasis on safety is reflected in our sales performance too,' Velusamy of Mahindra's latest models — the XEV 9e, BE.6, Thar ROXX, XUV 3XO, and XUV 400 — secured five-star ratings under Bharat NCAP (new car assessment programme) in NCAP, the indigenous vehicle crash testing and safety rating system launched in 2023, has helped increase safety awareness among car buyers.'We are communicating to our customers that a few thousand rupees is a very small price to pay for safety of themselves and their loved ones,' said Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer, corporate affairs, Maruti Suzuki The latest model of the Maruti Dzire recently became the first sedan to earn a five-star Bharat NCAP models of the country's largest carmaker are already equipped with electronic stability program (ESP) and other features like ABS with EBD and hill-hold assist in many of its models ahead of the regulatory requirement. It will also offer six airbags as standard across all variants of models within this year, Bharti perception of automotive safety has started evolving beyond airbags and crash scores. Features such as 360-degree cameras, remote surveillance via connected car apps such as Waylens Secure360, and remote driving alerts are increasingly seen as necessities. Parents especially appreciate speed-limiting drive modes when handing over keys to their teenage or new-to-driving children, carmakers expanding view of safety is helping reshape India's $137-billion automotive industry, which is projected to reach $203 billion by 2030, according to Jato Dynamics. Carmakers like Maruti, Tata Motors , Hyundai, Kia, and Mahindra are investing aggressively in R&D, particularly on safety features and structural the progress, India's road safety records remain among the deadliest in the world. The country saw 53 accidents per hour in 2023, with nearly 80% of road fatalities attributed to speeding or substandard vehicle safety, according to government the government tightening regulations and customers demanding the latest safety features, 'the industry faces pressure to align with global standards,' Bhatia said.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Farmers of Kangeyam-Vellakovil at tail-end of PAP Main Canal allege excess tapping of water in Pongalur Sub-Division, demand legal action as per High Court directives
Alleging excess tapping of water in contravention of High Court directive in the upstream, the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) Vellakovil Branch Canal (Kangayam-Vellakovil) Water Conservation Association has submitted a petition to the Revenue Divisional Officer of Tiruppur South, seeking action. Citing the Madras High Court's orders issued during 2023 and 2017, president of the association P. Velusamy said in his petition submitted to the Revenue Department authorities that water flowing through the Parambikulam Main Canal from the Andipalayam measurement point must be equitably distributed between the Pongalur and Kangeyam sub-divisions, after accounting for dewatering losses, based on the proportion of their respective irrigation areas. Any deviation from this constitutes contempt of court. Despite repeated representations and complaints submitted to the relevant authorities through various channels, no effective action had been taken, Mr. Velusamy said. In the water release effected currently for the third zone, nearly three times (3/4) of the total water (158.775 mcft) is being allocated to the Pongalur sub-division, while only 1/4 of water (56.15 mcft) is reaching the Kangeyam sub-division. 'We have consistently highlighted the importance of balanced irrigation to both the district administration and the PAP authorities, yet the issue remains unaddressed,' Mr. Velusamy said. Downstream of PAP Andipalayam reading point, Pongalur sub-division was allotted 245 cusecs for 4,000 acres over a period of seven-and-a-half days. Whereas, Kangeyam sub-division received only 125 cusecs for just five days, despite having the same acreage under cultivation, he explained. As a consequence, Kangeyam and Vellakovil where rainfall was minimal were experiencing drought conditions. Despite favourable court verdicts, the authorities failed to take meaningful action. In the PAP case in 2023, the High Court had emphasised that 'equal distribution of water to all eligible ayacutdars is of paramount importance.' In 2015, the High Court had noted that 'corrupt activities, collusion of public authorities, either actively and passively cannot be overruled. Once the government officials are found in collusion, they are to be prosecuted for the offence of abetment, under IPC along with the offenders of the Commission of theft.' The Assistant Executive Engineer of Pongalur Sub-Division caused contempt of the aforementioned court orders, and hence, legal action must be taken, the petition said. Copies of the petition were also addressed to the Chief Secretary of Government of Tamil Nadu, senior officials of WRO, District Collector, Superintendent of Police, president of Monitoring Committee for PAP in Dharapuram, Tiruppur DRO and Kangeyam Tahsildar.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Man gets double life imprisonment for raping elderly woman near Coimbatore
Coimbatore: A special court for the trial of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Tuesday sentenced a 42-year-old man to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment and double life imprisonment for raping a 62-year-old SC woman in 2022. The court ordered the man to serve the 16 years of imprisonment first and then serve the life imprisonment. M Velusamy, 42, a daily wage labourer from a village near Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore district who belongs to a non-dalit community, was arrested for raping a 62-year-old dalit woman in the village on June 26, 2022. The woman's husband died seven years ago. She went out in search of fodder for her goats when Velusamy forcibly took her to under a bridge and raped her. She lost two teeth while attempting to resist the sexual assault and sustained minor injuries. The woman managed to walk to a nearby bus stop, where she fainted. Later, she was admitted to a primary health centre (PHC) and was given immediate medical attention. She was shifted to district headquarters hospital in Pollachi. Former Perur all-women police inspector S Amutha recorded the statements of the rape survivor. The case trial was held at the special court. On Tuesday, the court found Velusamy guilty. The court awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt, another seven years under the SC/ST Act and two years for criminal intimidation. The court also awarded double life imprisonment to Velusamy for raping the elderly woman. He was ordered to undergo the two life terms concurrently, after serving the 16 years of rigorous imprisonment for other offences consecutively. The court imposed a fine of Rs 32,000 on him.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Coimbatore man gets double life term, 16 years of RI for raping elderly Dalit woman in 2022
The Special Court for the trial of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Coimbatore on Tuesday awarded 16 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and double life imprisonment to a 42-year-old man from Kinathukadavu in the district for raping an elderly Dalit woman in 2022. Judge K. Vivekananthan awarded the punishment to M. Velusamy, a daily wage labourer from a village near Kinathukadavu. Velusamy, who belongs to a dominant caste, was arrested for raping a 65-year-old Dalit woman from the village on June 26, 2022. He committed the crime when the woman went out in search of fodder for goats. As per the First Information Report (FIR), Velusamy also assaulted the woman when she resisted the rape attempt. While Velusamy escaped after the crime, the woman managed to walk to the nearest bus stop, where she fainted. After identifying the woman in unconscious state, a villager informed her grandson, who rushed her to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Kinathukadavu. Sensing the gravity of the crime and the health condition of the woman, the PHC authorities referred her to the District Headquarters Hospital in Pollachi. S. Amutha, the then inspector of the All Women Police Station (AWPS), Perur, reached the hospital after being alerted about the crime and recorded the woman's statement. The court found Velusamy guilty and awarded him seven years of rigorous imprisonment for offence under Section 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. He was awarded another seven years of RI for offences under Section 325 IPC read with 3 (2) (Va) of SC/ST) of SC/ST Act. He was sentenced to undergo two years of RI for 506 (i) (criminal intimidation). The court awarded life imprisonment to the accused for offence under Section 376 (1) of IPC and another life term for offence under Section 376 (1) read with 3(2) (v) of SC/ST Act. The convict was ordered to undergo the two life terms concurrently, after undergoing the 16 years of rigorous imprisonment for other offences consecutively. He was slapped with a total fine of ₹32,000.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Farmers continue to lose livestock to street dogs, mull intensification of protests
As street dogs continue to maul and kill livestock, farmers in Tiruppur-Erode districts say reviving vehement protests remains their only recourse, for securing compensation and bringing about control of the population of the marauding canines. Enraged by what they described as 'inadequate response' by the administrative machinery to the death of 15 livestock due to attack by wandering dogs in a farm near Sivanmalai in Kangayam block, farmers discussed holding of protests at the Collectorate with the carcasses of the livestock. The Village Administrative Officer and the Animal Husbandry Department officials did not perform the tasks they were assigned in such an eventuality, farmers who converged at place of incident complained. The farmers had decided to suspend their continuous protests for months after the State government announced relief for the farmers at the rate of Rs. 6000 for a sheep/goat and Rs. 200 for a poultry bird, that get killed by the dogs. According to the farmers, the State as well as Central governments were responsible for their plight. 'The problem is with the Central Government's Animal Birth Control Rules 2023. As per articles 243(W) and 246, local bodies are responsible for controlling the population of dogs. The issue warrants national-level intervention, but the responsibility has been shifted to State Government,' Mr. Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakoil Branch Water Conservation Association, said, adding: 'We will keep pressing the State and Central governments to arrive at a long-lasting solution.' As per Article 246(3) of the Constitution of India, The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, require local bodies to manage stray dog populations through sterilization and anti-rabies vaccination programs. Rule 16(6) specifies that if a dog is not rabid but is sick or aggressive, it should be handed over to an Animal Welfare Organization for treatment and observation. After recovery, the dog must be returned to its original location as outlined in Rule 11(19). The rules emphasize that dogs can only be sheltered temporarily for treatment or observation, not for long-term care unless they are ill or aggressive. An advisory was issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India on November 11, 2024, to Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs for effective implementation of the Animal Birth Control Program. The Animal Welfare Board of India has also published the revised Animal Birth Control (ABC) module for street dogs population management, rabies eradication and reducing man-dog conflict. The farmers point out that the local bodies are not equipped to comply with Rule 10 of the 'The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023', citing the lack of financial capability to have sufficient number of kennels, and veterinary hospital facility for implementation of the animal birth control programme.
