Category Archives: World Opinion

Seminar On Princely States Begins

February 17, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Indian National Congress ignored Princely States till 1930s, says Prof. David Washbrook of Cambridge University.

A two-day Prof. Achuta Rao Memorial International Seminar on ‘Power, Resistance and Sovereignty in Princely South India’ (with special reference to the transfer of power) began at the Rani Bahadur Auditorium, BN Bahadur Institute of Management Studies in city this morning.

The event is being organised under the joint auspices of the Department of Studies in History, University of Mysore and Prof. D.S. Achuta Rao Centenary Programme, Bengaluru. The seminar is a being held as part of the centenary celebrations of Prof. Achuta Rao, who served as a History lecturer in Maharaja’s College in city from 1950 to 1960 and then as a Professor at Manasagangothri till his death in 1965.

The key-note address on “The Princely States and the making of Indian Modernity” at the event was delivered by Prof. David Washbrook, a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge University. David also taught at Warwick, Oxford and Harvard Universities and his special interest is South India between 18th and 21st centuries on which he has published extensively.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Washbrook said that the Princely States have focused on struggle against the British rule. “In education, public health, industry and commerce, certain of the Princely States (notably, Mysore, Travancore, Baroda and even Hyderabad) have led the country in social development and put backwardness and stagnation of British India to shame,” he said.

“The Indian National Congress ignored the Princely States till the 1930s and then subsumed them under a programme designed to obliterate their ‘difference’. The difficult circumstances of partition and accession also made post-independent India instinctively hostile to the traces of princely privilege and power. Reviled as feudal relics, India’s Maharajas were meant to fade into history and the societies over which they ruled to blend into a single, homogeneous and continuous national modernity,” Prof. David said.

After 1857, princely India may have played little public role in the political struggle against colonial rule. They left lasting legacies and the erstwhile princely cities of Bengaluru and Vadodara were leading centres of science and industry today and Thiruvananthapuram (along with the rest of Kerala) is a pioneer of Indian medical practice, he said.

Acting V-C of University of Mysore Prof. Yashavanth Dongre presided.

UoM Registrar Prof. R. Rajanna inaugurated the exhibition on the life and works of Prof. D.S. Achuta Rao.

Convener of Prof. D.S. Achuta Rao Centenary Programme Advisory Board D.A. Prasanna was present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Friday – February 17th, 2017

City’s Kaviraj excels in Ice-Skating

February 14, 2017Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Mysuru :

Kaviraj Prithvi of Mysuru recently participated in the Junior World Ice-skating Championship held in Innsburck, Austria between Jan. 26 and. 29.

The qualification criteria to participate at any ISU (International Skating Union) World Championships are based on the personal best timings in 500 mtrs.

The cut-off is 51 seconds. This is the first time any skater in junior category from our country has qualified with this timing. Kaviraj Prithvi (Mysuru) and Ashwin D’silva (Mangaluru) represented India.

Both the skaters had qualified for this event during the European Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria during December 2016. Kaviraj trains under Srikanth Rao in Mysuru and was coached by Avaduth Tawde during his participating in World Ice-skating Championship.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / February 08th, 2017

Bengaluru’s ‘Taj Mahal’ set to blossom love across the globe

February 13, 2017Agriculture, Business & Economy, World Opinionadmin

Bengaluru contributes about 60% of the red rose exports from India, according to industry sources.

Exports of the red rose variety expected to touch five million ahead of Valentine’s Day

Bengaluru’s ‘Taj Mahal’ will again be part of this Valentine’s Day flavour across the globe as nearly five million of this red rose variety, grown in fields in and around the city, is being shipped from here.

While Bengaluru growers exported just over 4.5 million roses in the fortnight before the Valentine’s Day last year, the exports could touch about 5 million this year, general manager of International Flower Auction Board, Bengaluru, Vijay Kulkarni, told The Hindu.

“We are expecting about 8% increase in exports this year,” he added.

This year, the ‘Taj Mahal’ variety has been produced much more than the earlier popular variety ‘First Red’, sources said.

Bengaluru and Pune are the largest exporters of red roses from India during Valentine’s Day, and Bengaluru contributes about 60% of the exports, industry sources said. Roses from here are being airlifted to Malayasia, Singapore, West Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries.

While the average price for a rose stem hovers between ₹5 and ₹6 during normal days, it is expected to double over the next couple of days.

Bridging the shortfall

“Taj Mahal has larger bud and longer shelf life than other red rose varieties cultivated here. In fact, this year Taj Mahal will be accounting for about 95% of the exports while the First Red variety will account for a small portion,” said general secretary of the South India Floriculture Association Jayaprakash Rao. He said Kenya and Ethiopia are the largest suppliers of roses, and the Indian roses only bridge the shortfall, which explains a modest year-on-year growth in exports.

The IFAB, which is the largest flower auction house in the country, handling about 1.5 lakh roses daily, has been handling nearly 5 lakh roses every day during this season that is expected to last till February 11.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – February 11th, 2017

The curtain falls on 9th edition of Biffes

February 10, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Mysuru Karnataka: 09-02-2017: Mysuru Karnataka: 09-02-2017: Nirupana Rajendra and her troupe giving a performance at the closing ceremony of Bengaluru International Film Festival in Mysuru on Thursday. PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM | Photo Credit: M_A_SRIRAM ;M_A_SRIRAM - — Mysuru Karnataka: 09-02-2017: Mysuru Karnataka: 09-02-2017: Nirupana Rajendra and her troupe giving a performance at the closing ceremony of Bengaluru International Film Festival in Mysuru on Thursday. PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM | Photo Credit: M_A_SRIRAM ;M_A_SRIRAM –

Kyrgz movie A Father’s Will wins best film in Asian cinema competition category

The curtains came down on the 9th edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes) at a dazzling event held against the backdrop of an illuminated Mysuru palace on Thursday.

Mysuru co-hosted Biffes that featured over 180 Indian and foreign films. While many Sandalwood stars gave the closing ceremony a miss, only a few film-makers from the industry attended. The event saw participation of some foreign film-makers.

Governor Vajubhai R. Vala presented the awards to the best films listed under various competitions.

In attendence

H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister in charge of Mysuru district; M. Lakshminarayan, Principal Secretary, Information and Public Relations and PWD; N.R. Vishukumar, Director, Department of Information and Public Relations; S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, Chairman, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy; M.K. Somashekar, MLA; Ravi Kumar, Mayor; and D. Randeep, Deputy Commissioner, were present.

The films were judged by a jury comprising eminent film-makers from India and abroad. A Father’s Will, a film from Kyrgyzstan, won the best film in the Asian cinema competition. The award carried a cash prize of $10,000 and a citation.

This year, the segment Award for Popular Entertainment Kannada cinema was added. Kotigobba-2 bagged the first prize while Jaggudada and Dodmane Huduga received the second and third prizes respectively.

Vala: Waive tax on all language films

Mr. Vala said movies in all languages should get entertainment tax exemption like Kannada films in the State.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 9th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes), Mr. Vala also suggested giving subsidy of ₹50 lakh each to the best three Kannada films to promote cinema and its making.

He said films highlight so many characteristics such as art, culture, literature and so on. “Moreover, film-makers work really hard and I personally witnessed this while watching the shooting of Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan in Gujarat,” Mr. Vala said. He called upon people to watch and encourage films.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – February 10th, 2017

Bengaluru woman braves Russia’s ‘highway of bones’

January 27, 2017Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Daunting task: Nidhi Tiwari completed 5,080 km from Yakutsk to Magadan and back. | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail

Adventure lover flew to Yakutsk and drove East solo for 14 days along icy roads, to Magadan and back

Even for experienced drivers at home in extreme terrain, the route to the icy Russian village Oymyakon, dubbed the Pole of Cold, and Magadan beyond can be daunting. So when Nidhi Tiwari, an outdoor educator and a passionate driver from Bengaluru steered her Toyota Prado through –50° C temperatures, many Russian villagers were surprised.

The 36-year-old adventure lover and mother of two completed her 5,080 km solo expedition from Yakutsk to Magadan and back, through the coldest regions of Sakha Republic to become the first Indian to get there.

Ms. Tiwari, born in Dharwad and raised in Bengaluru, wears her badge for inter-continental expeditions proudly. “My drive from New Delhi to London in 2015 put me on the road for 97 days, covering 23,800 km across 17 countries,” she says. She zeroed in on Oymyakon in December 2016, as she wanted to see the coldest place on earth, and take the treacherous ‘Highway of Bones’ route from Yakutsk to Magadan, viewed by some as one of the world’s most dangerous roads.

The trip started with a flight to Yakutsk, followed by the drive for 14 days with a low temperature record of –59° at Ustnera near Sakha Republic. “I would drive for 14 hours a day on rough snow and ice. Even a minute’s exposure would freeze me with pain,” the explorer says.

During the trip, she had Skype conversations with 5,000 school children in India on what she saw.

With many geographical surprises popping up en route, adaptability was crucial. “The weather pierces the skin, and one has to deal with fatigue,” she says. What helped her was perfect four months of road-mapping and planning. Her SUV achieved an average of 12 km per litre.

Villagers surprised

As she covered the miles to Magadan, people could only stare in disbelief that someone from faraway India had made it to Oymyakon. “Shocked people offered free food and told me that I was crazy to be driving there,” says Ms. Tiwari who had to get used to just reindeer and horse meat with hot soup.

As the goal was reached, historian Vasielia Tamara Yagerovna of the Russian Geographic Society said on Facebook that the list of visitors from 47 countries to Oymyakon now had an Indian name, the first.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – January 27th, 2017

C.V. Vishveshwara, the ‘black hole man of India’, is no more

January 17, 2017Amazing Feats, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

He was among the first to study “black holes” even before they had been so named so.

Professor C.V. Vishveshwara who did pioneering work on black holes, passed away in the night of January 16, in Bengaluru, after a period of illness. He was nearing 78 years. In the 1970s, while at University of Maryland, he was among the first to study “black holes” even before they had been so named. His calculations succeeded in giving a graphical form to the signal that would be emitted by two merging black holes – this was the waveform detected in 2015 by the LIGO collaboration, and contain the so-called “quasi normal modes” – a ringdown stage that sounds like a bell’s ringing sound that is fading out.

Known to all as ‘Vishu’, he was given to irrepressible, infectious humour and could hold the audience in fits of laughter when he spoke. In 2015, during a short talk he gave at a conference to commemorate the first detection of gravitational waves, at International Centre for Theoretical Sciences Bengaluru (ICTS), he jokingly said that he should now probably be known as Quasimodo (after having first discovered the quasi-normal modes).

Inspired by his father C. K. Venkata Ramayya who was a writer and Padmashri awardee, Prof. Vishveshwara took to composing cartoons, many of which have been published in physics conference proceedings. Spektrum der Wissenschaft, a German popular science magazine, had published many of his cartoons depicting Einstein.

“Though I have many wonderful memories of the 1979 Einstein symposium [held at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad] the most memorable one was Vishu’s lecture entitled ‘Black Holes for Bedtime’. To me it was a magical experience; an exotic cocktail of science, art, humour and caricature. Equations were not necessarily abstract and unspeakable but could as well be translated in the best literary tradition. Over the years Vishu’s cartoons in the ICGC proceedings were always awaited,” says Prof Bala Iyer a long-time collaborator of Vishveshwara, who is now at ICTS.

Prof. Vishveshwara was the founding director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru. Important in his work there is the setting up of the REAP (Research Education Advancement Programme in Physical Sciences). This is a three-year programme that undergraduate students can enrol in, which would complement their college curriculum.

He has written several books to popularise his area of work that are widely read, one of which is ‘Einstein’s Enigma, or, Black Holes in My Bubble Bath’.

He is survived by his wife, Prof. Saraswathi, and two daughters Smitha and Namitha who are both scientists.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Science / by Shubashree Desikan / January 17th, 2017

NRI scientist on a mission to find the next Ramanujan

January 6, 2017Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

Bengaluru :

A city-based computer scientist who spent over four decades in the US and racked up an outstanding body of work is starting a first-of-its-kind talent search programme in the state. For this initiative, he has had inputs and backing from another titan in the field of science — Prof C N R Rao, who will inaugurate the programme’s award function in Indian Institute of Science on Friday.

The programme, called NIAS-Maiya Prodigy, involves 10 meritorious students from various parts of the state — some from rural areas — who will receive a scholarship of `50,000. The students can be from any field. The USP of the programme is that the 10 students will have a mentor assigned to them who will guide them in their studies and careers and monitor them over five years. This programme is a joint initiative by the food brand Maiya, National College and the Iyengar Medical Foundation.

“Nobody else in the world is doing this, not even in the US,” says Prof Sundaraja Sitharama Iyengar, who conceived the project and had it executed over the past 18 months.

Prof Iyengar is currently the Ryder Professor and Director of Computer Science at Florida International University, Miami, USA. During his career, he has received many prestigious awards including the NRI Mahatma Gandhi Pradvasi Medal at the House of Lords in London on October 2013.

When asked about his biggest accomplishment, he says, “It was mentoring younger minds. Even now, what I want is to discover the next Ramanujan or C N R Rao.” It was this thought, along with the urge to give back to his country that made him come up with the programme.

The seeds of the idea were sown two years ago when he spoke to Prof Rao about his idea, and the latter liked it. Iyengar then set about an exhaustive selection process. After multiple selection rounds, 10 students were chosen for the scholarship, and their names will be announced at 3.30 pm on Friday at NIAS Auditorium, IISC.

Describing the students, Iyengar says, “I came across some bright students with lofty ambitions, and they are all technically good. One of them wants to win a Nobel Prize. Another wants to find a cure for blindness. We have so much potential, but there are problems like inability to articulate well and lack of confidence. Their mentors will work with them and teach them how to ask questions.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Tushar Kaushik / Express News Service / January 06th, 2017

Five VTU students chosen for Stanford University’s fellowship programme

January 2, 2017Education, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Students selected for the fellowship with VTU Vice- Chancellor Karisiddappa in Belagavi.

Five students of Visvesvaraya Technological University have been selected for University Innovation Fellows (UIF) programme of the Stanford University, U.S.A.

According to a VTU release, the programme has been designed to empower the students’ knowledge, skills and attitude and make a positive impact on the world economy.

As many as 169 students from four countries participated in the selection process. Samanth Mendke and Shriya Hukkeri from Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi; and Abhay Rangan V., Priyanka Srivastava, and Asher John Sathya from CMR Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, excelled through the selection process.

The fellows will be provided online training for six weeks on development and innovative projects aimed at bringing in a change in the university system. After the training, the fellows will attend the annual UIF Silicon Valley Meet scheduled in U.S.A. in March. They will also participate in workshops and exercises focused on topics such as movement building, innovation spaces, design of learning experiences, and new models for change in higher education.

VTU Vice-Chancellor Karisiddappa said the varsity had been encouraging international collaborations and interacting with globally reputed universities and organisations for collaborative research, exchange of faculty members and students to make value addition to their teaching and learning abilities.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Belagavi – January 02nd, 2016

All song and play at this school

December 19, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, World Opinionadmin

Children attend music and academic classes at the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya near Dharwad | D Hemanth

Kalkeri , Dharwad :

As dawn breaks over a picturesque little hillock in sleepy little Kalkeri, about 16 km from Dharwad, the village wakes up daily to the strains of music from a nearby school.
The Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya, situated on the hillock and surrounded by three beautiful lakes and spread over 3.5 acres, has 248 children studying in various classes. The uniqe contribution of this music gurukul is just that…being musical.

Music is the life of this school so much so that even cottages in this residential school are named after Hindustani ragas — Asavari, Khamaj, Bhairavi, Thodi etc.
The only qualification to join this school is that a child has to be from a lower economic strata and rural background.

Started in 2002, the school runs on a different rhythm. A typical day includes not just academic classes but also riyaz (music practice). It focuses on Hindustani classical music, classical dance and drama.
The day here starts at 5am when children gather for yoga and exercises. Post breakfast, they have classes in singing, playing bansuri, tabala, harmonium or any other musical instrument in the large common hall. Later, the children disperse to the cottages to pursue their academic classes.
The children are provided free food and education. Currently, the school has classes up to SSLC and follows the Karnataka state syllabus.

Children who study PUC and further will have to pursue their education in other institutions, where fees and other expenses are taken care of by the school administration.
Veeranna Pattar, head of Music Department, says the idea is to support children from poor socio-economic background and help them earn their bread and butter. “Several students from our music school are running institutes or working in various cities across India.”

Santosh Pujar, HR of the school, says that in 2002 the school started with just 14 students and today the strength has increased to 248.
Founded by Mathieu Fortier, Agathe Meurisse Fortier, Blaise Fortier from Canada and musicians from Dharwad Ustad Hameed Khan and Pandit Ravi Kudligi, the school’s goal is to empower the poor and rural children by providing them fundamental rights like access to education, quality healthcare and clean food.
The Canadian founders had travelled across India extensively and spent a few years in Shantiniketan in West Bengal learning Hindustani music. When they landed in Dharwad and found it was home to Hindustani music, they decided to open a school here, says Pujar.

Vishalakshi Charnthimath who has been staying at the music school for the last 10 years, says, “The school has shaped the life of many poor children.”
Sarita Rapanavar, a student, says she has won many prizes in dance competitions. “The teachers here support our interest towards music and also build our confidence,” she adds.
Today there is a huge demand for admissions after witnessing the positive results of this experiment.
“The founding team plans to expand the faciltiies. We are looking for land nearby,” says Pattar.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Mallikarjun Hiremath / Express News Service / December 18th, 2016

Hubballi entrepreneur strikes salon success in Sharjah

December 14, 2016Business & Economy, World Opinionadmin

Alfred Miranda, 56, who studied from LKG to PUC in Hubballi , is a successful entrepreneur in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. A salon started by him employs 70 people from the Philippines and India and the average salary of an employee is around Rs 1 lakh per month.

Alfred, the son of retired railway guard Orlando Miranda and homemaker Angela, studied at St Mary’s High School from KG to SSLC and PUC at PC Jabin College. Alfred said he started working at the age of 18 with Avery India Ltd for a salary of Rs 400 per month. “After four years of apprenticeship, the company posted me to Mysuru as a technician. Then, I got a job in Kuwait as expeditor at the material department in Kuwait Sante Fe Braun UAS company and worked at modernization of oil wells at Mina Abdulla,” he told this correspondent in Sharjah recently.

He was appointed tour manager in 1989 at Hayes Jarvis in Goa, where he handled local and outstation tours of British guests, arranged welcome meets and insurance claims. “”Later, I joined as a manager at Smart Instruments Goa, a Mumbai-based company, in 1995,” he added.

“As Dubai is a tax-free city, I moved there and floated my import-export firm Tanya Beauty Proucts. My wife Dolly supported me in opening the Al Mansour Ladies Saloon, with one Indian and one Filipina as hairdresser and beautician. We adopted a model of more bills, more money for our staff. It worked well as most the staff here work very hard. Currently, we have 70 employees from the Philippines, India, Pakistan and Morocco and they work as hairdressers, beauticians, do manicures and pedicures as well as sales and marketing,” he said.

Dolly, who manages the salon, said the salon attracts customers as it provides quality service at affordable rates. “We have four salons in Sharjah. Apart from paying their salaries, we also take care of their accommodation, transportation, food, medical, cooking gas and laundry expenses. We also pay for travel to their country and back once a year. Our children Karyn, Tanya and Orlando manage the administrative work. I’ve worked at Taj Hotel, Mumbai, and there I learnt the lesson that if the staff is happy, the business sees a steady growth.”

Alfred, who has visited over 60 countries, was also a sales manager for Alliance Insurance Company, Dubai. “I’ve got the Million Dollar Round Table certificate from the US-based association of financial professionals,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hubli News / by Sangamesh Menasinakai / TNN / December 14th, 2016

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