Monthly Archives: April 2013

Infosys bags 5-year deal with European company

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bangalore : 

(Infosys has signed a five-year…)
(Infosys has signed a five-year…)

Infosys has signed a five-year agreement with RWE Supply & Trading (RWEST), a leading European energy trading house, to provide technology services to “transform its trading operations to create business efficiencies and drive growth from new markets and commodities”.

Central to the agreement is an ‘innovation and gain-share’ model supported by a joint investment framework to identify and implement innovative business and technology projects that will deliver measurable benefits to RWEST, the Bangalore headquartered IT major said in a statement.

The agreement highlights include consulting and technology services for applications transformation and business platforms, and transition to a managed services model for application management, it said.

Marcus Schaper, Head of IT at RWEST, was quoted as saying: “Infosys was able to offer us a full range of technology services coupled with a strong track record supporting energy and financial trading systems. They brought commercial flexibility and a long-term perspective to create a compelling case for our dynamic business.”

Kush Sharma, Head of Utilities at Infosys in Europe, said: “We are confident that this association with RWEST will enable strategic growth through the transformation of their trading platform. We will help them use savings  generated to make investments  that can drive operational efficiency and, more importantly, competitive advantage”.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Tech> Tech News / PTI / April 02nd, 2013

Star this week : Talented chess player – M. Tulsi

Education, Records, All, Sports

TulsiBF27apr2013

Chess is a mind game and has a very rich tradition in our country. Mysore is the hometown many achievers. One such upcoming chess player is M. Tulsi in the junior girls section in the State. Tulsi recently hogged the limelight when she won the State U-17 girls chess title in the State chess championship held at State Youth Centre, Bangalore last week. She secured 5.5 points from six rounds. She will represent Karnataka in the Nationals. She is our Star This Week.

Tulsi is an 8th standard student of Marimallappa High School. Daughter of K.S. Manoj Kumar and C. Saritha, residents of Postal Colony near Sterling Theatre, she took part in the 3rd MDCA National level rating tournament held in Mysore from Apr. 15 to 19 and fared well. Presently, she has a rating of 1492 and aims to improve on her rating in the days to come.

Tulsi has a creditable record and has won the State U-7 title in 2006, 2007 and won the State U-9 title in 2008 and 2009 in the girls section. In 2011 she won the State U-17 girls title. In the 2011 U-13 State championships she finished second.

Tulsi has represented the State in the Nationals in the U-7, U-9 and U-13 and U-17 sections and her best performance was in 2006 when she finished 9th in the National U-7 championship at Goa.

She has participated in many rating tournaments and her best performance so far is in the Mangalore Open in 2012, when she beat Rajkumar Singha (Rating 1800) in the second round. She secured the 2nd place in the girls U-13 category and from nine rounds secured 5 points.

With encouragement from her parents and school, Tulsi intends to work hard in the days to come and improve her rating in the National and International levels.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / April 21st, 2013

Teresian college golden jubilee celebrations to conclude tomorrow

Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Mysore :

The golden jubilee celebrations of Teresian College in Siddarthanagar here will end with a grand finale tomorrow (April 20).

A Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration will be held at 11 am to mark the beginning of the programme. Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras, Arch Bishop of Bangalore, will be the Chief Celebrant.

The main function will start at 5.30 pm, presided over by Most. Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Vazhapilly, Bishop of Mysore. Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, will be present as the chief guest.

Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras, Rev. Fr. Arul Raj, Parish Priest, St.Antony’s Church, Gayatripuram; Maria D’Costa, former Principal; Dr. Alexander, former Minister of Tourism; Dr. N. GopuKumar, Deputy Secretary, UGC, Southern Region and Dr. Sebastian Dasan, Chairman, Department of English, University of Mysore, will be the guests of honour.

Sr. Chris, Superior General, Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of St.Teresa (CSST); Sr. Fridoline, Provincial Superior, Karnataka Province, CSST; Sr. Annette and Sr. Joyce, former Principals of Teresian College; Sr. Helena, Manager, Teresian institutions; Sr. Prafulla, Principal, Teresian PU College; Prof. V.K. Jose, Officiating Principal and Sr. Sajitha, Principal, Teresian Degree College, will be present.

The college started for girls with a modest strength of 60 students in the eastern outskirt of Mysore city at a time when women’s education was not encouraged. Today, it has expanded into a strong institution with more than 1,600 students.

The campus houses Pre-KG to PG programmes. Bearing testimony to the doyens who have walked through its portals, students from Teresian College have left their mark in the fields of Governance, Politics, Sports, Corporate sector and education.

Students: The college has produced outstanding personalities in every field. Dr. R. Indira (renowned academician and scholar), Prema Cariappa (former Bangalore Mayor), M.S. Archana (KAS), Sapna Dutta (Corporate trainer), Pavitra Chandra and Reshma Chengappa (international basket ball players), Supriya (international volleyball player), G. Nisha (Indian team captain in Junior Asian Volleyball Tournament), Poojashri Venkatesh (international tennis player), Chitra Mahimairaj (international billiards player) are a few among them. Reena George, Thippava Sannakki, Bibi Summayya, Shradha Rani, Afsana, Shahajahani are athletes of national repute.

TeresianBF25apr2013History: The history of Teresian College can be traced back to 1858 when Mary Grace D’ Lima was born in Chennai. She gave herself to the service of God and became Sister Teresa of St. Rose of Lima. With a desire for the service of humanity, she started a religious congregation known as Carmelite Sisters of St. Theresa (CSST), to spread lofty ideals and spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila, in a little house in 1887 at Ernakulam, Kerala. Her efforts have grown today into a large Teresian Family with 120 communities and around 100 educational institutions.

Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, Teresian College, Avila School, Christ The King, Nirmala Convent and Teresian School in Mysore, Carmel College and St. Joseph’s School in Mandya are a few institutions doing yeoman service in Karnataka.

The College: Teresian College is named after St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Mystic Saint who symbolises selfless dedication and devotion to the cause of the downtrodden and oppressed.

Manoranjan Mahal: Teresian College was born in the minds of a group of CSST Sisters headed by Sister Euprasia. The decisive journey of Teresian starts in ‘Manoranjan Mahal,’ an architectural and historical monument, presently the convent, where I PUC classes were started in Arts with a strength of 60 on 22nd July 1963. In 1964, the science section and the degree first year were added. In 1966 hostel facilities started in the campus.Courses in commerce started in 1976. Other new courses were added later.

PG Centre: The Post-Graduate Centre started functioning from 2008 and is offering M.Sc. in Bio-technology, M.Com and MA (English). Professional courses like MBA and MCA are offered through Twinning programme with Pondicherry University.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> General News / April 19th, 2013

Collective effort needed to protect cultural heritage : Vastrad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

World Heritage Day celebrated

Mysore :

World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 around the globe to create awareness among the public about the diversity of cultural heritage and the collective efforts required to protect it.

JSS Law College at Kuvempunagar had organised a programme as part of World Heritage Day at its premises in city yesterday in which about hundred students participated.

P.S. Vastrad, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, Mysore, delivering his address after inaugurating a photo exhibition at the college premises, said that heritage is the shared wealth of humankind and it is our duty to pass on the rich tradition, culture and heritage to the next generation.

He further said that heritage monuments belong to all of us and everyone should involve themselves collectively in its protection and conservation for which the Archaeological Survey of India has also joined hands.

Citing examples of the paintings found in Ajanta and Ellora caves, he said the paintings show how people earlier lived besides giving examples of heritage monuments like Taj Mahal, Pattadakal and Red Fort, he added that we can appreciate these only if we spend time with them.

Vastrad said that no new constructions can come up within the radius of 100 mts from the heritage sites or monuments and added that sometimes permission is given for new constructions keeping the public in mind.

He requested the students to respect heritage monuments and be a part of the heritage club besides urging students not to limit themselves to the one day celebration.

Dr. T.S. Ravi Shankar, Director (Epigraphy), ASI, Mysore, who was the guest of honour, said that India is very rich in epigraphical wealth and it is estimated that more than one lakh inscriptions have been discovered in the country and there are a large number of inscriptions which have to be brought to light by conducting an intensive and systematic survey of our vast country.

He further said that it is a moment for all of us to preserve what we have inherited from the past. Due to rapid commercialisation and urbanisation, a lot of heritage was disappearing, he regretted.

Earlier, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former Governor of Karnataka V.S. Ramadevi who passed away on Wednesday.

Prof. K.S. Suresh, Principal, JSS Law College, presided. Vinay Parameshwarappa, Founder, Royal Mysore Walks, was present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 19th, 2013

Belli Kiranaa gets special screening

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Noted literary personality BR Lakshman Rao’s two-decade-old short story Belli Kiranaa, which was made into a film of the same title and directed by KK Shivarudraiah, was screened for special guests and the media on Monday at Renukamba Digital theatre in Malleswaram. Rao’s colleagues Dr HS Venkatesha Murthy and Narahalli Balasubramaniam, directors Girish Kasaravalli, P Seshadri and Lingadevaru, former cop KVR Tagore and Kappanna were among the guests seen at the screening.

LakshmanBF23apr2013

The film is about a love triangle that involves three characters who are named Manjunatha, Malini and Munavar. Manjunatha approves that Malini is getting engaged, and eventually married. However, Malini herself is not happy about her situation as she is in love with Munavar, who initially introduced himself to her as Gopala.

Belli Kiranaa stars Dilip Raj, Anushri, Siddarth, Girija Lokesh, Shringeri Ramanna, Apoorva and Padmini Prakash. The music was composed by Pichchalli Srinivas, and filmed  by R Manjunath.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada / by Anjali Muthanna, TNN / April 10th, 2013

Karnataka urges Centre to speed up construction of Nano institute

Science & Technology

 

Empowering education: Dr G. Sundararajan, Director, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), receiving the 4th Bangalore Nano National Award from Prof C.N.R. Rao, National Research Professor, Chairman, Scientific Advisor Council to the Prime Minister of India, at the inauguration of the 4th Bangalore Nano 2011 - conference, exhibition in Bangalore on Thursday. Mr Anand V. Asnotikar, Karnataka Minister for Science and Technology and Fisheries, is also seen. — Photo: G.R.N. Somashekar / Business Line
Empowering education: Dr G. Sundararajan, Director, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), receiving the 4th Bangalore Nano National Award from Prof C.N.R. Rao, National Research Professor, Chairman, Scientific Advisor Council to the Prime Minister of India, at the inauguration of the 4th Bangalore Nano 2011 – conference, exhibition in Bangalore on Thursday. Mr Anand V. Asnotikar, Karnataka Minister for Science and Technology and Fisheries, is also seen. — Photo: G.R.N. Somashekar / Business Line

Bangalore :

The Karnataka Government has urged the Centre to speed up construction of the Rs 100-crore Indian Institute of Nano Sciences and Technology being set in Bangalore.

The Karnataka Science and Technology Minister, Mr Anand V. Asnotikar, at the fourth edition of Bangalore Nano, reading the Chief Minister, Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda’s speech copy, said “The civil works of the institute has been taken up and is being taken up by the Central Government at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

“The State Government has already allotted 14 acres of land on Tumkur road.

“I request the intervention of Prof C.N.R. Rao in moving the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to hasten the development work,” he added.

To give emphasis and for the promotion of nano technology in Karnataka, the State Government is planning to give an acre of land for setting up of ‘Nano Lab’ by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in the neighbouring premises of Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Energy and Development at Jakkur in Bangalore.

Mr Asnotikar said “For the Nano Park planned in the State, the Government is committed to involve private sector. Expression of interest has been called for it and the park will come up on a public-private-partnership mode.”

The Government is planning to locate the Nano Park near the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli.

“This initiative will give a major fillip to the nanotechnology sector in the state and create additional jobs like IT and biotech sector,” Mr Asnotikar said.

“The Government is committed to providing enhanced budgetary support for nano initiatives, such as those of the Vision Group on Science and Technology, in the forthcoming 2012-13 Budget, he added.

LITTLE SEED

Giving his inaugural speech, Prof C.N.R. Rao, President, JNCASR; Chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India; Chairman, Karnataka Vision Group on Science and Technology and Vision Group on Nanotechnology, said, “The little seed that was sowed four years ago is no more a small plant now. It has grown into a tree-Bangalore Nano. It is a national event now.

“Being a citizen of Bangalore and Karnataka, I am happy to take this initiative.”

He said that Karnataka is the foremost State taking keen interest in the field of education in science.

He congratulated the Government and said, “Every time I speak to dignitaries in New Delhi, I tell them that I wish all States across India follow Karnataka in empowering education in science and engineering.”

AWARD

The Bangalore Nano National Award 2011 was presented to Dr G. Sundararajan – Director, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad.

The previous recipients of the award were Prof. C.N.R. Rao in 2007, Prof. Dipankar Chakravorty in 2008 and Prof Ajay K. Sood in 2010.

At the tradeshow, 25 exhibitors from across world and about 140 organisations from 12 countries such as Russia, Germany, the US, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and Poland are participating.

The event is also showcasing 115 posters done by young scientists and researchers from institutions such as the IISc, JNCASR, IITs, NCBS and international universities.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Economy / The Hindu Bureau   anilu@thehindu.co.in / Bangalore, December 08th, 2013

Bangkok: Thai Kannada Balaga celebrates Ugadi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's

Bangkok :

Sunday April 21, 2013 was a memorable day for Thai Kannada Balaga-Thailand. The Kannada community in Bangkok witnessed Vijaya Samvatsara Ugadi celebrations at Indo Thai Chamber of Commerce Bangkok.

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The event was attended by all Kannadigas living in Thailand.

The TKB children performed various cultural activities. Supraba Shetty compered the programe.

Prasad was the star performer with various Bollywood songs and bhajan songs. TKB president Muhtu Ingalagi, secretary Nagayya and treasurer Subbu arranged the event with refreshments and ‘Habbada Oota’.

The former presidents of TKB Mohandas, Habib, Vinaya and Vincy Daniel Pinto distributed prizes and certificates to children who performed during the function.

KannadaThaiBF22apr2013

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daiji World / Home> Media Release / Bangkok, April 22nd, 2013

Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi passes away

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, Sports, World Opinion

Bangalore : 

Legendary Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi, dubbed as the world’s fastest ‘human computer’ and who made complex mental calculations as a child prodigy, died at a hospital here today following respiratory problems.

Devi, who has enthralled fans with her prowess for decades, was 83.

“She passed away at Bangalore Hospital,” Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust Trustee D C Shivadev told PTI. Doctors declared her dead at 8.15 a.m., he said.

Devi was hospitalised a couple of weeks ago for critical respiratory problems, Shivadev said. “She developed heart and kidney problems later,” he added.

A household name in India, Devi cast a spell adding a 16-digit number with another one and multipliying the result with an equal array of numbers almost instantaneously, finding the cube root of the resultant and pops up with an answer in just about the time taken for a wink.

Devi, who had no formal education and who simply picked up reading and writing, had the ingenous ability to tell the day of the week of any given date in the last century in a jiffy.

“God’s gift. A divine quality,” is how Devi had once felt of her unique distinction that began showing visibility since the age of three. She has been quoted as saying that none in her family showed any signs of the same head for figures. “Not even remotely, although my dad was a stage magician.”

Rated as one in 58 million for her stupendous mathematical feats by one of the fastest super-computers ever invented-the Univac-1108-, Devi believed in using grey cells to silicon chips.

Born on November 4, 1929, Devi figured in the Guiness Book of World Record for her outstanding ability and wrote numerous books like ‘Fun with Numbers’, ‘Astrology for You’, ’Puzzles to Puzzle You’, and ‘Mathablit’

Hailing from a simple orthodox Kannada Brahmin family, Devi’s father was a circus performer who did trapeze, tightrope and cannonball shows. He had rebelled against becoming a temple priest.

Devi was also an astrologer and gave remedies purportedly based on date and time of birth.

It was while Devi was playing cards with her father at the tender age of three that he found his daughter’s calculation abilities. It turned out that she beat him not by sleight of hand, but by memorising the cards.

At the age of six, she demonstrated her calculation skills in her first major public performance at the University of Mysore and two years later, she again proved herself successful as a child prodigy at Annamalai University.

However, despite apprehensions in some quarters, Devi did not lose her calculating ability when she turned adult like other prodigies such as Truman Henry Safford.

In 1977, Devi extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number mentally. In the same year in Dallas, she competed with a computer to see who gives the cube root of 188138517 faster and she won.

On June 18, 1980 she demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit numbers 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 picked at random by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London. She answered the question in 28 seconds flat.

This event is mentioned in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records.

“Why do children dread mathematics?”, she was once asked.

“Because of the wrong approach. Because it is looked at as a subject,” pat came her reply.

“Mathematics is life, you have math in everything, right from time to your date of birth to the food you eat and the air you breathe,” she states. The right age to train children in mathematics is six, says Shakuntala, who sparkled at three.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News / by PTI / Bangalore, April 21st, 2013

Deeksha shines in MBA examination of VTU

Education, Records, All

Mangalore :

Deeksha, a student of 2010-12 MBA batch of Mangalore Institute of Technology and Engineering (MITE), Moodbidri, secured the first rank in VTU MBA examination conducted in 2012. She is the first ever student in the Mysore zone of VTU to secure the first rank.

She was awarded four gold medals for having secured first rank – highest marks and topper in master of business administration.

The gold medals conferred on Deeksha include Prof MR Doreswamy gold medal, R N Shetty gold medal, Jain University gold medal and VTU gold medal.

She received the award and honour in the VTU convocation held at University Campus, Belgaum on Friday last.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore / TNN / April 11th, 2013

IRB Infra signs contract with NHAI

Business & Economy

New Delhi  : 

IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd today said it has signed an agreement with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for four-laning of NH-17 from Goa/ Karnataka Border up to Kundapur, with the project cost estimated at Rs 2,600 crore.

“The Project is to be executed on DBFOT (toll) pattern with a concession period of 28 years… Estimated project cost is approximately Rs 2,600 crore and the construction is to be completed within 910 days from the appointed date,” IRB said in a filing to the BSE.

The agreement has been signed by the company through a wholly-owned subsidiary, IRB Westcoast Tollway Pvt Ltd. The project is being developed under National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) phase IV on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.

The company added that the scope of work for the project involves upgradation of existing section of NH-17 between Goa/Karnataka Border and Kundapur from existing 2 lane highway to 4 lane highway.

The construction is to be completed within 910 days from the appointed date and IRB Infrastructure’s subsidiary will get tolling rights upon completion of construction, it further said.

The company has sought a grant of Rs 536.22 crore from NHAI to execute the project.

Meanwhile, in a separate filing, IRB Infrastructure also said that its promoter Virendra Mhaiskar has marginally increased his stake in the company to 25.11 per cent by buying shares worth Rs 5.87 crore. Before the transaction, Mhaiskar used to hold 24.95 per cent stake in the company.

The company’s scrip ended the day at Rs 113.05 on the BSE, up 1.39 per cent from the previous close.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by PTI / New Delhi – March 26th, 2013