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Upset over Malnad’s loss of green cover, businessman creates mini forest

Agriculture

He sets aside a portion of his profits for nurturing the Eshwara Vana that was established on World Environment Day, June 5, 2016.

Nagesh in his forest in Abbalagere village of Shivamogga taluk | express
Nagesh in his forest in Abbalagere village of Shivamogga taluk | express

 

Shivamogga :

At a time when there is a hue and cry over deforestation in Malnad region, a small-time businessman has managed to turn his one-acre into a forest with more than 35 varieties of trees. Interestingly, it is open to visitors. Nagesh, a caterer, bought the land in Abbalagere village, about 6km from Shivamogga on the way to Shikaripur and planned to develop the land into a forest which he has named ‘Eshwara Vana’. Talking to TNSE, he said, “My idea was to develop a forest and I planted about 350 saplings of trees found in our Malnad forest region.”

He sets aside a portion of his profits for nurturing the Eshwara Vana that was established on World Environment Day, June 5, 2016. “As rains have  receded over the last few decades, Malnad region is turning into ‘bayalu seeme’ (plains). The depletion of forest has turned the region into a barren land. Hence, it is our responsibility to improve the green cover. This is a tiny effort towards development of forests,” said Nagesh.

Nagesh visits Eshwara Vana thrice a week to water the plants. The forest has a small house, toilets and water facility. While solar power is used for fencing, electricity is used for drip irrigation of the plants.
Eshwara Vana open to all  Nagesh invites everyone to visit the forest and spend time there.  Visitors can have food and also offer puja to the Shiva Linga installed there. “Visitors can contact the guard and spend time there.

If they wish to water the plants or offer puja, they can. My only request is ensure cleanliness and not to throw plastic or waste,” said Nagesh. A board has been put up by the side of the road. Travellers going towards Shikaripur can take a short break at the Eshwara Vana. “Nagesh has become a model to others. He is the first person to join us when we go for watering the plants in the city,” said his friend Janardhan Pai. Those interested can contact Nagesh on 98442-82504.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Ramachandra V. Gunani / Express News Service / March 03rd, 2019

Players put best foot forward at first edition of K’taka Women’s League

Records, All, Sports

Some are students, some have jobs, while some are still finding a way to live their life. A few are from affluent families, whereas some come from humble backgrounds.

BUFC scored an average of 3.8 goals every match of the league •Pandarinath B
BUFC scored an average of 3.8 goals every match of the league •Pandarinath B

 

Bengaluru :

Some are students, some have jobs, while some are still finding a way to live their life. A few are from affluent families, whereas some come from humble backgrounds. Others even had to fight with their families to play a boys’ sport. But all those women from different walks of life had walked side by side for over a month in successfully conducting the inaugural edition of the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) Women’s League – Super Division.

With the All India Football Federation (AIFF) making it mandatory for clubs to play in the state league to enter the Indian Women’s League (IWL), KSFA conducted the league and passed with flying colours. On Wednesday, the six-team league came to a conclusion with Bangalore United FC clinching the title.
“People may think getting women’s teams together to play a league is a huge task, but we actually had no trouble finding them. There were huge interests among the clubs to field a team in the women’s league. In the upcoming days, we will have a lower division similar to the men’s league,” said Shaona Sen, League Secretary.

The champions, who maintained an all-win record, also booked a place in the IWL’s next edition. The KSFA is also in talks with the AIFF for the entry of an additional team. BUFC head coach Chitra Gangadharan, the only woman in the state to have an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ‘A’ coaching licence, was delighted at the progress. The former India skipper had fought a lone battle in providing recognition to women’s football in the state. “With a recognised league, girls can share the same stadium every week. It gives them a regular platform and a chance to pursue the sport professionally.

We also had players from neighbouring states. So, that’s good for the competition within a team,” said Gangadharan.
However, as BUFC sort of disseminated other teams in their way to the title, scoring 3.8 goals every match on average while conceding just one, it questions the competition in the league and readiness of Gangadharan’s team. “We didn’t have great competition in the league. Now, the real challenge will begin, as IWL has mostly international players. We will begin preparations shortly,” she said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Krishnendu Banerjee / Express News Service / March 02nd, 2019

TEDx event at Ramaiah Institute of Technology today

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Anuradha Vikranth believes that dance enhances the personality and helps to connect with oneself and will be attending the TEDxMSRIT event as a speaker.

Ramaiah Institute of Technology (Photo | RIT Website)
Ramaiah Institute of Technology (Photo | RIT Website)

The talks at the conference, called TED Talks, are then made available on TED.com. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru is organising an independent TEDx event on March 2, 9am to 5pm. Renowned speakers will be joining the event. Anuradha Vikranth is a danseuse who has incorporated dance into every aspect of her life. She believes that dance enhances the personality and helps to connect with oneself and will be attending the TEDxMSRIT event as a speaker.

Other speakers include Archana Timmaraju, who has a hearing impairment, and Daniel Sundaram.
Through sheer grit and hardwork, Timmaraju embarked on a journey called ‘Silent Expedition’  with her partner Sundaram to empower the community across India. Dr Prabha Chandra will also be present at the talk.  He is the Head of Psychiatry at NIMHANS and has spent the larger part of her career exploring and unravelling the intricacies of the mind and will enlighten the audience with a talk on the complexities of the mind.  Cohan Sujay Carlos is a researcher and the CEO of Aiaioo labs. The speaker’s brainchild, Mechanical Chef, is a robot that can cook more than 100 Indian dishes.

Kim Sain Jidung will also be joining the panel and is actively involved in the drive against prevention of sex trafficking and empowering survivors to lead a transformed life. Girish Badragond is the son of a farmer and is currently a partner at Santepp Systems, a fast-growing technocrat proprietary firm in the field of agricultural technology manufacture. N M Prathap will also speak at the event and is well-known for being the epitome of a small-town boy from Mandya making it big in the world. He won a gold and silver medal and $1,0000 in International Robotics Exhibition held in Tokyo in 2017.

The event will be held at Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, on March 2, 9 am – 5pm. Tickets are priced at `800 and available on http://bit.ly/TEDx_Tickets.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / March 02nd, 2019

Two museums to come up near Yelahanka

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

The Department of Social Welfare is set to establish two unique museums — Interactive Constitution Museum and the Maharishi Valmiki and Ramayana Museum — in the city.

These museums will be set up in Nagadasanahalli near Yelahanka at a cost of ₹120 crore and ₹60 crore, respectively. The museums will be of international standards and will be constructed on eight acres, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameswara stated in a press release.

“The State government hopes to encourage dialogue between Constitution guarantees and rights that govern the Indian republic, and the spirituality and philosophy that has created one of the richest cultures in the world,” said the release.

The project was spearheaded by Minister for Social Welfare Priyank Kharge, and he said, “The two museums will be the most befitting monuments to the father of the Indian Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Maharshi Valmiki, who immortalised the epic Ramayana and inspired people with great values.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / February 28th, 2019

Mudhol hounds in high demand among estate owners

Agriculture, Business & Economy

The hound’s aggressive nature, aptitude for hunting, ability to chase, good stamina and obedience to the owner makes them popular on estates.

A file picture of a Mudhol hound | Express
A file picture of a Mudhol hound | Express

Vijayapura  :

After their introduction in the Indian armed forces, paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force and police squads, the hounds of Mudhol are now in demand among estate owners of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.Coffee and tea planters are showing a keen interest in keeping these faithful hunters on their properties to chase away crop raiding wild animals, and also for vigilance on estates.

The hound’s aggressive nature, aptitude for hunting, ability to chase, good stamina and obedience to the owner makes them popular on estates. Another reason is their low maintenance cost of less than `3,000 per month.    The Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) in Thimmapur, near Mudhol of Bagalkot, is the official breeding centre of the dog. CRIC functions under the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University of Bidar. The demand for Mudhol hounds has increased in the past five years, say authorities at CRIC, which provides a good platform for marketing the hounds.

CRIC has at least 38 Mudhol hounds which are used for breeding. Every year, more than 130 to 140 puppies are sold at this centre and around 60% of the customers are estate owners from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Mudhol puppies are sold at a price of `19,000 a pair. The male puppy costs `10,000 and female `9,000.

CRIC is struggling to meet the demands of estate owners, a few of whom have returned empty-handed. Dr Mahesh S Dodamani, head of CRIC, receives at least 10 phone calls from people from other states, asking about the availability of Mudhol hounds. Some families in the region which have taken up breeding of the hound, which also meets the demand to a large extent.

Dr Doddamani told TNIE, “Mudhol hounds are mainly in demand from coffee and tea estates of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The owners believe that the Mudhol is more faithful than the other breeds and use these faithful hunters mainly to chase away wild animals and also to guard their properties. But we don’t have the same demand from estate owners of Karnataka.”

He concedes that CRIC is unable to meet the huge requirement for the dog. “Mudhol puppies are sold only in two seasons in a year. We sell the puppies on ‘first come first serve’ basis. After the Indian armed forces inducted the Mudhol hound, demand has doubled,” he added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Mahesh M. Gowdar / Express News Service / February 26th, 2019

Unable to find chef, MBA grad launches baking institute

Business & Economy, Education

Vedkiran was devastated when he wasn’t able to hire the right chef who shared his vision for healthy, tasty and sophisticated desserts in his establishment.

Bangalore-based 'Whitecaps International School of Pastry' was not just a startup but also what Vedkiran needed to equip his own business along with the entire food industry.
Bangalore-based ‘Whitecaps International School of Pastry’ was not just a startup but also what Vedkiran needed to equip his own business along with the entire food industry.

Kochi :

Vedkiran was devastated when he wasn’t able to hire the right chef who shared his vision for healthy, tasty and sophisticated desserts in his establishment. Now, as a businessman himself, he couldn’t afford to go away for a three-year course to learn all the nuances taught in pastry school. “I needed a place that could give practical training in this regard. Theoretical training through conventional courses was not enough,” says Vedkiran. A small look into the state of pastry chefs in the country showed him a bigger picture.

Bangalore-based ‘Whitecaps International School of Pastry’ was not just a startup but also what Vedkiran needed to equip his own business along with the entire food industry. “After failing to find a pastry chef who matches my vision, I did some research into finding professionals and realised that there wasn’t any professional institution to teach confectionery or baking. I always wanted to start up in the food industry and through this research, I also realised the gap that the education sector had with the confectionery industry,” says Vedkiran.

Although some may argue that baking is too niche a category to have an institute for, Vedkiran begs to differ. “We as Indians have a conventional way of seeing things. Anything that isn’t usual, we consider niche. But if you look deeper, most of the urban populace is familiar with international gourmet food. And confectioneries, dessert bars are on a rise lately. You can find sophisticated outlets that exclusively serve desserts running successfully. Today’s urban citizen is not happy with the usual. And, as the industry grows so does the need for professional pastry chefs. That’s where Whitecaps International comes in,” he explains. Whitecaps International School of Pastry offers three-month specialisation courses in various skills required to be a pastry chef with 1 week of industry experience. “Our alumni are already placed in star hotels across the country,” says Vedkiran.

As Vedkiran learns along with students, he also has the help of Aravind Prasad, a celebrity chef who represented India globally. Ved shares, “He helped me structure the courses and his experience and expertise got our students the hands-on learning that they needed to go ahead and pursue their dreams.” Their alumni are placed in prestigious positions in establishments like Shangi La, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt Regency.

Started with a self-funding of `1 crore, Vedkiran after just one year of establishing the institute valuated the company for `11 crores and acquired investment for a 6 per cent share in the company. Besides expanding the infrastructure of the Bengaluru institute, Vedkiran plans on franchising the institute to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

In a Nutshell

  • Vedkiran, a Bengaluru-based MBA grad started Whitecaps International School of Pastry in 2016
  • Self-funded with E1 Cr, the company use their valuation at E11 Cr in a year and got investment for 6 per cent of share
  • The alumni of the institute work at establishments like Shangri La, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt Regency, while most set up their own confectioneries.
  • Vedkiran plans on franchising the institute to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Srividya Palaparthi / Express News Service / February 28th, 2019

M N Krishna Rao park pavillion now a library, move irks family

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

The MN Krishna Rao park in Basavanagudi, one of the oldest parks in the city has an interesting history.

Bengaluru :

The MN Krishna Rao park in Basavanagudi, one of the oldest parks in the city has an interesting history. Possibly the first park in the country meant only for women and children, the 25-acre park was named after Sir M N Krishna Rao, who was the acting Dewan of the Mysore princely state in 1941. This, as he had contributed generously for the  construction of the park pavilion dedicated to women and children.

However, a recent move to change this pavilion into a public library has attracted the ire of Sir Rao’s family, who are worried that it defeats the purpose of the park. In the early 1940’s, his family contributed a huge sum of `20,000 from his personal funds to build the park and he laid the foundation stone. An additional amount of `15,000 was spent on the two-storeyed Krishna Rao pavilion located at the centre of the park. It was especially planned keeping in mind that women and children in the area had  few places for recreational activities.

“The park was built for cultural events and music for the women and children to enjoy. Now, even men enter the premises. I understand it is not possible to stop anyone but the idea behind this park has changed. A library has been built without even informing us,” said Vikram Simha, the grandson of Krishna Rao.
Simha claimed that neither he nor PR Ramesh, Member of Legislative Council (MLC) were invited to the library opening as well. On asking Ramesh, he replied  that he was not aware of the situation and has requested the library department to make the library available only for women and children.

Interestingly, even the Department of Libraries was unaware of the situation. N Saraswathi, Deputy Director South, said, “I will talk to my senior officials and the Director along with Mayor Gangambike and see if I can allow only women and children to use the library.” Mayor Gangambike said, “The pavilion was in a bad state when we spotted it.Turning that into a library is not a bad idea at all. How can I restrict any one from entering the library? The place is to gain knowledge and everyone should be able to access the library in the park.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Aarthi M / Express News Service / February 27th, 2019

Rare rock art found in Udupi district

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

Nineteen rocks with petroglyph arts were found at a site, Avalakki Pare, 15 km from Kollur, on February 17.

A petroglyph found near Kollur
A petroglyph found near Kollur

Udupi  :

Nineteen rocks with petroglyph arts were found at a site, Avalakki Pare, 15 km from Kollur, on February 17. These were discovered by Prof T Murugeshi of the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva, and his team.Prof Murugeshi said these 19 rock etchings were found in 15-20 acres of grazing land in the wildlife reserve forest. These petroglyphs, as per initial understanding, are 12,000 years old, dating back to 10,000 BC.

Of the 19 engravings, 10 are human figures, including one of a baby. Most figures reflect hunting activities. Among the numerous figures at the site, a female figure stands apart. “It was engraved with special care and on the right side of the belly a cup-mark is seen. On the left side over the head, a rectangular cup-mark was created. This forces us to believe that the figure could have had some religious significance,” the professor said.

“These hunting scenes and associated assemblages clearly indicate that the site must have had some connection to the hunter and gatherer culture from the Mesolithic Period. It’s difficult to date the rock art. However, Dr A Sundara, a retired archaeology professor from Shivamogga has suggested they are from the Mesolithic age, from 10,000-3,000 BC,’’ Prof Murugeshi said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 26th, 2019

Creators of robotic arm and Braille printer win first Aarohan awards

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
The winners of Aarohan Social Innovation Award in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The winners of Aarohan Social Innovation Award in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A 26-year-old engineering school dropout who designed a robotic arm for those without limbs and a team of fresh-of-out-college students who developed from scratch cheap Braille printers took the top honours at the first-ever Aarohan Social Innovation Awards, instituted by Infosys Foundation, on Tuesday.

As many as 906 innovators in the social sector had applied for the awards. The field was narrowed down to 12 finalists, who were awarded ₹1.7 crore in cash prizes cumulatively.

When Prashant Gade, a resident of Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, encountered a person without limbs, he knew he had to use his passion for robotics to come up with a solution to help out. He dropped out of college, and by 2015 had started the Inali Foundation to develop a robotic prosthetic arm.

Three years of research and eight iterations later, his myoelectric arm costs barely ₹50,000. “It can lift up to 10 kg and can clasp and unclasp at a thought. It senses the pulses in the nerves and activates the fingers,” said Mr. Gade, who was one of the two winners of the platinum Aarohan award of ₹30 lakh.

Khushwant Rai, 23, was in college when he saw the difficulties of a visually-challenged teacher. Braille printers were expensive, costing up to ₹1.5 lakh, and so even question papers were manually written in Braille for students. While he worked on creating a Braille printer, his batchmate from Punjab Engineering College Anjali Khurana, 22, coded a software to convert multiple languages into Braille for printing. “We built the printer from scratch to reduce the number of expensive solenoids. This way, we reduced the printer cost to ₹30,000. [We] have already tried it in four schools,” said Mr. Rai.

The awards were handed in four other categories, recognising people who have worked to find solutions to various social problems.

Sudha Murty, chairperson of Infosys Foundation, said: “There are also those who left offers of cushy jobs abroad to come to work for solutions here. They fit the criteria of being able to scale up and have tremendous impact,” she said, adding that the awards would now become an annual feature.

source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – February 26th, 2019

Medal winners from remote villages hog the limelight at convocation

Education, Records, All
Some of the medal winners at the convocation of Kuvempu University on Friday. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA
Some of the medal winners at the convocation of Kuvempu University on Friday. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA

Her parents work for daily wage to meet the educational expenses of their children and other needs of the family. But keeping aside all the problems in her household, Nethravathi K.A. emerged as the topper in M.A. in Kannada, for which she was awarded seven gold medals at the 29th convocation of Kuvempu University on Friday.

Her father, Annappa, works as a porter at coffee curing units in Chikkamagaluru, while her mother, Thangyamma, works as an agricultural labourer in her native village of Kuruvangi. Speaking to The Hindu, Annappa and Thangyamma expressed pride in their daughter’s achievement.

Mr. Nethravathi pursued M.A. at the IDSG College in Chikkamagaluru. “I was attentive in class. In-depth study of reference books helped me develop a comprehensive view of Kannada literature. It is possible to secure good marks with persistent hard work,” she said.

Other medal winners

Vimala R. from Bhadravathi, who secured three gold medals in mathematics, is working as a Grameen Dak Sevak with the Department of Posts in Channagiri taluk. She plans to take the civil service examinations.

Anusha H.V., also from Bhadravathi, bagged four gold medals in M.Sc in Biotechnology. She is planning to pursue Ph.D on herbal cure for cancer. Vimochana from Chitradurga, who got four gold medals in M.A. in Sociology, said she would establish a non-governmental organisation to bring semi-nomadic communities into the mainstream.

Ali Ahmed N., who hails from Seegebagi, a remote village near Bhadravathi, secured five gold medals in M.Sc in Chemistry. He is serving with a biotechnology firm in Bengaluru at present as a research associate and plans to pursue doctorate.

Priyanka T., who hails from Rangenahalli, another remote village, secured four gold medals in MBA. She is serving as manager in the HR department of a private firm in Bengaluru. “Along with academic performance, management students should attain proficiency in soft skills to land a good job,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Shivamogga – February 16th, 2019