MK Kiran of Shimoga district, a farmer who devised the arecanut tree climbing implement, demonstrating it at Peruvai Village in Dakshina Kannada district recently / Photo: AJ Vinayak / The Hindu
Mangalore :
The shortage of labour is a common problem among farmers.
Crops such as arecanut require skilled persons to climb the trees to pluck arecanut bunches from the plant.
What if any member of the farmer’s family can climb the tree? That is what MK Kiran (30), a farmer from Mallesara village in Thirthahalli taluk of Shimoga district, has devised.
Kiran demonstrated an arecanut tree-climbing implement at a plantation of farmer Anantharamakrishna at Peruvai village in Dakshina Kannada district recently.
Kiran told Business Line that the prototype of arecanut tree-climber has been developed under the guidance of DN Venkat of Coimbatore.
Venkat has devised a climber for climbing coconut trees, he said.
Two steel frames, rubber bushes and ropes are the main parts of the arecanut tree-climber.
The basic principle is just like climbing an arecanut tree manually.
First, the steel frames are latched on to the tree trunk – one at the waist level of the person climbing the tree and the other on the ground. The person climbing the tree will have to sit on the frame at the waist-level and will have to pull up the frame at the ground level using his/her feet. Once the process is over, the person has to stand on the lower frame and pull up the upper frame further. These processes will continue till the person reaches the top.
To a query on the chances of these frames slipping, he said the rubber bushes inside the frames tightly hold them to the tree. The two frames are connected by rope or belt.
He has been working on this project for the past four years.
Stating that he had to face failures many a times, Kiran said he did not give up in spite of that. He has around 2-3 tonnes of scrap materials from this project at his home in Thirthahalli, he said.
This farm implement weighs around 6.5-7 kg and cost is around ₹10,500.
Kiran said that he climbed the prototype first.
“When I found it is safe for me, my mother and wife tried it. When I got their feedback that even they can climb the tree with ease, I ventured out to promote this implement,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Markets> Commodities / by A J Vinayak / Bangalore – April 10th, 2014
Symposium on ‘Lipids and Cardiovascular diseases’ held.
Seen are (from left) Prof. B. S. Vishwanath, Chairman, DOS, Bio-chemistry, UoM; Prof. M.A. Shekar of MMC&RI, Mysore; Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Vice-Chancellor, UoM; Prof. H.A. Ranganath, Director, NAAC and Prof. Cletus J.M. D’souza, Former Faculty, Dept. of Bio-chemistry, UoM, during the inauguration of the two-day National symposium in city yesterday.
Mysore :
An effective molecule from the venom of the Indian Cobra called ‘Metalloprotease’ which can be explored to treat deadly clinical conditions like cardiovascular diseases has been identified by the Department of Studies in Biochemistry, University of Mysore.
The study says that the molecule which has been identified has beneficial properties like inhibiting platelet aggregation, inhibiting clot formation and dissolving existing clots.
Dr. K. Kemparaju, Professor, DOS in Biochemistry, UoM, who presented a paper ‘Metalloprotease from Indian Cobra Venom and Mechanism of its Antihemostatic Effect,’ at the two-day National Symposium on ‘Lipids and Cardiovascular Diseases,’ being held at B.N. Bahadur Institute of Management Sciences at Manasagangotri here from yesterday, said that snake venom is a gold mine for extracting specific target molecules and added that as venomous snakes immobilise and kill their prey by targeting vital organs.
He further said that Anti-venom therapy fails to control the local toxicity of envenomation and therefore new therapeutic strategies are in demand for the efficient management of the condition. Further, as venoms are known as the depot of molecules that exhibit high target specificity, there is a greater scope for isolation, characterisation and understanding the molecular mechanisms of toxins that may serve as prototypes for designing therapeutic molecules, he added.
Dr. Kemparaju said that snake bites is an integral occupational hazard among farm workers worldwide and added that human suffering, morbidity and mortality rate due to snake bite was becoming high in South and Southeast Asian countries.
He further said that about 5.5 million people are estimated to be affected by snake bites, of which around four lakh have to be amputated and added that due to the high and incredible degree of target specificity of the venom, the molecules or toxins of venom are extensively explored as analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic tools in biology and human health.
Dr. Kemparaju has research specialisation in Pharmacology of snakes and spider venoms, special emphasis on hyaluronidases and metalloproteases in local toxicity, geographical variations of snake venoms and venom neutralisation.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 14th, 2014
The fair is open to public free of cost from 10 am to 8 pm
: Models of Bull and Squirrel created by artist Ilyas Ahmed (inset) using scrap materials on display at the two-day Automotive Technology Fair-2014 being held at NIE Diamond Jubilee Sports Complex on Mysore-Manandavadi in city. Picture right shows artist Baadal Nanjundaswamy with his 3D painting of a car at the venue.
Mysore :
A two-day Automotive Technology Fair-2014 organised jointly by NIE-Eicher Centre for Automobile Technology (NECAT) and Society of Automotive Engineers of INDIA (SAEINDIA) Collegiate Club of NIE commenced this morning at the NIE Diamond Jubilee Sports Complex on Manandavadi Road here.
The fair features an exhibition of old and new models of two-wheelers and four-wheelers. A scrap art by Ilyas Ahmed is an added attraction where models of horses, squirrels, bulb and an army tank created of scrap materials are exhibited at the venue.
The old two-wheeler models of Rajdooth, Yezdi and Vespa and latest arrivals of Yamaha, Suzuki, Harley Davidson are also on display. Similarly the old cars featured Fiat, earlier models of Landrover while the new ones from Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Ford and many more were seen at the exhibition. The cynosure of all eyes was a 3D painting of a car by artist Baadal Nanjundaswamy at the premises. JK Tyres Vice-President (Works) U.K. Shenoy inaugurated the fair by releasing the balloons. NIE Board of Management Hon. President M. Sreepada Rao was the guest of honour. NIE Principal Dr. G.L. Shekar, Centre for Advanced Studies Chairman S.K. Lakshminarayana, NECAT Director Dr. T.N. Sridhar, Programme Convenor Manjunath and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 12th, 2014
City based Mysore Polymers and Rubber Products Limited (Mypol) for first time manufactured and supplied a key rubber component known as the ‘Linear Bellow’ to the Indian Space Department which was used in the rocket PSLV C24 launched on April 4, 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Linear Bellow, the critical component, was developed over a period of three years in close co-ordination and direction between Design and Development (D&D) Departments of Mypol and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum. The product performed in copy-book style enabling a flawless launch.
Headed by C. D. Nagarajan since its inception in 1981 to manufacture Butyl Automotive Inner tubes, Mypol is also India’s leading manufacturer of Technical Rubber products with supplies to major companies in India, USA and Europe. Mypol D&D Department has developed more than 500 different products for use in industrial, automotive, medical, space and defence requirements, according to a release from Mypol.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 12th, 2014
– Innovative Mobile Application Enhances User Experience for Zain Bahrain Subscribers –
Zain Bahrain, the most innovative telecommunications operator in Bahrain and Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing have co-created Zain Self-Care, an application that is radically transforming user experience for Zain’s subscribers, through self-service. Zain Self-Care is an innovative mobile application for smart phones and tablets that is built using Infosys AssistEdge, a product that transforms customer experience across channels. The application functions on all operating systems including iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry.
Launched in February 2013,Zain Self-Care is a first-of-its-kind mobile telecom application from an operator in Bahrain. It currently enjoys wide-spread adoption across the company’s customer base and offers Zain’s subscribers unparalleled convenience in managing their telecom service needs.
Upendra Kohli, Vice President, Regional Head-South East Asia, Middle East & Africa, Infosys said, “The increased adoption of smartphones across the Middle East is driving demand for new digital experiences and services. The Zain Self-Care application, built using Infosys AssistEdge, is helping Zain expand its range of offerings and improve user experience. We will continue to bring our deep understanding of the global telecommunications industry and technology to enable Zain to meet the changing needs of its subscribers.”
The intuitive interface of Zain Self-Care allows customers to access their account information, subscribe to new services and make use of a range of value-added and self-help services.
Mohammed Zainalabedin, General Manager, Zain Bahrain commented, “We are committed to leveraging technology to deliver the best experience to our customers and provide superior service. We chose Infosys as our partner since they have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the evolving needs of our customers. We value their ability to provide a solution which addresses our needs around scalability and speed, with an eye on the future.”
Application Highlights:
-- The application uses the mobile self-care capabilities of Infosys
AssistEdge to provide superior service on smart devices to retail and
enterprise customers
-- Zain Self-Care allows users to view, control and manage their voice and
data packages. Users can also receive personalized news updates, purchase
value-added services, and make bill payments in a secure environment
-- The interactive features of Zain Self-Care allow customers to better
understand their usage patterns and manage their accounts and spends
-- It is available on all popular mobile platforms and can be downloaded
from app stores
-- Android
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infosys.zain.selfcare
-- Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/bh/app/self-care/id594243362?mt=8
-- Blackberry
-http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/21748371/?countrycode=IN
//
source: http://www.onlinewsj.com / The Wall Street Journal / Home> India Edition / Press Release / PRNewswire / March 27th, 2014
Nexus Venture Partners and Intel Capital have together closed a Rs 53-crore investment in US-based cloud technology startup ElasticBox.
ElasticBox helps firms like Netflix, a TV and movie streaming service, to create, deploy and manages applications quickly and will use the funds to scale up its research and development and hire talent across Asia and Europe.
(ElasticBox helps firms…)
Even though cloud technology has improved how people access and use infrastructure, developing cloud-based applications is a lengthy, expensive and broken process.
“It is stuck in the dark ages, like way back in the days of bare metal,” said Ravi Srivatsav, co founder and chief executive of ElasticBox which had raised seed funding from A16Z Seed and Sierra Ventures .
The startup actually empowers the developers with preconfigured boxes that they can mix and match to create applications.
“It is similar to the way a DJ blends beats and samples to create new music. It brings Dr Dre-like creativity to enterprise application development,” said Srivatsav, a computer science engineer from University of Mysore, who co-founded the company in 2011 along with his Microsoft colleague Alberto Arias Maestro.
Experts say there have been two pivotal moments in enterprise infrastructure development: the creation and implementation of the virtual machine, and the rise of cloud services.
ElasticBox is now overhauling enterprise application development deployment and management within this cloud.
“We think this is the biggest step in cloud innovation since VMware and Amazon web services,” said Jishnu Bhattacharjee, managing director at Nexus.
Most industries like finance and pharma develop hundreds or thousands of applications internally to support business processes.
ElasticBox said it empowers these enterprises to build better applications faster.
source: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> News> Startups / by Peerazada Abrar, ET Bureau / April 03rd, 2014
Bangalore-based Modern Family Doctor Pvt. Ltd., which runs a 25 primary healthcare clinics and pharmacies in Bangalore and Pune, has secured a second round of investment of Rs. 24 crore ($4 million) from Bamboo Finance, with participation by existing investor Saama Capital.
“The lack of good primary healthcare is very apparent in India because hospital outpatient departments are flooded with patients, 70% of whose needs are primary in nature but they have no other option,” said Naresh Malhotra, CEO and founder of MFD. “Going to a hospital means travel, time, inconvenience, exposure to infections and higher expense.”
The former CEO of the Café Coffee Day chain, Malhotra was an operating partner at Sequoia Capital India. MFD, which received $2 million in a first round from Saama Capital, plans to use the funds to expand to more than 100 clinics. “Bamboo Finance was created to support commercially viable businesses that provide access to essential products and services to underserved communities and MFD fits perfectly with our fund’s mission,” said Bamboo chief investment officer Eric Berkowitz. Nishith Desai Associates was MFD’s legal counsel for the deal.
source: http: //www.indiawest.com / IndiaWest / Home> News> Business / by Richard Springer, Staff Reporter / April 05th, 2014
Healthcare industry leaders gathered in the city to discuss key issues plaguing the sector and to look for solutions to deal with them.
“Healthcare is basically disease management. We should build our system from the ground up to create a new blue-print of India’s healthcare. We have over 800,000 ASHAs (Accredited Social Healthcare Activists) in India but they lack medical skills. All we have to do is to upscale their skills so that they can be the eyes and ears of the healthcare system on the ground.” He added that ASHA volunteers will be a big help in ensuring quick diagnosis of diseases and reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases.
Dr Devi Shetty, founder & chairman of Narayana Health spoke about the acute shortage of medical specialists in the country. “While the US has 19,000 undergraduate medical seats and 32,000 PG seats, in India it is the opposite – the country has close to 50,000 undergraduate medical seats but only 14,000 PG seats,” he said.
He added, “The low number of PG seats results in a shortage of specialists. This can have terrible consequences on the ground. For example, India has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and this is unrelated to the amount of money we spend on healthcare. The reason is that we have created a regulatory structure where only a specialist can perform certain tasks, and the country simply doesn’t produce enough of these specialists,” he said.
Shetty suggested that to tide over the problem, the country needs medical educational institutions on the line of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) in Maharashtra which would offer diploma courses in fields like anesthesia, gynecology, and pediatrics to medical graduates. “This can convert the entire 50,000 medical graduates produced in India every year into specialists who can then help reduce maternal mortality in India,” he added. “If we want to deliver better healthcare outcomes, India doesn’t require money. We only require policy changes. This will not happen till the Government looks at medical education as integral part of the country’s development.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mumbai / by Sumitra Deb Roy, TNN / March 29th, 2014
March 29, 2014 will go down in the history of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) as a day when a trend was set. For the first time in its 105-year’s of existence, IISc, a deemed university, held its formal convocation, where 289 students received their degrees. The amusement at the JN Tata auditorium was palpable. None was used to such an event. After all, it was a long-drawn tradition that was being overstepped.
As many as 47 students received gold medals, while 289 students got their degrees. When the institute started admitting students in 1911, it didn’t award degrees but only diplomas. It was in 1958 that IISc was declared a deemed university and degrees started rolling out.
But there weren’t the usual formalities of a convocation either. No flowing robes, no flying caps, The participants wore no robes, caps did not fly up in the air, not even the trademark procession. There was no solemn air, but no resounding applause or cheers either.
While most managed to stick to the ‘white’ dress code, some didn’t bother. Looks were the last thing on their mind; One came in mundu, wearing a sunshade with green rim, but appearances did not matter.
It was celebration time for the students and the institute.
P Balram, the director of the institute, read out no annual report as is customary in any convocation. Instead, he chose to speak about the institute. “We never had a formal convocation. Periodically, students wanted it. But from the stories I have heard, the directors resisted it. Any tradition is hard to break. Our tradition has always been to work quietly, take degrees quietly, and go out into the world. Not to have a convocation was not just about modesty, it was also about the tradition. In effect, what we are carrying out is an experiment. We hope to make it more formal in the coming years,” he said.
“A convocation is about getting old students back and the faculty together. There are a lot of people outside the institute who has seen it grown. They are here. And we get to listen to a chief guest every year,” he added.
The award distribution was equally casual. For instance, at one point a gold medal fell off the ribbon to which it was tied and landed on the floor with a clink; another time, the chief guest had to tie the ribbon around the winner’s neck. The degrees too weren’t awarded personally. ; but they posed for photographs, department wise. The groups had a handful of girls each.
As many as 47 students received gold medals, while 289 students got their degrees. When the institute started admitting students in 1911, it didn’t award degrees but only diplomas. It was in 1958 that IISc was declared a deemed university and degrees started rolling out.
From the chief guest
A strong entrepreneurship culture is highly desirable in its planning. The research programmes certainly need to focus on frontier topics and at the same time be selective, thereby helping to channelize its collective energy into solving large scale problems…The Institute in a year or so has to develop a strategy and an action plan to ensure its place among the first 50 of the globally ranked educational institutions in 5 years.
K Kasturirangan, member, planning commission, government of India
“In a recent report, the author observes that many findings of research have doubtful authenticity being the result of shoddy experiment or poor analysis… The issue is a complex interplay of the anxiety to make a mark through “publish or perish” philosophy in a highly competitive field, publisher looking for catchy results and therefore reluctant to publish negative results and peer review process not adequately fool proof.”
Topper’s take
I am from West Bengal. The Howrah bridge and Victoria Memorial always fascinated me. The stint at IISc was an experience. Everybody here is motivated to work and it’s contagious. Now, I am teaching in IIT-Kharagpur and I am enjoying it.. I teach mechanics for under grads.
The interaction with them and challenging questions are fascinating.
Debarghya Chakraborty, best phd thesis in civil engineering
It’s nice that IISc is coming up with a formal convocation. Last year when I came for the convocation, I was in a pair of jeans. This time, we got a late email asking us to come in white shirts. The place where I teach now has a proper convocation. Hopefully, IISc will go to that level, for good or bad, I don’t know.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Education> News / TNN / March 30th, 2014
Efforts are on to develop Hubli-Dharwad as a design and printing hub.
The twin cities are on the development path with many micro, small and medium industries creating job opportunities for youths in the region, and design and printing is one such sector.
“As printing and design industry is slowly and firmly getting established in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad. We plan to develop it a hub,” said D Chandrashekhar, Director MSME Hubli, after inaugurating a seminar on ‘Design Awareness Seminar’ organised jointly by the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, MSME, Hubli, and Hubli Print Cluster under NID’s Design Clinic scheme.
Chandrashekhar further said the Central Government had launched various schemes and projects, including subsidies and financial assistance to promote industrial growth in the country. “It is offering 70 per cent subsidy for industry development activities. As a result of the Centre’s stress on industrial growth, several industrial clusters have come up in the State to cater to the needs of growers of specific farm produces and industrial products. ”
Speaking on the occasion, BVBCET CTE Director, Nithin Kulkarni, said though there were a lot of opportunities for growth in the twin cities, majority of youths were migrate to metro cities. Establishing more and more industries and creating job opportunities is the only solution to this problem.
Kulkarni using latest technologies to boost industrial production is one area the young entrepreneurs should look at. Youths should make use of government facilities such as subsidy, financial assistance and skill development programmes, to launch their own ventures to come up in life.
NID South Zone Project Officer, Pratapmurthy GV, said the liberalisation and globalisation poses a challenge to small and micro industries. But small and micro industrialists should determine to face the challenges effectively by supplying goods that match the best standards.
The Centre had been offering several schemes to medium, small and micro industrialists to upgrade their knowledge and technology to keep pace with the changing times.
Resource persons Shandilya Sushilkumar, Prabuddha Dasgupta, Satish Nayak, Vinayak Munipalli and Girish Joshi, President, Hubli Print Cluster, were present. More than 70 delegates participated in the programme.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / The Hindu Bureau / Bangalore – March 30th, 2014
