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Belagavi gets K-TECH Innovation Hub

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology
IT/BT and Heavy Industries Minister K.J. George being shown equipment in the laboratory at K-Tech Innovation Hub in Belagavi on Tuesday.
IT/BT and Heavy Industries Minister K.J. George being shown equipment in the laboratory at K-Tech Innovation Hub in Belagavi on Tuesday.

The hub provides space and infrastructure, instrumentation, prototyping, etc., under one roof

Belagavi moved a step closer to becoming a smart city by getting its own innovation hub, on Tuesday.

Minister for IT/BT and ST, Large and Medium Scale Industries, including Sugar, K.J. George inaugurated K-Tech Innovation Hub (K-TI Hubs) at Hanuman Nagar here. He went around the laboratories in the hub and interacted with resource persons.

He said that the government decided to establish these facilities in tier II cities to leverage the existing manufacturing clusters and the local human resource available in the academic and industrial bodies. “We will engage with key stakeholders in the local ecosystem for the sustainability of these facilities,” he said.

The hub provides space and infrastructure, instrumentation, prototyping facilities, business set-up support, world class innovation network and connections under one roof. The K-Tech Innovation Hub is a “Product Start-up Incubator-cum-Common Instrumentation Facility” located in an 8,000-sq ft building. The government intends to establish five such K-TI Hubs across the State. The Belagavi hub is based on the IKP EDEN (IKP Engineering, Design and Entrepreneurship Network) model set up in Bengaluru in September 2015, according to the Minister.

“The government appointed IKP Knowledge Park, a Science Park and Technology Business Incubator, to set up five innovation hubs in the State, to encourage innovations, stimulate entrepreneurship by acting as catalysts, create technology-based start-ups, provide employment and opportunities for re-skilling and fuel economic growth,” he said.

He hoped that the K-TI Hubs contribute to the goal of encouraging 6,000 product-based start-ups in the State as envisaged in the Start-up Policy 2025.

“We envision Karnataka as the innovation and technology capital of the world. Towards this end, we are creating a robust ecosystem where all stakeholders thrive from the support provided and mentorship. Disruptive technologies are the new thing in the technology-based industry. With opportunities that these technologies provide, this innovation centre is poised to help the State achieve its vision of retaining the leadership position as India’s start-up capital,” he said.

“The 2020 plan of the government is to make Belagavi a technology super-centre in five years. A tech park is planned at Belagavi. Entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs should be able to walk in and walk out of Belagavi as successful companies with the same ease as it is in the Silicon Valley, or Israel or our very own Bengaluru. We hope to grow not just the IT industry in Belagavi but also the manufacturing and hardware product development ecosystem here,” Mr. George said.

Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO, IKP Knowledge Park, said that the hub would focus on engineering, bio-engineering, prototyping and other sectors, depending on the needs of small and medium enterprises. “We can accommodate up to 70 start-ups. We provide mentoring, funding, infrastructure, technical support and other facilities. Entrepreneurs can walk in with an idea and walk out with a product,’’ she said.

Experienced resource persons will evaluate the idea and see its market potential. Then, the necessary technical environment would be created to help turn the idea into a design and a product. Handholding will be done at every stage, she said. She has already spoken to faculties of some local engineering colleges to attune them towards motivating students to be tech entrepreneurs. “We will also organise hackathons and tech exhibitions for engineering students,” she said.

Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Industries, IT/BT and Science and Technology, was present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Belagavi – July 18th, 2018

CMU holds 3rd India alumni meet in city

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, World Opinion

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The Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a private research university based in Pennsylvania, organised its third India alumni meet here.

The meet, named CMU India Conclave 2018, was themed “Future of Work”, and comprised of fireside chats,  panel discussions and networking sessions.

Most of the discussions were centred around the future of the work, with emerging technologies as the driver. “At CMU, we have a strong technology related alumni. So, that is why, in the given situation, you are seeing this theme,” Rashmi Gowda, one of the organisers of the event, said.

CMU organises biennial all-India meetings for its alumni. The first event was held in Mumbai and the second one in Delhi, which was organised on a much smaller scale.

India, which has the largest alumni base of CMU outside the US, has almost 2,000 alumnus from the university.

Devi Shetty, founder and chairman of Narayana Health, was the keynote speaker at the event.

Other panelists and speakers, which included both CMU alumnus and guest speakers, were ITC Infotech MD and CEO Sushma Rajagopalan, Mindtree CEO and MD Rostow Ravanan, Anand Anandkumar from Bugworks; Shyam Vasudevarao from Renalyx, Tushar Vasisht from Healthifyme, Amit Gupta from Yulu, Prashanth Prakash from Accel, Ravi G from Flipkart, Neeru Sharma from Infibeam, Siddhartha Agarwal, from Bhoruka group, among others.

The event also hosted child prodigy Saad Nasser as its panelist on transportation. Aged 16, Nasser dropped out of school at the age of 10 to follow his ambition of automobile engineering and co-founded Ati Motors.

“The aim of the event is to help network the alumni group and also facilitate the knowledge transfer,” Rashmi said.

Founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools, the university became the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912 and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> In Brief / by DH News Service, Bengaluru / July 15th, 2018

Kannada poet Vyasa Rao passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
M.N. Vyasa Rao. File
M.N. Vyasa Rao. File

Noted Kannada poet and film lyricist M.N. Vyasa Rao passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday morning.

He was 73 and is survived by his wife, daughter and a son.

Vyasa Rao collapsed after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while having his breakfast and died in his house, sources said.

A bank employee by profession, Vyasa Rao entered Kannada film industry as a lyricist in 1975 in the hit film Shubhamangala directed by thespian Puttanna Kanagal. The songs he wrote for the film — “Suryangu chandrangu bandare munisu” and “Nakondla Naku” — remain classics even today.

He worked as a lyricist for many Puttanna Kanagal films and later expanded his repertoire. Many of his other poems are also known as ‘bhaavageetes’ (light music).

Vyasa Rao was also a novelist and had authored several detective and literary novels in Kannada, apart from writing short stories.

He was also a recipient of Karnataka Rajya Sahitya Academy award for his short story collection “Maleyalli Neneda Maragalu”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj / Bengaluru – July 15th, 2018

Got a WW1 story? Share it

Records, All, World Opinion
School students study a WW1 memorial. | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail
School students study a WW1 memorial. | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail

These will be presented during a six-month-long travelling exhibition in schools and public spaces

World War I may have been fought in the trenches of Europe, but under the Raj, India did not escape the horror of the war. And in Bengaluru, monuments bear witness to the people who had laid down their lives in the battle.

A mule that had served faithfully was given its freedom in the then British Cantonment, and its hooves have been preserved in the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) campus. The Mysore State not only sent soldiers to war, but also helped by donating money. The Bangalore torpedo, a device created by Lt. Col. R.L. McClintock, who was attached to Madras Sapper and Miners of the India Army, was used during WW1 to explode barbed wire in trenches.

There are many such little known stories connecting Bengaluru and Mysuru to the WW1. ReReeti, a non-profit organisation that works towards revitalising museums and heritage sites, is trying to spread awareness beyond our textbooks. Under an initiative named ‘White Pepper Black Pepper’, the organisation is collating information on WWI, which will be presented during a six-month-long travelling exhibition in schools and public spaces. The exhibition will be rolled out in August.

In its attempt to collect stories, ReReeti is reaching out to people who either have memorabilia, photos or anecdotes related to the war that can be added to the exhibits.

“WW1 was unique for India in the sense that the largest volunteer army sent to WW1 was from India. ReReeti conceptualised the project to commemorate some of the lesser known parts of history – India’s contribution to the WW1 with a greater focus on Bengaluru. We are trying to collect stories and information, not just about what happened at the war front and what the soldiers went through, but also what happened to the families who were left behind in the city,” said Tejshvi Jain, founder of ReReeti .

During their research, the ReReeti team stumbled upon stories of how the entire city contributed to the WW1 and the memorabilia for the soldiers who lost their lives.

“A fund was created to support the soldiers and families of the martyred. We were able to map seven WWI memorials in the city, including Pioneer Corps Memorial on Brigade Road, Sapper Memorial inside MEG Centre, the Statue of the Unknown Soldier at the National Military Memorial, the cenotaph at St. John’s, the memorial at St. Joseph’s Boys High School, a plaque remembering students and teachers of Bishop Cotton School who fought in the war and the Imperial Service Troops Memorial at Munireddypalya. We also discovered a ‘tipperary’, or tea room, built for soldiers during the war years in the St. John’s premises,” said Ms. Jain.

The organisation has been working with three partner schools in Bengaluru to curate the exhibition. “We have been conducting interactive sessions in the partner schools on India’s role in the war. The students researched and worked on sub-themes, visited memorials, and tried to experience and empathise the different perspectives of soldiers and their families who were involved in and were impacted by the war. Much of this will become part of the travelling exhibition,” she said.

The exhibition draws elements from WW1. Apart from visual content such as photos and information boards, it will offer a sensory experience to visitors.

“We will be setting up two tunnels connecting two rooms to recreate the atmosphere similar to the trenches dug during WW1. To provide realism to the setting, the sight, smell and sound of the trenches will be mimicked,” said Ms. Jain.

The project is being crowdfunded.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Sarumathi K / July 12th, 2018

MVJ College Of Engineering, Bangalore . Students Invent A Gas Leakage Detector With SMS Alert

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Gas leak detection is a process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by means of various sensors. These sensors usually employ an audible alarm to alert people when dangerous gas has been detected along with it gives SMS.

students displaying their project
students displaying their project

Objective 

The primary objective of the present project is to provide a novel means for safety and detecting any malfunctioning of a pressurized gas system to prevent accumulation of combustible gases so that damage or explosion due to such an accumulation of gases is prevented.

Operation

Gas detectors measure and indicate the concentration of certain gases in air via different technologies. Typically employed to prevent toxic exposure and fire, gas detectors are often battery operated devices used for safety purposes.

They are manufactured as portable or stationary units and work by signifying high levels of gases through a series of audible or visible indicators, such as alarms, lights or a combination of signals. While many of the older standard gas detector units were originally fabricated to detect one gas, modern multi-gas devices are capable of detecting several gases at once.

As detectors measure a specified gas concentration, the response of the sensor surpasses a certain pre-set level, an alarm will activate to warn the user.

Features 

High sensitivity to LPG, is-butane, propane

Small sensitivity to alcohol, smoke.

Fast response

Wide detection range

Stable performance and long life

Simple drive circuit

Application 

It is used in gas industries.

It  is   used  in  mining   of  coal  and   other  materials .

It  is   used  in  municipal   gas  distribution.

It  is   used  in  nuclear   power  stations.

Used   for   safety  from  gas   leakage  in  cooking   gas  fired  appliances   like  ovens , stoves etc.

It can also detect alcohol so it is used as a liquor tester.

Scope of the project 

In future, more detecting systems like any gas detection systems can be implemented. Additional features include more secure systems like a call/SMS will   be sent to a telephone number if a gas leakage and a   fire in an n/w area like LAN and internet used to worldwide

Conclusion 

This project is a microcontroller based project. A gas sensor is used to detect dangerous gas leaks in the kitchen or near any gas heaters. The sensor can also sense LPG and coal gas as well as an ideal sensor to use to detect the presence of a dangerous LPG leak in your car or in a service station, storage tank environment. This unit can be easily incorporated into the alarm unit, to sound an alarm or give a visual indication of LPG concentration. The sensor has excellent sensitivity combined with a quick response time.

source: http://www.bweducation.businessworld.in / BW Education / by BW Online Bureau / July 12th, 2018

Sayõnara traffic jams: Japan to install smart signals across Bengaluru

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Project aims to reduce waiting time by 30 per cent

Tenders will be floated in September; only Japanese firms will be allowed to bid for the project which will hopefully be completed by December 2019

If the anarchy on the roads doesn’t drive you out by then, you’ll see Japanese efficiency at play in Bengaluru’s traffic signals by December 2019.

After helping Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand with its traffic systems, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will inject approximately Rs 72 crore into building smart network signals in Bengaluru.

“Especially, in 2022, three years after the completion of this project, this new system will help reduce congestion length, currently reaching 550m at longest, by 30 per cent, at interchange facing heavy congestion, and contribute to enhancing the convenience of urban transportation and revitalising the local economy,” the Japanese embassy in New Delhi had said after its ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, had signed the MoU in December with Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, S Selvakumar.
Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) will be the nodal agency for the project, which entails the following components: a) Bengaluru Traffic Information Centre (B-TIC) which will serve as the central nervous system; b) GPS probe system for BMTC buses, taxis etc which will give information to B-TIC about vehicle location and speed etc; c) Queue-length measurement sensors (QMS) which will analyse the traffic density; and d) Automatic traffic counters and classifiers which will inform B-TIC about the nature of traffic so that signals can be streamlined and made real-time.

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What’s more, only Japanese companies are eligible to bid for this process. Tenders will be issued in September and the installation will be completed by December 2019. The bidder will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the system for five years.

An official from DULT said, “We will install the QMS along 82 junctions where it will also have the CCTV cameras installed. The QMS will measure the length and size of the vehicles and it will analyze the exact number and type of vehicles. We will install these sensors for every 50, 100 and 150 meters distance of the roads so that it can analyze the actual traffic congestion and it will update the integrated traffic management centre (BBMP, BMTC and Traffic Police). Along with this, we will also install Variable Message Signs in Silk Board, KR Puram Bridge and Trinity Metro Station where it will give a heads-up display of traffic congestion and estimated travelling time for certain destinations. It will be based on real-time inputs received at the traffic management center. Currently both BMTC and traffic police have their traffic management systems but this one will be an integrated traffic management centre that will ease congestion in the city,” he said.

JICA’s Intelligent Transport Systems have helped several cities in Southeast Asia but this is the first time that MODERATO (Management by Origin-Destination Related Adaption for Traffic Optimization) systems will be installed outside of Japan, said N Murali Krishna, Special Officer, DULT. This system will be installed at 29 junctions of MG Road, and Hosur Road and will help alleviate traffic troubles by coordinating the signals and factoring in pedestrian crossing. Basically, through its various components, this system will provide a signal-less (or green) corridor to motorists at the three stretches.

“Currently, the traffic signals installed along the roads has a fixed signal timer irrespective of the number of vehicles along the roads. But with the Japanese technology, signals will automatically change according to the number of vehicles along the road in a particular junction. For example, if there is less number of vehicles on one side and more on the other side of the road, the signal will automatically give more signal time for the road that has more vehicles and less signal timing for the road that has less number of vehicles. We have identified 12 intersections in MG Road, 9 intersections in Hosur Road and 8 intersections on as they always witness heavy vehicle movement,” Krishna said.

Now if only they could bring the cherry blossoms here.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story / by Manoj Sharma, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / July 12th, 2018

Bengalurean gets crowned in plus-sized modelling contest

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

A Bengaluru resident, Sameera Dahiya was crowned the second runner-up at the Miss North India Plus Size 2018 held in Chandigarh on July 8.

Bengaluru  :

A Bengaluru resident, Sameera Dahiya was crowned the second runner-up at the Miss North India Plus Size 2018 held in Chandigarh on July 8.

The second edition of the event included three rounds including a three-day grooming session. Out of 800 women who auditioned for the contest, only 50 were shortlisted.

Conceptualised by Hardeep Arora, the event aims to encourage plus-sized women to embrace their bodies, and prevent body shaming.  The pageant provides plus-sized models a stage to walk the ramp.

A biker and yoga instructor, Sameera’s tale is an inspirational one. “When you travel, it gets difficult to follow a healthy routine. Before I started riding, I weighed 65 kg. Now, I weigh 20 kg more than my ideal weight. Because of a medical condition, my weight hasn’t budged in the last two years,” says Sameera, who was into sports and fitness for 12 years.

In 2016, she quit her software engineering job and decided to turn her passion for biking into a profession. “I am a professional motorcyclist and I participate in racing and off-roading competitions. I teach women biking, and 60 per cent of 300 participants we have, are plus-sized,” she says, adding that over the years, she’s come to understand that size is not a point of concern.

She highlights the importance of accepting your body type.

“This is not just for women. Plus-size men also face similar challenges. Being a slightly larger is not a curse, you just need to take care of your health,” she says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / July 11th, 2018

Jackfruit makes the leap from the wild to farms

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All

‘About 2,000 hectares of jackfruit orchards have come up in the State since 2010’

Jackfruit, a wild fruit that once grew naturally in the countryside, is now cultivated in orchards in Karnataka as a mono crop.

About 2,000 hectares of jackfruit orchards have come up in the State since 2010, said S.V. Hittalmani, former Additional Director of Horticulture (Fruits).

From a minimum of two hectares to a maximum of more than 10 hectares, they are concentrated mainly in Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagaram, Hassan, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chickballapur in addition to some areas in the Malnad belt. About 40 grafted jackfruit varieties are available now in nursuries in the State.

Bairachandra, Toobugere Red, Swarna, Lalbagh Madura and Sadananda are some of the premium varieties which are in great demand. Value addition is required for such varieties whose quality is not up to the mark. Climate change, farm labour issues, drought and dwindling water sources have made farmers to go for jackfruit cultivation as a natural option, Shree Padre, executive editor, Adike Pathrike, a farm monthly and a crusader for jackfruit and its value-added products, told The Hindu.

Shivanna of Sakharayapatna, who is from Parivarthana, an NGO in Chikkamagaluru district, and who has been making ‘Jaffe’ health drink from jackfruit seeds and pulp from the fruit, said that a farmer,

Nagendra, planted jackfruit plants on four acres in his village three months ago. The trees on the more than 10-acre orchard of Channe Gowda in Arkalgud in Hassan district began yielding from this year.

Vishwas, a farmer near Hassan, planted jackfruit as a mixed crop with mango and sapota on 10 acres, he said.

Mr. Padre said that the orchards are coming up in the State without the government’s campaign for it.

“They are coming up as a result of the farmers’ own movement.” A National Jackfruit Research Station is needed in the State, Mr. Padre said. “Promote sale and transport of peeled ready jackfruit from production area to processing centre so that both industry owners and farmers get benefited,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Raviprasad Kamila / Mangaluru – July 08th, 2018

One orchard, 104 varieties

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All
The jackfruit orchard of Shivaprasad Varmudi near Perla on the border with Kerala. | Photo Credit: Supplied
The jackfruit orchard of Shivaprasad Varmudi near Perla on the border with Kerala. | Photo Credit: Supplied

Shivaprasad Varmudi, a farmer near Perla on the border with Kerala, has cultivated 104 varieties of jackfruit on two acres. He told The Hindu that 22 trees which are four years old began yielding from this year.

The orchard has 140 grafted plants. He said that the grafting was done after he personally tasted the fruits of different varieties in various places including in jackfruit festivals.

Mr. Varmudi’s plantation is about 4.45 km away from Perla town.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – July 09th, 2018