Shivamogga youth claims to have received 350 orders in two days at ISC
Nithin Herale displaying his invention
Mysuru :
True to the saying ‘Necessity is the Mother of all Inventions,’ a young farmer who was unable to get skilled climbers to pluck arecanut in his farm, turned himself as an inventor, came up with a Multi-Tree Climber equipment and is all set to help other farmers including coconut and arecanut growers with his invention.
The young farmer is 23-year-old Nithin Herale, a resident of Gajanur village which is about 10 kms from Shivamogga. Nithin, a diploma dropout, has displayed his invention at the Pride of India Science Expo being held as part of the 103rd Indian Science Congress (ISC) in city.
Nithin, speaking to SOM, said that the Multi-Tree Climber is his sixth modified version of the equipment and has used Stainless Steel 304 grade to reduce the weight of the equipment. He said that when he first invented the equipment, it weighed about 16 kgs and was finding it difficult to carry it to the farm. He then thought of reducing the weight of the equipment so that it would be easy for even women farmers to carry it.
He further said that keeping in mind to reduce the weight, he modified the equipment using SS 304 grade Stainless Steel and added that his equipment now weighs just 7.2 kgs.
Nithin, who has gone commercial by launching his equipment in the market, claims that he has received 350 orders in two days from customers especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
He further said that initially he invented equipment for his purpose but due to demand from other fellow farmers he opened a small workshop in his village to manufacture the equipment and even obtained licence to sell it.
He said that the Multi-Tree Climber works on a two assembly locking system, safety belt gripper and rubber plates to help climb tress with ease and added that even those with no expertise or special skills can also easily climb a branch-less tree.
He further said that equipment which is also very useful to climb coconut tress is priced at Rs. 8,000 and comes with an instruction CD.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Thursday – January 07th, 2015
Dr VK Saraswat, member, NITI Aayog, inaugurated the Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research (ICER) and the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru on Wednesday. Saraswat, an alumni of the Institute, recalled his student days during which it was a challenge to conduct experiments in combustion. “It was my dream to have a state of the art Combustion Centre, and I am glad we have one today,” he added.
The Centre is part of the new Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research at IISc.
R V Ravikrishna, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and a Coordinator of the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, said that the Centre would focus on industrially relevant problems and translational research. He also said that the Centre has planned memorandums of agreement with laboratories belonging to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, in order to utilise the complementary strengths. The Combustion research centre also aims to leverage new national initiatives such as IMPRINT in the domains of energy and security & defence.
Prof Anurag Kumar, director, IISc, expressed hope that the Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research would work towards developing indigenous technology.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / by Rohith B R, TNN / January 06th, 2015
To inspire young minds to cul tivate a scientific attitude, the Pride of India, a five-day expo will be held as part of the In dian Science Congress that gets under way on Sunday . Around 180 organizations, including DRDO and Isro, are expected to participate in the exhibition that will showcase the country’s achievements in science and technology .
Three dozen laboratories attached to the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will put up models and technologies at the DRDO pavilion.This includes models of missiles, aircraft, BrahMos missile, and the LCA fighter jet. Night vision goggles and binoculars, fire suppressing gel, portable water mist gun, aluminized fire retardant clothes, mobile autonomous robotic system, rotary engines, multi-purpose decontamination system and a mannequin with combat free-fall parachute will also be on display .
This year’s Hall of Pride -a section dedicated to eminent personalities in science and technology-looks at the life and achievements of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam.
The expo, spread over an area of 1500 sqm, will be open between 10 am and 7 pm. The National Council of Science Museum will showcase a zoom table, a gravity well and portability curve. Sajju Bhaskaran, curator of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, says visitors can zoom into and zoom out of the images to get clear view of the subject. The gravity well explains about movement of planets around the Sun.
A separate enclosure has also been set up to showcase the achievements of the Karnataka education department.
Professor G Hemantha Kumar of the department of computer science, University of Mysore, said the Pride of India expo was first organized during the 87th Indian Science Congress by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications and since then it has been a regular feature.
Genesis for exchange of ideas
A one-day symposium “Genesis” is being organized at the University of Mysuru during the Indian Science Congress to bring scientists, industrialists, academicians and policymakers to a common platform to exchange ideas and explore collaborative opportunities. The theme of the XIV Genesis is Realising the Make in India mission through indigenous development – role of MSME.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / by Lawrence Milton / TNN / January 03rd, 2016
After completing the solo golden quadrilateral nationwide ride, covering nearly 7,000km in 2014, Esha Gupta, 37, aka Lone Gal Traveller, from Bengaluru has set her eyes on another mighty trip in this year.This time, she will attempt at creating a new Guinness World Records (GWR) for the longest journey on a motorcycle in a single country by a female. Esha will start the tour of 17 states, crossng 110 townscities, in an equal number of ing 110 townscities, in an equal number of days on January 10. Her faithful companion of 2014, Mike – her Bajaj Avenger 220DTsi will again carry her desire and hunger and to prove a point that “India is not an unsafe country” for women or women travellers.
Esha says: “By doing a solo ride across the Golden Quadrilateral, touching four metropolitan cities, I wanted to send a message out that India is not unsafe country for women. This time around, I will visit smaller towns and cities to put across the same message that India is safe. I plan to ride 38,000+ km in 110 days.” Esha says she is not challenging miscreants with the ride. “It is just to remind people that we are concentrating so much on the negativity that we have forgotten the positivity and good people around us. My solo ride is meant to shift people’s focus towards positivity,” she says.
She started preparing for the record in September last year by contacting GWR.”They have certain stringent rules and regulations that I have to meet to get my name in the GWR, which includes daily log in entries of my ride from start to end time apart from proof that I have visited the cities,” says Esha.
Her ride position and route will be tracked by twin GPS provided by OSS Technologies, which will also provide her a safety net. “The twin GPS is to avoid any complications in case one of the units fails. I cannot take any chance,” she says.
The expenses towards this ride will be al most 10 times that of her 2014 one. “I still have not got sponsors. I hope to get help from philanthropists if sponsorship does not materialize,” she asserts.
Esha quit her job as a senior facility manager four years ago, planning a small break, but never joined back.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mangalore / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / January 05th, 2016
To inspire young minds to cul tivate a scientific attitude, the Pride of India, a five-day expo will be held as part of the In dian Science Congress that gets under way on Sunday . Around 180 organizations, including DRDO and Isro, are expected to participate in the exhibition that will showcase the country’s achievements in science and technology .
Three dozen laboratories attached to the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will put up models and technologies at the DRDO pavilion.This includes models of missiles, aircraft, BrahMos missile, and the LCA fighter jet. Night vision goggles and binoculars, fire suppressing gel, portable water mist gun, aluminized fire retardant clothes, mobile autonomous robotic system, rotary engines, multi-purpose decontamination system and a mannequin with combat free-fall parachute will also be on display .
This year’s Hall of Pride -a section dedicated to eminent personalities in science and technology-looks at the life and achievements of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam.
The expo, spread over an area of 1500 sqm, will be open between 10 am and 7 pm. The National Council of Science Museum will showcase a zoom table, a gravity well and portability curve. Sajju Bhaskaran, curator of Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, says visitors can zoom into and zoom out of the images to get clear view of the subject. The gravity well explains about movement of planets around the Sun.
A separate enclosure has also been set up to showcase the achievements of the Karnataka education department.
Professor G Hemantha Kumar of the department of computer science, University of Mysore, said the Pride of India expo was first organized during the 87th Indian Science Congress by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications and since then it has been a regular feature.
Genesis for exchange of ideas
A one-day symposium “Genesis” is being organized at the University of Mysuru during the Indian Science Congress to bring scientists, industrialists, academicians and policymakers to a common platform to exchange ideas and explore collaborative opportunities. The theme of the XIV Genesis is Realising the Make in India mission through indigenous development – role of MSME.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / Lawrence Milton, TNN / January 03rd, 2015
Ice-skaters from Karnataka who are participating in the 12th National Ice Skating Championships at Gulmargh, J&K are seen with coach K. Srikanth Rao from Mysuru.
Gulmargh :
City’s ice-skaters representing Karnataka excelled in the 12th National Ice Skating Championship being held at Gulmargh, J&K, by winning golds in the 500 mts race time trial event yesterday.
Mysuru’s Dr. Varsha Puranik, Akash Aradhya, Elizabeth Achaiah and Kaviraj Prithvi broke National Records by clinching the gold in the 500 mts race time trials in their respective categories.
Karnataka has won a total of 10 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals in the championship till yesterday. The Karnataka team is coached by Ekalavya award winner K. Srikanth Rao of Rao’s Roller Skating Club, Mysuru.
source: http:/www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Saturday – January 02nd, 2016
The Yadahalli Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary will be spread over 9,636.91 hectares in villages of Bilagi and Mudhol taluks.
Karnataka will get its first wildlife sanctuary for chinkaras (Indian Gazelle) at Yadahalli in Bagalkot district.
Karnataka will get its first wildlife sanctuary for chinkaras (Indian Gazelle) at Yadahalli in Bagalkot district.
The government, in its notification, said the sanctuary is spread over 9,636.91 hectares in villages of Bilagi and Mudhol taluks. The region has a lot of wildlife significance since it is the only habitat for endangered Indian Gazelles.
The forests with beautiful mosaic of shrubs, grasslands and rocky patches are the habitat for critically endangered wolves, jackals, wildcats, stripped hyenas, and a variety of other mammals, reptiles and birds, the notification said. The area has numerous seasonal nalas, which drain into river Krishna in the north and into the Ghataprabha on the southern side of the sanctuary. “It acts as an important catchment for the two rivers,” it said. The sanctuary does not cover patta lands and revenue lands.
M.R. Desai, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Bagalkot, said the notification now provides a complete legal backing for habitat improvement of the region as well as ensuring the population of the endangered chinkara population remains on the upswing.
“This is a shrub forest that has seen some damage owing to plantations. For the past two years, we have tried to halt these activities. A sanctuary status will ensure that the commercial exploitation of the region stops,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / Nagesh Prabhu / Bengaluru – January 01st, 2016
‘e-water harmoniser’ to get rid of tepid smell emanating from the water body
Mysuru :
In a bid to get rid of the stinking smell emanating from Kukkarahalli Lake, the Mysore University authorities have come up with a novel initiative and installed an ‘e-water harmoniser’ (EWH) at the Lake.
EWH is a technology to add oxygen to water through ‘Aeration Fountain,’ a process of increasing oxygen saturation in water. When the water passes through the unit, it increases the level of stable oxygen, which reduces the anaerobic condition of water besides reducing the formation of algae.
The equipment has been lent free of cost to the University of Mysore (UoM), the custodians of the Lake, by Kalpavruksha Amruth Solutions, a city-based private company.
Technical Advisor K. G. Gururaj said that the process is natural as the unit is free from any chemical or harmful substances and added that the water can be cleaned without wasting it. Besides the unit is maintenance-free.
Gururaj further said that the process also reduces the content of Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in the water and added that the process would also benefit aquatic animals.
Mysore University Green Campus initiative Co-ordinator Ravishankar V. Rai said that due to algae and high toxic level, the Lake used to stink. Stating that the initiative is in experimental stages, he said that the water will be re-evaluated after 21 days to see if the technology works.
He further said that more number of units will be put up to work after the water is re-evaluated.
Meanwhile, Kukkarahalli Lake Protection Committee Convener K. M. Jayaramaiah said that the initiative would help in maintaining water at the pink of its health and added that the aeration process would reduce the stink.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Friday – January 01st, 2016
In future, students of Bangalore University, which has around 600 colleges affiliated to it, need not go to its Jnana Bharathi campus to sort out issues related to academics and admissions. Last week, in a special gazette, the state government notified the trifurcation of BU.
The three new varsities will be Bengaluru University that will continue functioning from the BU’s existing campus at Jnana Bharathi; Bengaluru Central University that will function from Central College and Bengaluru North University that will be established near Hoskote.
The existing 600 colleges will get affiliated to these three universities based on their respective legislative assembly constituencies. For the two new varsities, two new VCs will be appointed. A special officer appointed by the state government will take necessary steps to establish Bengaluru Central and North universities.
In February, a subcommittee headed by the then higher education minister RV Deshpande disclosed that BU will be split into four varsities, but in May the cabinet approved trifurcating BU.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Education> News / TNN / December 30th, 2015
Celebrating Life In Namma Bengaluru Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Bengaluru immersed itself in a world of music, books, and theatre this year. IT city also became app-city, becoming very dependent on them to get anything from cabs to food. Here’s looking back at some highlights…
BOOKS
Writers etch their mark
It was good year for Bangalore authors. Anjum Hasan’s The Cosmopolitansfollows 53-year-old Qayenaat in a changing world. The author says she didn’t set out to write a novel about art, she set the novel in the art world because it is a world of imagination. She sees Qayenaat as a rasika, a lover of arts. The colourful Hari Majestic is back in Zac O Yeah’s A Hero for Hire. The erstwhile Tout of Bengaluru returns as a detective and with his cronies including Doc, Triplex and AC Gaadi sets out to rid the world of evil doers including shady hospitals and manic goons.
The end of the year saw Anita Nair’s Alphabet Soup for Lovers, telling the story of Lena Abraham and the movie star Shoola Pani partly through the eyes of the cook Komathi as she learns the English alphabet through ingredients from the kitchen. Preeti Shenoy’s Why We Love The Way We Do, a collection of essays that explore the various aspects of love and relationships was launched at The Park. Nandita Bose’s Shadow and Soul, revolving around the lives of Devika and her younger lover, an artiste, Shaurjyo, was launched at Atta Galatta.
PERFORMANCE
The city a stage
This year there was the usual run of theatre festivals. The sixth edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest saw the staging of three plays in Bengaluru. God of Carnage, written by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Nadir Khan, about two sets of parents meeting to sort out an issue between their children, which eventually devolves into chaos. The Government Inspector, presented by Akvarious Productions, Mumbai, and directed by Akarsh Khurana, a satirical play on political corruption. Two to Tango, Three to Jive, about a middle-aged man going through mid-life crisis, who decides to spice up his love life, marked actor-director Saurabh Shukla’s return to theatre after 18 years. Bengaluru was also the only city where Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre performedHamlet in October.
The Ranga Shankara Festival was another success with plays staged from all over the country. Among the plays staged were Main Huun Yusuf, Aur Yeh Hai Mera Bhai, directed by Mohit Takalkar, who won the Shankar Nag Theatre Award 2015.Still and Still Moving, a production by Delhi-based Tadpole Repertory, directed by Neel Chaudhuri, a love story between two men against the backdrop of the cities they inhabit, Delhi and Gurgaon. Sharanya Ramprakash’s Akshaya Ambara, presented by Dramanon, which explores gender in Yakshagana, a traditional Karnataka folk theatre form and Abhishek Majumdar’s Dweepa, written originally in Bengali, premiered in Kannada, at the festival. Gender Bender, presented by Goethe-Institut in association with Max Mueller Bhavan, was a series of performances, a video presentation and installations, which brought to the fore the undoing conventional notions of gender and sexuality.
The first ever Bengaluru Comedy Festival, presented by Comedy Wagon, brought together stand-up comics from different cities, including Bengaluru — Sundeep Rao, Praveen Kumar, Kenny Sebastian, Sanjay Mankatala, Saad Khan, Sumukhi Suresh and Richa Kapoor.
TECHNOLOGY
Pehle App!
For IT city, apps was the buzzword in 2015 as it changed the way we commuted to work, ordered in food and groceries, worked on our fitness regimes and much more. If you were fed up with overcharging auto drivers and irregular bus services and wary of taking the car out, apps such as Ola and Uber made commuting within the city a breeze at the swipe of a smartphone. Ola, Uber, Meru became one of the most convenient ways to travel back home after a late night party or head to work for a early morning assignment you could not afford to miss.
In the later part of the year, motorbike rentals and ridesharing apps such as Lyft and Ridingo made commute something you did not dread about much on a weekday. As more and more app based services offer ridesharing options, urban experts feel that it will lead to lesser traffic snarls and bring down pollution levels in the city. Self driven car rentals, lead by companies such as Zoomcar and Bla Bla car ensured that you do not need to own a car to drive in the city.
Ordering in food got a new dimension in Bengaluru in 2015, as a plethora of food apps, ranging from those that just deliver food such as Swiggy to apps that make and deliver food such as Freshmenu. You no longer needed to call a restaurant, pour through reams of paper menus. You could just download one of the apps and get food from your favourite restaurant or service provider in quick time Customers also had the option of getting hot breakfasts via apps such as Brekkie. Home cooked food also became very popular and saw home sick youngsters using apps and the internet to connect with homecooks across the city, for a taste of homemade dal and parathas and much more. Apps such as Easydiner were also launched, allowing customers to book tables at a restaurant by a swipe.
MUSIC
The city’s sonic trailblazers
While 2015 marked several significant changes in the city’s soundscape, it was also the year in which Bengaluru bands etched their mark on the international music circuit.
Here’s a look at some of the city’s sonic history makers.
Peepal Tree
Rooted from trailblazers like Bhoomi, Thermal and a Quarter and the Raghu Dixit Project, Peepal Tree emerged as a rapidly successful band with their infectious high energy and distinct sounds making them very popular. They went on to make their international debut at the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union Radio Song Festival in Yangon, Myanmar. The band was selected by All India Radio to represent India at the festival, which featured artistes from countries ranging from Pakistan and South Korea to Australia.
Moonarra
The world music band is often attributed to be synonymous with the city’s vibrant potpourri of music. While they have been making inroads in the global music circuit for close to a decade now, their most recent venture took them to Morocco for the Tangier’s Jazz Festival featuring the jazz of five continents as the only Indian band from Asia. Moonarra performed not once but twice in front of international artistes with a unique collaboration with Moroccan ensemble Gnawa Express. The expert artistes also conducted a workshop at the fest where they shared about their world jazz Indian classical fusion backgrounds.
Thermal And A Quarter
Fresh off their sixth studio album The Scene, the Bangalore Rockers embarked on a new direction with an album that took them to Bonn, Germany. What started as a conversation with Dr. Mathew Kurian, a scholar at the United Nations University in Dresden, Germany, evolved into a full-fledged album titled No Wall Too High commemorating 25 years of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The album, a work that dwelt on divisions, also saw a collaboration with a German choral singer and took the band to Bonn to launch the record and perform at the United Nations Day celebrations along with other European bands.
The Raghu Dixit Project
The city-based folk rock band, best known for their infectiously addictive songs and lungi statements, returned earlier this year from yet another international tour. From the Kala Utsava in Singapore and Bangkok’s Festival of India to showcasing for the Indian community by the Indian Consulate in Jakarta and performing at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, the unofficial ambassadors of Bengaluru’s music culture left a lasting impression on the international circuit.
Inner Sanctum
Fresh after an eight-city tour of Europe and releasing their full-length album, the death metal giants headed to Oslo, Norway, to play at the Inferno Metal Festival on its 15th anniversary. Sharing stage with metal legends like Behemoth, Enslaved, Arcturus and Bloodbath, Inner Sanctum delivered a charismatic show with some tight metal work that went down well with the metalheads.
Sulk Station
The trip hop duo headed to the UK to perform at the Southbank Centre’s Alchemy Festival, with shows in London and Glasgow, along with sets at the Great Escape Festival in the beach town of Brighton, going along the coast to Bristol as well. Comprising vocalist-keyboardist Tanvi Rao and producer Rahul Giri, the band delivered their eclectic alternative electronic music to packed audiences in every show.
Space Behind The Yellow Room
The four member, post metal and rock band won the Pepsi Unbox hunt this year out of 450 bands and went on to perform in Singapore at Music Matters Live 2015, an independent music festival featuring over 70 bands. Apart from playing in front of an international audience, they also attended a conference at the Music Matters Academy.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Mini Anthikad Chhibber & Sravasti Datta & Nikhil Varma & Allan Moses Rodricks
