Monthly Archives: May 2019

Class 10 student develops app to gauge malnutrition

Ayush Gharat
Ayush Gharat

The plight of malnourished and underprivileged children has moved this 15-year-old student who has developed an app to tackle the scourge.

The student, Ayush Gharat, has won worldwide appreciation for his app, mNutrition, and has been invited by the state Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shivananda Patil for a discussion to see how the idea could be implemented in the state.

Gharat is a certified Android developer was inspired to build the app when he saw the struggles of the underprivileged children during a school trip.

“I would be more than happy to hear your thoughts about eradicating malnutrition. I congratulate you on the development of this app and would be interested to see if we can collaborate,” Patil said.

mNutrition helps diagnose malnutrition in children below five years.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has laid down certain guideline for diagnosing malnutrition by comparing the height, weight and age of an individual,” Gharat told DH.

“It can be calculated minor, moderate and severe malnutrition.”

Since the WHO tables could be very complex for an Anganwadi workers and mNutrition can help cut down manual errors in calculation. “Sometimes there’re errors in entering numbers and sometimes the handwriting of those giving the data can’t be understood. mNutrition can eliminate all these,” he said

While malnutrition is affecting two in five children in urban areas, there is very little awareness about the issue, he said.

The class 10 student designed the app, while his parents did the proof-reading. Gharat is also among the participants from across the globe who took part in a competition organised by Google.

How mNutrition works

Anganwadi or Asha workers, who will find the app easy to use, can enter the data such as the child’s height, weight and age to get the level of malnutrition. Gharat hopes to improve the app further to offer solutions for a particular range of malnourishment.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / by Reshma Ravishanker / DH News Service, Bengaluru / May 27th, 2019

Riders on the storm

Parvati Byramji horse trainer, during morning training session for Race Horses | Photo Credit: K_MURALI_KUMAR
Parvati Byramji horse trainer, during morning training session for Race Horses | Photo Credit: K_MURALI_KUMAR

Shiny coats, frisky tails and thundering hooves are part of South India’s first woman horse trainer, Parvati Byramji’s daily routine

Every morning, between 5am and 9am, Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) gets ready for the day ahead. We notice a jockey thundering up as we await permission to enter the Club. Parvati Byramji, one of South India’s women horse trainers and daughter-in-law of the legendary trainer Rashid Byramji, shows us around. During the 10 minute walk to the lunging area, horses with shiny coats are being taken for training through the Turf Club.

Parvati instructs her team while they exercise their two-year old horses. “Easy, easy,” she says loudly, yet calmly, as she pays close attention to each horse. Dark brown, grey and black horses are being led to lunge around the field. As we observe them we understand each horse has a distinct personality. While some are calm, others are stubborn. However, all of them are handled with utmost care by Parvati and her team.

Parvati’s eyes light up when she sees a grey horse waiting for her turn to train the horses.“I always take advice when picking a horse. My father-in-law says the first rule of thumb is you have to like what you see, and I liked her a lot.”

After five minutes, each horse is patted gently all over the body as a form of shabaashi (congratulations). Parvati says every trainer has a string, which means the number of horses they train. “I train 19 to 25 horses everyday.” She ensures the horses are fit and obedient. “My day typically starts at 5.15 am, and goes on till about 9 am. In between I go to the yard to write down the next day’s work, including the treatments and the feed. That is on a normal day. There is more work on race days. “If you are lucky, you win, if you are unlucky, you come second, because there is nothing worse than coming second,” she adds with a laugh.

As we speak, a stunning, light brown colt is led into the the lunge pit. He gracefully trots around the pit while Parvati keeps her composure and commands respect. After a few minutes in the pit, she steps out saying, “I used the Monty Roberts technique to establish communication and trust without equipment.”

As we make our way to the stables, which are spotlessly clean, Parvati says, “I always loved horses. When I was 11, I lived with my family in Mumbai. My father found an ad for amateur riding classes. Once I took that class, I discovered I loved riding. I became a member there. Then at 16, I got the love of my life — a horse named Sir Dickson. There was a senior trainer called Pesi Shroffa famous jockey, who was kind enough to give me this horse. My story began with Sir Dickson, because he taught me more about horses than any book or person.”

Parvati earlier made her foray into polo. “At one point, I was the only woman polo rider in India. I played the sport for the Amateur Riders Club versus the National Defence Academy and we won it. Then I got a polo scholarship to go abroad.” However, a twist of fate would change everything. “I had to bring Sir Dickson from Mumbai to Coorg. We didn’t want him to be alone, so I approached Darius Byramji (Rashid Byramji’s son and a leading trainer) for help. He asked me to ride with them. I never left. I married Darius.”

She recalls a memorable incident that played a part in her getting into horse training. “A senior trainer, Puttanna was sitting on the stands, while I was busy on the field. When he said he admires me, I said but I know nothing. He said in Kerala, they pay a person who belongs to the family to go around the estate, doing nothing but overseeing. So you think you are doing nothing, but you are doing a lot. It was then I thought I could do this. Darius said let us make it official to become a horse trainer.”

Parvati appeared for the ‘Assistant to Trainers Exam’ around 2013 to 2014. “I aced it! I then appeared for the ‘Assistant Trainer Exam’ in October 2016, and this time the exam was more difficult. I aced it again! I then appeared for the Trainer’s Exam in 2017, and received my license the same year,” says the 39-year-old Parvati. She, however, states that being a woman makes no difference. “It is not about whether you are a woman or a man, it comes down to the job that you do.” However, at every instance she gives credit to her team of workers.

There are several hurdles to being a horse trainer, believes Parvati. “The upkeep of horses is expensive, and the sport is heavily taxed. There is the challenge of infrastructure too.”Parvati debunks the misconceptions around poor treatment of horses: “We treat our horses extremely well. There are random checks of our stables, and we are closely monitored by the BTC, in house, and the Animal Welfare Board from the Government.”

(A column where we experience the lives and people of the city)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Sravasti Datta / May 23rd, 2019

Bengaluru doctor Hema Divakar gets Global Asian award

Hema Divakar is spearheading a healthcare initiative for the overall well-being of women, with affordable and quality treatment.

Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar (Photo | Hema Divakar Facebook)
Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar (Photo | Hema Divakar Facebook)

Bengaluru :

Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar was honoured with the ‘Global Asian of the Year 2018-19’ award in Dubai recently for her yeomen services and contributions to the women’s healthcare ecosystem, in India, said its organiser ‘Asia One’ magazine’s publisher on Tuesday.

Hema received the award at the Asian Business & Social Forum 2019 under the ‘In Service of the Society and the Nation’ category from UAE’s Trade Promotion Director Mohammed Naser Hamdan Al Zaabi.

“The award is conferred on those who stand out for vision, action and ingenuity and represent contemporary ideas to make global impact,” said the pan-Asian business and news publication in a statement here.

Hema is also spearheading a healthcare initiative for the overall well-being of women, with affordable and quality treatment.

“To be recognised with other achievers of Asia thrusts on me a greater responsibility and ownership to reform the women’s healthcare ecosystem in an innovative and impactful manner,” said Hema on the occasion.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by IANS / May 22nd, 2019

Old Boys immortalise their martyrs on war memorial

The Old Boys, as they are known, relish a history of sending their own to the armed forces to defend the country.

Martyrs’ family members | shriram BN
Martyrs’ family members | shriram BN

Bengaluru :

Wreaths were laid, The Last Post played, followed by traditional memorial band tunes, as they called to rest upon four of their own martyrs. The Old Boys Association of St Joseph’s Boys’ High School, which is one of the oldest alumni associations in the city, marked their 100 years of existence by honouring the post-independence martyrs who were part of their association.

The Old Boys, as they are known, relish a history of sending their own to the armed forces to defend the country. It started with the First World War, until recent battles in independent India. The numbers tally to 360 old boys, who served in various battlefields across the world, some being just teenagers. They recalled the association with pride about their alumna.

On Saturday, on one of their last events for their centenary year, the association inaugurated two plaques in the St Joseph’s Boys’ High School. One at the war memorial, and another in the school, with names of four Indian Alumni – Capt John A Dalby, from 5 field regiment, who was martyred on November 18, 1962 at Jaswanth Garh, during the Sino-Indian War; Major Uday Shankar Ghosh, 13 Sikh Light Infantry, martyred on June 26, 1989 in The Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka; Major Palecanda Atul Deviah, 6 Field Regiment, in operation Meghdoot at Siachen Glacier; and Major Sylvester Rajesh Rathnam, 21 JAT, martyred on August 2, 2002, in operation Parakrama in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir.

Families of the martyrs gathered with the Old Boys and friends at the Memorial Service that was celebrated by the archbishop of Bengaluru, Peter Machado, before paying their respects to the martyrs at the school campus. While the pipe band from the Madras Engineering Group and Centre played Slow March. Families and friends mourned their beloved as the Sappers played the Last Post and the Rouse at the memorial.

Families of martyrs find closure in Old Boys’ ceremony

“It has been a long and heartbreaking journey for me. As John’s oldest daughter I will be eternally grateful to all of you for assisting me to find closure after 58 years,” said Cheryl Dalby, daughter of late Captain John Albert Dalby, SM, 5 Field Regiment.

He was martyred on November 18, 1962, at The Jaswant Garh – Sela Sector in NEFA during the Sino-Indian war. She was addressing the Old Boys Association, St Joseph’s Boys’ High School, honouring four Old Boy martyrs on Saturday, at the school campus.  To Cheryl, like the families of other martyrs of the institute, the traditional memorial service was a means of getting closure.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Pearl Marial D’Souza / Express News Service / May 26th, 2019