Thursday, December 30, 2010

National Seminar on Environmental Monitoring: Issues and Challenges

‘Voyage 2011’
National Seminar on 
Environmental Monitoring: Issues and Challenges
9th February 2011
Call for Papers
  
Organized by
Department of Geography,
Tourism and Travel management 
 
                                       170 YEARS OF GLORY
Madras Christian College
(AUTONOMOUS)
Tambaram, Chennai 600059, Tamil Nadu.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
Madras Christian College has entered into the 173rd year of glorious service to the Nation. Founded as a School in 1837 in the black town of Madras, the Institution was built and its character shaped by a host of Scottish missionaries such as Anderson and Miller, Hogg and Boyd. Many dedicated Indian teachers as well as generations of brilliant students contribute to its success story. Leaving their legacy behind is a galaxy of illustrious alumni like President Radhakrishnan. Such was the stature of the Institution that Mahatma Gandhi agreed to chair a student session in its premises in George Town in 1916, while Billy Graham spoke in the famous Anderson Hall in Tambaram in 1956.
The College is known as much for its academic standing and leadership building as it is for social commitment. Today the College has around 4500 students (both ladies and gentlemen as they are traditionally called) and over 220 faculty members serving in 31 departments. It is a matter of pride that the institution is ranked among the Top Ten Liberal Arts and Science Colleges in India and also received the Rating of A+ (equivalent to 90-95%) by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The 365 acre salubrious, idyllic campus with its rare, diverse flora and fauna is a great joy to live in.
The year 2010 goes into the history of the College as bestowed “The Best College Award” by the Government of Tamil Nadu. 
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Geography, Tourism and Travel Management in the Self-Financed Stream was established in 2005, with the vision to provide sound education in fundamental areas of Geography and Tourism to meet the growing needs of national and international requirements. As the Department has caught international attention the class rooms reflects multi linguistic and cultural talents. 
The curriculum includes both Geography and Tourism covering all branches of Geography and recent concepts of Geographic Information system. Innovative papers like Logistics in Tourism and Travel forms and Regulations are included in Tourism category. This enables students to pursue their higher studies in the field of both Geography and Tourism.
Now the Department is looking forward to augment the students by international collaboration with Stanford Business College, Durban, South Africa.
SCOPE OF THE SEMINAR
Environmental monitoring describes the processes and activities that need to take place to characterize and monitor the quality of the environment. Environmental monitoring is used in the preparation of environmental impact assessments, as well as in many circumstances in which human activities carry a risk of harmful effects on the natural environment. All monitoring strategies and programs have reasons and justifications which are often designed to establish the current status of an environment or to establish trends in environmental parameters. In all cases the results of monitoring will be reviewed, analyzed statistically and published.


In managing the environment, monitoring of the quality of environment and enforcement of the environmental laws are parts of the requirement needed to protect the environment beside other matters such as public awareness or environmental education. Issues related to environmental monitoring discuss about the siting of the sampling station, collecting of data, analyzing of results and reporting on the quality status of water, marine water, soil and ambient air etc.  It is a great challenge to develop a comprehensive data of monitoring activities and put in place a system that can track record. Monitoring challenges such as accessibility to site, safety, equipment, representativeness of data, cost incurred as well as trained personnel has to be considered in preparation of the program.
OBJECTIVETo cater an open and participatory forum to put heads together about the issues and challenges  of environmental monitoring and to propound empirical and functional solutions to beat it.
LOCUS AND APPOINTMENT: 9th February 2011 at Anderson Hall, Madras Christian College.
PARTICIPANTS: Academicians, Faculties, Research Scholars and Students from Universities and Colleges, Scientists from national Laboratories and Personalities from various Government and Non-Governmental Organizations.
CONTRIBUTIONS: The seminar will include contributed papers for the following on “Environmental Monitoring: Issues and Challenges”.
                1. Oral Presentation and   2. Poster Presentation

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACT AND POSTER
Abstract for paper presentation must be no longer than 300 words and must showcase the title of the seminar theme. Abstracts should be submitted in electronic format as an email attachment with Name, Official address, Phone and Mobile number to mccgeotour@gmail.com and ravi6780@yahoo.com before 25th January 2011. The acceptance or otherwise will be intimated to the corresponding author before 31st January2011If your paper accepted a soft copy of full paper must be sent as an email attachment before 2nd Feb 2011. It will be published in Seminar Journal with ISBN code. A hard copy of Full paper should be sent along with the registration form before 6th Feb 2011. Best 20 papers will be allowed to present on stage for the selection of Awards.   
Posters for poster presentation should be submitted at the time of enrollment on the seminar day. The poster should not exceed the size of 3’x 3’ (length and Breadth 3 feet each) and must showcase the title of the seminar theme.
Communications regarding the submission and acceptance of the paper and poster presentation may be done through Mobile No.09790814324, Mr.P. Ravikumar, Chairman of the Seminar.
AWARDS
Best Three Papers and Poster presentations will be awarded.
REGISTRATION
Registration fee: Rs.200/- (Rupees Two Hundred Only) 
Participants are requested to send the registration form duly filled along with the registration fee in the form of Demand Draft in favour of “THE BURSAR (VOYAGE A/C), MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE” payable at Chennai.
The registration fees include seminar materials, working lunch and refreshments.    
Interested persons those who are not presenting the paper can also participate in the seminar. They have to register on the spot by paying the Registration fee on the day of seminar. They are requested to conform over phone for the preparation of seminar materials and certificates. They may participate in the open quiz competition and win prizes.
TRANSPORT AND ACCOMMODATION
If the paper is accepted for oral presentation on the stage the author (if combined paper 1st author only) will get refund of one way sleeper class train fare on producing the train ticket.
Accommodation will be arranged for the participants on request through advance payment basis.   
SEMINAR COMMITTEE
Chairman: Mr. RAVIKUMAR. P, Asst. Professor & Head-In charge.                      Mob: 09790814324
                  Department of Geography, Tourism and Travel Management
Convener: Mrs. ESWARI, Assistant Professor.                                                         Mob: 08122491549
Registration In charge: 
Ms.SUBASHINI, Assistant Professor                                                                         Mob: 09884558882
Executive Members:
Mrs.NAMEETHA VASANTH KUMAR, Assistant Professor
Mrs.INDUMATHI, Assistant Professor
Student Representatives: 
MR.TIRUKKUMARAN, Chairman of the Department Students forum                   Mob: 09884412421
MR.VISHNO RAO, Department  Representative                                                        Mob: 09941302293
.   
IMPORTANT DATES
Last date of Submission of Abstracts   - 25.01.2011
Acceptance Notification                         - 31.01.2011
                    Submission of Full Paper                        - 02.02.2011
                 Submission of Registration Form             - 05.02.2011 













Kindly send your correspondences to:
 Mr.P.Ravikumar,   Chairman of the Committee
 Asst. Professor & Head-In Charge
 Department of Geography,Tourism and Travel management
 Madras Christian College (Autonomous),
 Tambaram, Chennai – 600059, Tamil Nadu.                                                 
 Ph. (044) 22300881 Mob: +91 9790814324
 Web site: www.mcc.edu.in


Thank you................


Department of Geography,Tourism and Travel management Madras Christian College Tambaram, Chennai-600059 Tamil Nadu India. Phone: +9144 22390881 WebSite: www.mcc.edu.in

News Letter:December 2010

170 YEARS OF GLORY
Madras Christian College(Autonomous)
Department Of Geography,
Tourism and Travel Management
TRAVEL   Gaia
  Travel: 2                                                                                          December 2010
Editor In chief
MR.P. RAVI KUMAR
Assistant editors
MRS. ESWARI
MRS R. INDUMATHI
EDITORIAL TEAM
MALAVIKA VIPIN
SUMIHO
ABHISHEK
JAYARAM VISHNU
KAYSHELLE
DHELEEPAN
It said that “there is always first time” and it is now our time for a new beginning. We, the Department of Geography, Tourism & Travel Management has begun a new era to give International Exposure to our students by sending Mr.Vishno Rao, III year to Stanford Business College, Durban, South Africa for 21 days as a part of Educational Visit. We believe that this will be the stepping stone for us to get into the competitive international scenario.
Call for papers for national seminar…
Our Department is organizing VOYAGE 2011-National Seminar on “Environmental Monitoring: issues and Challenges” on 9th February 2011 in college premises. There are the participants from length and breadth of our nation.
Nature of the Participants: Teaching Staff of Universities and Colleges,              Research Scholars and Students from all over India.
Events: Paper presentation and Poster Presentation.
Participants are requested to send their Draft of Paper before 20th Jan 2011 to mccgeotour@gmail.com or ravi6780@yahoo.com.
For details Visit to Web blog: mccgeographytourism.blogspot.com

                                           DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES

1.      Celebration of World Farmer’s day on 10th December : Students presented the papers and Posters in the discussion of “Position of Farmers in the Present Scenario”.
2.   Celebration of Christmas : Department Celebrated Christmas in its own fashioned way by added participation of our students on 13th December 2010. 
3.      Internship for final year: Final years students has gone to their 21 days of Internship Training in         various IATA recognized Travel Agencies and 5 Star Hotels all over India from 6th Dec to 2nd Jan 2010.
      STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENTS
1.      Mr. Vishno Rao,   III   year       visited Standford Business College, Durban, South Africa as a part of  Educational Visit from 17th Nov to 13th Dec 2010.

2.      Mr.Jayram II Year, Mr. Prem I year and Mr.Dilipan II year won the I,II and III prize respectively in Paper presentation on World Farmer’s Day celebration on 10th Dec 2010.
2.    Ms.Abinaya I Year won the First prize in Poster presentation on World Farmer’s Day celebration on 10th Dec 2010.
    FORTHCOMING EVENTS
1.      Celebration of National Tourism day on 25th January 2011.
2.    Department is organizing VOYAGE 2011- National Seminar on Environmental Monitoring:  Issues and Challenges on 9th February 2011.
3.      Celebration of National Science day on 28th February 2011.
4.      Celebration of World Forestry day on 21st March 2011.
                        --------------------                          
CUISINE
“MEXICAN CHAAT”
INGREDIENTS:
25-30 Tortilla or Corn Chips, Crushed
1 Cup Sweet Corn Kennels
2 Medium Potatoes, Boiled and Chopped
1 Large Onion, Chopped
1 Large Tomato, Chopped
1 Jalapeno Chilly, Chopped
2-3 Tablespoon of Green Chutney
3-4 Dates- Tamarind Chutney
1 Cup Yoghurt, Whisked and Chilled
1 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander, Chopped
Salt to Taste.
METHOD:
       In a large bowl, combine the crushed corn chips, potatoes, onion, tomato, jalapeno, Green chutney, Dates, Tamarind chutney and salt. Toss well to mix. Add the Yoghurt and mix well with a spoon. Put the mixture on a platter, drizzle the remaining green chutney, date tamarind chutney on top and serve,garnished with the corn chips and chopped coriander
 Divya Sampath,I year
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NATIONAL ANIMAL
          In the last 10 years we have lost atleast 50 percent of our wild cat population. Since the last census figures were published four years ago, more than 127 tigers have died. The wildlife Institute of India (WII) had carried out a census of the tiger population in India and had estimated that the number was somewhere between 1, 100 and 1,600. But the fact remains that the wild cat population has indeed dipped below the threatened mark. The reason had been stated very clearly that in the last 10 years we have lost atleast 50 % of our wild cat population the tigers have been shot cruelly, skinned and sold. Yes, just the right message to awaken even the most unaffected.
“Our aim is to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022” says MICHAEL BALTZER”, head of WWF’ Tiger Programme. The objective of the campaign is to awaken people to support a cause. So, we conclude that a very good cause ultimately does not have a good impact.
 Divya Sampath,I year
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WHY LIONS ROAR, CATS MEOW!!
       Scientists have found that the low roar of a Lion, or the Meow of a wild cat, has more to do with where a cat lives than its size. Doctor GUSTAVE PETERS and Doctor MARCELL PETERS at the Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum in Bonn, Germany analyzed the calls of 27 cat species, investigating how they vary in habitats from open sandy deserts to thickly planted jungles. According to the BBC, cat species, that live in more open types of habitats, such as lions and sand cats, have deeper calls, they found while those living in dense habitats, such as wildcats, clouded leopards and the little known marbled cat, communicate at a higher pitch, the researches found. But that does not explain why lions roar so deeply, for instance.
One suggestion is that big cats simply produce sounds at a lower frequency but when the researchers took into account the genetic heritage of each species studied, they found weight has no effect on the dominant frequencies of its call.
 Divya Sampath,I year
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       SPECTACULAR VISUALS
       I happened to go to Sri Lanka for a short holiday and chanced to go to the Sri Lanka’s Highest mountain Mt. Pidurutalagala which is 8,281 ft in height, located close to the city of Nuwara Eliya. Few Scenes that I witnessed there:
The weather on a normal summer day up there was 3 degrees, raining incessantly, cold breeze blowing the rain bearing clouds, and raindrops clearly visible and passing by slowly.
With a background score of music which was produced by woodpeckers pecking the tall trees.
The biggest Radar station and most significant Sri Lankan Sri Lanka Rupavahini Television Tower is situated on  Pidurutalagala Mountain. For security reasons sometimes you may not be permitted to enter or climb this mountain.
One has to see and feel this scene there in order to experience .Nature as Sri Lanka has beautiful places that still remains unexplored.
K.L. Sneha, III year.
HEALTH AND WELL BEING IN TOURISM
        Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and emotional well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “A lot many people spoil their health gaining wealth and then to spend their wealth to regain their health”. Good health is the consequence of good energy levels. Energy has three predominant levels:
-          Physical
-          Mental
-          Emotional
Physical energy: Physical energy can be gained by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. Eg: Walking, Deep-breathing and Meditation are the three productive exercises for well being.
Mental Energy:Mental energy comes from three significant sources: - Thinking – Reasoning – Solving Problems. Eg: To gain mental strength and vitality cultivate quality of reasoning well and with conviction
Emotional Energy:Emotional energy comes from enthusiasm and motivation. Emotional energy is the master of all energies. Emotions can be a useful and powerful tool to handle different situations in life. Positive thoughts are powerful constructive thoughts. They give energy to both mind and body.
To wish to be well is a part of becoming well. It is the greatest possession a person can accumulate.
 Anagha Ashokan,III year.
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GEO- INFORMATICS
      Geo informatics is the science and the technology which develops and uses information science to address the problems of geography, geo sciences and related engineering branches. Geo informatics has been described as “The science and technology dealing with the structure and character of spatial information, its capture, its classification and qualification, its storage processing portrayal and dissemination.                 
Geography and Earth Science increasingly on digital spatial data acquires from remotely sensed images analyzed by

geographical information systems (GIS) and visualized on paper or the computer screen. It combines geo spatial analysis and model development of geo spatial databases, human and computer interaction and both wired and wireless network technologies. It uses geo computation and Geo visualization for analyzing geo information.

-          Cartography
-          Geodesy
-          Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
-          Global Navigation Satellite Systems
-          Photogrammetry
-          Remote Sensing
-          Web Mapping
APPLICATIONS:
       Many Fields benefit from this some are: Urban planning, Land use management, Virtual Globes, Environmental modeling military, Transport network planning and management, meteorology, Oceanography etc.

PLACES WHERE GEO INFORMATICS IS OFFERED:
-          Symbiosis institute of Geo informatics, Pune
-          Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) Dehradun.
-          College Engineering, Guindy (Anna University )
-          IIT Roorkee
-          ISRO, Bangalore
-          Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (JNTO)
-          Allahabad University, Allahabad
-          National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) Hyderabad.
  Vishwesh,I year.
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MEDICAL TOURISM WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON
TRADITIONAL MEDICINES
      Medical tourism is a concept where a patient travels to another country for medical treatment. The reasons patients travel for treatment do vary. Some tourists are in India because the insurance systems in their countries require them to wait months, even years for surgeries or some cannot afford the exorbitant of health care in their own land for other becoming a medical  tourist is a chance to combine a tropical vacation for an  electric or a plastic surgery. India is considered the leading country promoting medical tourism. This is due to the fact that the medical facilities and health care professionally in India are of International Standards.
      India has over 1, 50,000 medical tourists each year and this figure is rising at a high pace. Currently the medical tourism market in India is estimated to be worth over us $ 300 million with approximately 1, 70,000 foreign patients coming in every year. The report estimates that medical tourism to India is growing by 30% a year. There are over 3000 hospitals with over 700, 000 practioners catering to the needs of traditional Indian health care.
     For Ex: The Indian Ayurveda market is currently dominated by the southern markets of Kerala and Karnataka. The promotion of Ayurveda in Health Tourism was initiated in 1994 and the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) started Ayurveda Health centers, in its premium properties like Hotel Samudra, Kovalam.
S. Kumar,III year
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THE RED DRAGON
     China, the land of mystic wonders, has undergone a sea change to emerge as the world’s second-largest economy after the US. The largest country in asia . which hosted one  of  the most spectacular and most  expensive Olympic games in history, is now a major force to reckon with.
Fact file…
Capital: Beijing
Population: 1.33 billion
Currency: china yuna renmindi(CNY)
1CNY : 6.84877 Indian Rupees (INR).
Enter the Dragon
In 278 BC, Qu Yuan, a  wise and popular poet-minister of the Zhou dynasty threw himself into the Milou river. When his emperor was defeated by the rule of the qin dynasty. His admirers rushed to save him,but in vain.
The Chinese commemorate the tragic even  by holding  dragon boat races during the Duanwu festival or the Dragon Boat festival on the  fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Brightly painted exotic canoes with carved  dragon heads and carved tail ends  propelled by 50-80 rowers race to grab a flag at the end of the course. The festival was declared  an intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO in 2009.
Cloud Myth
Centuries ago, as the story goes, a Chinese emperor liked his drinking water  to  be  boiled. Once during an expedition, a dried leaf from a wild tea bush accidentally fell into his cup of boiling water.
The emperor liked the refreshing concoction and thus tea was born. Today, tea is an important part of Chinese life. Tea drinking is an elaborate ceremonial affair and it is traditional to offer tea to guests in the best tea ware. In marriages, tea signifies faithfulness until death and must be including among betrothal gifts.
Inventions Galore
The greatest inventions of the Chinese include the compass, gunpowder, paper and printing.  They were the first to create silk, porcelain, kites and noodles
Deep Sea Mission
A Chinese submersible named Jialong planted the country’s flag at a depth of 3km in the South China Sea in September 2010.  The mission meant to tan energy sources making it the fifth country in the world after Russia, France, U.S. and Japan to reach such a depth.
Extreme Facts
Shanghai’s Maglev train is the world’s first commercial high speed train. It runs at a speed of 431km per hour.
The highest plateau in the world, the Tibetan plateau, has the Qinghai –Tibet   railway, the world’s highest railways.
The Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The world’s largest pubic square can hold up to a million people at a time.
The hydroelectric dam across the Yangtze River is the world’s largest electricity generation plant.                             

A.Abinaya,I Year.
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INTERESTING FACTS
·         If you yelled for 8 years , 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
·         The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
·         Right handed people live  on a average 9 years longer than left handed people do.
·         An ant can lift 50 times of its own weight.
·         Polar bears are left handed.
·         The cat fish has over 27,000 taste buds.
·         A cockroach can live 9 days without its head before it starves to death.
Uma Shale,II Year.
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WHY IS A BOOK CONTAINING MAPS CALLED ATLAS?
The term atlas used universally for books containing maps or charts of geographical details of the world. According to myth, Atlas, one of the sons of the Titas and a brother of Prometheus, once rebelled against the Gods. As a punishment the God imposed on his broad shoulders the extra ordinary task of bearing the weight of the entire world, the pillars of the universe. The picture of Atlas shouldering the globe has become a favorite piece of art today. In course of time, the picture was moved out, but due to the ancient association between the two, a book of maps is still called an ATLAS.
Famous Publishers of Atlas:
  1. DK Publication for Special features.
  2. Orient Blackswan Publication for world.
  3. Oxford Publication for INDIA.
  4. TTK Publication for Asia.
Uma Shale,II Year.
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USEFUL TECHNIQUES OF ACTIVE LISTENING
        Be sure of your goal. If you want to make others understand your feelings, approach the person in a positive way and remember that argument is not always the best option. There are some other ways too, to sort out problems.
Other ways to sort out problems must be looked for, because you cannot win every argument. That is why it is prudent to begin by deciding whether you should argue at all, or think other ways to make your point.  If no option is left and you have to argue, you must remember that there are some approaches to an argument that increases the chances of your success.
Active listening is listening carefully and attentively while maintaining eye contact. You should never forget the fact that you will be old to solve the problem only when you do not mix it with the solution. An argument becomes effective when a problem is considered quite separately. If you realize that your argument is wrong, you need not worry about that. Do not get nervous. Accept your mistake graciously and carry on.
If you want to succeed, always make simple points, so that everyone can agree. You have to bear in mind that your focus is on the issues not on the people. Try to understand the views of others, because it will help you carry on your argument in a logical way. Never try to let down others by negating their views out rightly. It also has a negative impact which may hinder your success.
Remi.P.J,III Year.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS-TOURISM INDUSTRY
·         The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and YES Bank  have projected that  capital investment of India will be US$94.5 billion by 2019 in tourism and travel sector.
·         Reports say that domestic travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the world.
·         The Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has unveiled the code of conduct for safe and honourable tourism in New Delhi.
·         There is a Red Carpet for global travel and tourism industry, says an international travel mart in association with GTDC.
·         The PATA and Earth Check have announced an agreement that will result in the greening of PATA’s travel and tourism member organizations.
Vishwesh,I Year.
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QUIZ
1.      Which country has the highest density of population?
2.      Which is the coldest place on earth?
3.       Which is the largest waterfall of India?
4.      Which city is known as the “City of Motor Cars”?
5.      Which state of India is known as “A Gift of Nature”?
6.      Which city is known as “Detroit of India”?
7.      Which is the longest train of the world?
8.      What is the rank of India with regards to the total number of international tourist arrivals?
9.   Where is the statue of “Christ the Redeemer” located?
10.  Which is the largest metropolitan city of the world?

ANSWERS:-  1.Monaco. 2.Plateau station , Antarctica 3.Chitrakoot waterfalls. 4. Detroit, USA. 5.Tripura. 6.Chennai.7. Cargo Queen of Australia. It has 682 coaches and eight engines.8. 46. 9.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 10.Tokyo, Japan.
G.V Dheleepan,II Year.
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IMPORTANT DAYS
 Dec 3    World Day of Handy happed                          Jan 10   World Laughter Day
 Dec 10  Human Rights Day                                         Jan 12   National Youth Day
 Dec 18  Minorities Rights Day                                    Jan 25   National Tourism Day
 Dec 23  Kisan Divas ( Farmer’s day)                          Jan 26   International Customs day
 Jan 9     NRI Day                                                          Jan 30   Martyr’s Day
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VISIT TO MIRJON FORT, SHIMOGA 
VISIT TO KARWAR
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Thank you......
Department of Geography,Tourism and Travel management, Madras Christian College,  Tambaram, Chennai-600059, Tamil Nadu, India. Phone: +9144 22390881 

WebSite: www.mcc.edu.in      E-Mail: mccgeotour@gmail.com