Dr. Meenakshi Hegde, a Paediatric Oncologist at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, was awarded the 28th Schweisguth Prize from the International Society of Paediatric Oncology for her scientific paper “Combinational targeting offsets antigen escape and enhances effector functions of adoptively transferred T cells in High Grade Glioma,” which was presented at the 45th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology in Hong Kong last month. The award is given in honour of Dr. Odile Schweisguth, renowned clinician, investigator, founding member and the first President of the Society.
Dr. Meenakshi, hailing from Sirsi, is the wife of Dr. G. Bharath Raj, a renowned Tennis Player and a Psychiatrist at Houston and the proud daughter-in-law of Sumana and D. Guru Raj of Kuvempunagar, Mysore.
Her completed research paper was recently published in Molecular Therapy. The prestigious Schweisguth Prize is awarded only to best scientific contribution to the Paediatric Oncology field in the world.
Her research focuses on developing novel treatment for malignant gliomas that targets more than one tumour associated-proteins simultaneously with the aim of decreasing the risk of tumour recurrence. Malignant gliomas are tumours that often do not respond to even the most aggressive forms of therapy currently available. Less than 25 percent of children with this type of brain tumour survive after five years.
Dr. Meenakshi Hegde completed the research during her fellowship training at Texas Children’s Cancer Centre and at the Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 01st, 2013
Prof. C.N.R. Rao with wife Indumathi in Bengaluru —DC/R. Samuel
Bengaluru:
Professor C.N.R. Rao’s office at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru received a steady stream of visitors all through Sunday morning. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the first to arrive, at 8.30 am, followed by a brief interaction with the media.
A visibly exhausted Prof. Rao then retired to his study, where friends and well-wishers continued to drop by.
“I even got a phone call from someone at 1 am,” he told us, later. Why the rush? On Saturday afternoon, Prof. Rao, one of the foremost authority on solid states and materials chemistry, was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, felicitating decades of breakthrough research, 1,600 papers and 45 books.
In came Dr Roddam Narasimha, one of the country’s most prominent aerospace scientists and a dear friend to Prof. Rao. Dr Govindarajan Padmanabhan, Prof. Balram’s predecessor as the director of the Indian Institute of Science, the AGP and Prof. Kumar, and former director, Raman Research Institute, were also among the elite list of visitors.
Meanwhile, we were ushered into another room to speak with Prof. Rao’s wife, Indumathi, about the CNR Rao Educational Foundation.
The Foundation was formed back in 2005, the year Prof. Rao won the prestigious Dan David Prize for Science, a million-dollar grant. “We decided to use that money to give back to society,” said Mrs Rao.
The CNR Rao Hall of Science, Madan Mohan Malviya, was funded by the Ambani Trust. Each year, the Foundation honours two teachers, one from Karnataka, usually from a Kannada medium school and one from across the country.
“It’s not just what they do in class, but what they do outside of it, to enthuse their students,” Mrs Rao explained.
Prof. Rao celebrates his birthday each year (June 30) by organising a Teachers’ Day, of sorts, with lectures and a music concert. “Music is very important to us,” Mrs Rao added, with a smile. Why? “It’s so beautiful, don’t you think?” she replied.
The Foundation has remained, with intent, a tiny organisation, run on very low funding. “We don’t want to ask anybody for money and besides, I’m the one who has to manage it, which I really can’t do anymore,” Mrs Rao admitted. The couple is nearing eighty now and although they do seem full of beans, age has undoubtedly taken its toll.
The Foundation has worked with over 60,000 children since it was formed, with an average of about 2,000 students each year. “We work with rural children in particular, because they are so motivated and talented, but have no opportunities,” she said.
Prof. Rao, who was born into an educated middle-class family, attributes his success entirely to education. “We had no godfathers,” he remarked.
Nearly an hour later, we are allowed in to Prof Rao’s office. His little study is piled high with bouquets, hiding a most eclectic collection of books. Being of the firm belief that you are what you read, I rummaged only to find books on Persian poetry, music and art lying side by side with heavy volumes on Science.
I’d learned, through the grapevine at the Institute, that Prof. Rao had a green thumb.
“I’m the official tree planter,” he agreed, happily, saying he’s planted over 20,000 trees in his lifetime. Not too long ago, four trees on the border of the IISc campus were uprooted because the branches got in the way of a high-voltage wire.
“All they needed to do was trim the branches, but they cut down the trees. I was outraged and nobody said anything!” he said.
“I created a forest here, but they’ve gone and put a road there and done all kinds of foolish things,” he added crossly. “The JNCASR campus is beautiful. I don’t allow vehicles to drive through either. I like to stay in harmony with nature.”
We return to a question that first arose the evening before — should the government do more to bridge the gap between industry and research? “The industry isn’t interested in funding research,” said Prof. Rao. “In other parts of the world, nearly 60 per cent of the research being done is funded by private companies.” It is a little known fact that Prof.
Rao received a $5 million grant from Sheikh Saud of Saudi Arabia. “We met at a conference once and he really seemed to like me,” Prof. Rao explained. “Soon after, he flew down to JNCASR and gave me a grant, with no strings attached!” The Sheikh paid him another visit only last month.
“Wealthy Indians are more interested in funding universities abroad. Ratan Tata has done nothing for IISc yet, for instance. Give me three or four million dollars,” he said suddenly, “I’ll set up a university as good as Harvard.”
It doesn’t take him long to meander towards his second favourite thing in the world — music. “I listen to Hindustani classical music,” he said, delving into the small mountain of bouquets to locate his music collection —which includes cassettes, by the way! It has become customary for Prof. Rao to bring well-known musicians down to the institute, the most recent being Pt Amjad Ali Khan.
The conversation slowly veers back to science and the Bharat Ratna award. Will the award give careers in science and research a touch of glamour? Prof. Rao dismisses the idea. “Science doesn’t involve glamour for me,” he said at once. “All that matters is asking the right questions.” Prof. Rao is currently working on artificial photosynthesis, which he hopes to recreate in his lab. “I want to create material that is ordinarily useless, but which can be made to absorb sunlight.”
At the age of 80, Prof. Rao still manages to publish an astounding 30 papers each year, more than most scientists still in their prime. “I work all the time, I’m always writing something. I actually dream about how I’m going to phrase a particular sentence,” he said.
Back in 2007, Prof. Rao raised many eyebrows, by saying that IT employees are like coolies who work for wages without producing any significant intellectual material. Did Narayana Murthy call to congratulate him? “No,” he said. “I don’t call him; he doesn’t call me.” The Infosys Foundation has started giving out a Science Prize, we ventured helpfully.
“That’s not a very good prize,” Prof. Rao retorted. “There are far more deserving scientists. Besides, the Infosys Foundation tends to laud Indian scientists who are working abroad. They don’t need the help, while scientists in this country do,” he said angrily. “Narayana Murthy’s committees are full of nepotistic relationships.”
Prof. Rao then wades into an ocean of nostalgia for a little while, talking about Rajiv Gandhi, whom he served as Chairman of the PM’s Advisory Council from 1985 to 1989. “He was a wonderful man,” he said, staring glassily into the distance. “People would portray him as a party person, but he was a teetotaller.
He was also quite the moralist. The day he was assassinated was one of the saddest in my life,” he said, adding, quite succinctly, “I really admired Indira Gandhi too. She had class,” he said. Does that mean today’s politicians don’t have class? “Today’s politicians are a bunch of crazy guys,” he replied.
“Just look at the sort of language they use and the way they talk about women. The mindset in our political class today is that women are merely sex objects,” he said, a look of disdain marring his otherwise smiling face for a moment.
As the conversation drifted in and out of a plethora of issues, science, it seemed, was foremost on Prof. Rao’s mind. Funding science, he remarked, is last on the government’s priority list. “At best, we get about 20 per cent of the funding we require. I’ve never had political patronage and I’ve never sought it either. Politicians are here today and gone tomorrow.”
Prof. Rao’s Foundation does try to fill this void by promoting scientists from some of the least developed nations.
“We do offer grants of up to Rs 5 lakh each year,” he said. His family has been sending urgent messages to his study, beckoning him for lunch at once, so we take our leave too. What we did get, in the end, was a glimpse of the man behind the science – a remarkable man he is, too. All that’s left to say is this, “Professor Rao, you’ve done India proud.”
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by Darshana Ramdev / November 18th, 2013
Linguistic Society of India (LSI) President Prof. Anvita Abbi is seen lighting the lamp as CIIL Director Prof. Awadesh Kumar Mishra, New York State University’s Prof. S. N. Sridhar and others look on.
Mysore :
The three-day 35th annual and first international conference of Linguistic Society of India (LSI) commenced yesterday at the premises of Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) on Hunsur Road here which has been organised jointly by CIIL and LSI.
The conference is being attended by 200 delegates from 18 countries which features paper presentations and discussions.
Inaugurating the conference, CIIL Director Prof. Awadesh Kumar Mishra said that the institute was striving to develop small languages. He opined that all linguists should work together to promote and develop all the Indian languages. He contended that education was mandatory in all the languages for an overall development.
Presiding over the programme, LSI President Prof. Anvita Abbi opined that language of North Eastern States were rich in culture which need to be developed fully. She suggested linguists to also focus on research in the field.
New York State University’s Prof. S.N. Sridhar delivered the keynote address on ‘The world of a multilingual: An Indian perspective.’
LSI Secretary Dr. Shailendra Mishra, Conference Co-ordinator Dr. L. Ramamurthy and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / November 28th, 2013
The commercial ties between the US and India stretch back to 1792 when President George Washington, the first US President, sent an official envoy to the city of Madras and established a permanent presence in city. Ever since, both the countries have recognised the enormous potential of cultivating this partnership. US remains the leading investor in India, both in terms of projects and jobs generated. Foreign Direct Investment from US firms created more than 355,000 jobs between 2007 and 2011. IT industry dominates the sector, with 60%-70% of our revenues coming from the US, said S. Nagarajan, Chairman, CII Mysore.
With this background, CII Mysore is organising an interactive session with Dr. Rajan Natarajan, Deputy Secretary of State, Policy & External Affairs, State of Maryland, USA, on Nov. 28 at Hotel Quorum in city at 5 pm.
Dr. Natarajan will address and interact with industries on US-India Technology Partnership; How to do business with US; New Markets and Investment opportunities for Indian Companies.
Dr. Natarajan was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of State by Governor Martin O’Malley in June 2011. He is the first Indian born-American, who currently holds the highest administrative position in the US and in Maryland’s history. His portfolio include representing the Governor and the Secretary of State at designated public events, advising the Secretary on external affairs, fostering and promoting international diplomatic mission, building public, private and business partnerships, FDI and trade promotion, enhancing educational and institutional collaborations, facilitating technology commercialisation.
In addition, he is responsible for advancing international Sister-State programmes in more than 13 countries that include (China, Japan, Brazil, India, South Korea, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam, Estonia, Ireland, and Russia), coordinating legislative and executive branches of government agencies, policy development and legislative approval, monitor policy implementation, and overseeing the Maryland International Consortium. He is also currently serving as a Member of the Governor’s International Advisory Council.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / November 27th, 2013
President Barack Obama plans to nominate Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, the Indian-American head of a doctors group that promotes his signature healthcare law to be the next US surgeon general.
Murthy is a hospitalist at the Brigham and is co-founder and president of Doctors for America, a Washington, DC-based group of 16,000 physicians and medical students that advocates for access to affordable, high quality health care.If confirmed by the Senate, Murthy will replace Regina Benjamin, who was appointed by Obama in 2009 and left her post last summer.
The job focuses heavily on public health issues.Murthy was appointed to the President’s Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health in 2011. The prevention group was created as part of the Affordable Care Act health reform law.
His group, Doctors for America, was originally called Doctors for Obama and helped to campaign for Obama’s election.
Murthy co-founded VISIONS Worldwide in 1995, a non-profit organization focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the United States, where he served as President from 1995 to 2000 and Chairman of the Board from 2000 to 2003.
Murthy received a BA from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and an MD from Yale School of Medicine.
“I am confident that these outstanding individuals will greatly serve the American people in their new roles and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come,” Obama said in announcing Murthy’s appointment along with three other key posts.
The announcement came shortly after Obama acknowledging that his administration “fumbled” in the troubled rollout of his healthcare law offered a fix that would allow insurers to keep for another year people on plans that were to be cancelled for not meeting minimum standards under the new law.
In the midst of mounting criticism of the troubled healthcare website, former President Bill Clinton had Tuesday suggested that Obama should make sure Americans can retain their current health insurance plans, even if it means revamping the Affordable Care Act.
“I personally believe, even if it takes a change to the law, the president should honour the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they’ve got,” Clinton told OZY, a news website.
Murthy, though was born in London and shifted base to the US later, he has links with the Hallegere village of Mandya district.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> International / by Agencies / Washington – November 15th, 2013
“The Indo-German relations have grown considerably over the last six decades, especially in scientific cooperation aiming to serve the welfare of the people. Both countries are now emphasizing to promote international research cooperation to benefit human health,” said Hans-GuenterLoeffler, Deputy Consul General of Germany in Bangalore.
Loeffler addressing media persons at the inauguration of International Humboldt Kolleg on “Bench to bedside translational research: Potential benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration” beingorganized by Clinical Embryology department of Manipal University with support from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany and German Consulate General, Bangalore, said it is known to the world how much India has progressed and Germany was keen for more mature partnership in science and research.
Interdisciplinary research benefits all and it is possible for both countries to improve the speed and efficiency of transfer of knowledge between basic research, which is very strong in Germany and India, clinical research and application,” he said.
One ministry alone in Germany, the ministry of education and research, spends 5.5 billion Euros to promote cooperation between universities, institutions and industry focused on centres for health all over Germany for most important diseases, cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes etc.
The Humboldt Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the Federal Republic of Germany to promote international research cooperation. It enables highly qualified foreign scholars to have long-term association with German institutes. Earlier recipients of this award include Noble laureates, philosophers and well-known scientists. Humboldt Foundation sponsors Humboldt Kollegswhich is primarily aimed at conducting interdisciplinary meetings to address key research problems.
“Germany is a potential hub for advanced research. Many research and funding organisations offer excellent funding opportunities and ideal conditions for foreign scientists in all fields,” said professor Micheal Bader from Berlin who was a plenary speaker in the Kolleg.
“The very idea of holding the ‘Humboldt-Kolleg’ is that it provides a platform for young researchers and experienced scientists from different disciplines to interact, discuss and find out commonalities among their research interests. These meetings make the base for a long term scientific interaction and especially students are benefited. More than one hundred eminent scientists from top universities and research institutes in Germany and India are participating in the meeting” said Dr Satish Adiga, convener of the conference and a Humboldtian at KMC Manipal.
“The Kolleg offers a great opportunity to learn and discuss how India, Germany and other countries are involved in translating experimental research to clinical applications,” said Dr Vinod Bhat, Pro Vice Chancellor of Manipal University in his presidential address.
National Research professor and Padma vibhushan awardee Dr M S Valiathan, highlighted the need of translational research to benefit patients in his keynote address.
Dr Sudhakar Nayak, Associate Dean of KMC Manipal welcomed the gathering and Dr Guruprasad Kalthur, associate professor in Clinical Embryology proposed vote of thanks.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Media Release / Bangalore, Saturday – November 16th, 2013
The National Outsourcing Association has presented Infosys and BT with the 2013 award for excellence in telecommunication, utilities and hi-tech outsourcing.
The project has made it easier for BT’s 20,000-strong field engineers to work on the move and has led to significant productivity improvements.
The solution addressed the inefficiencies and costs associated with traditional ways of coordinating, managing and tracking the workload of a mammoth field force.
Infosys and BT collaborated to improve the field engineer’s experience and accelerated response rates by taking a transformational approach to field management.
source: http://www.stockmarketwire.com/ StockMarketWire / November 21st, 2013
City skater, Benazir Meera, a 5th semester student of Electrical Engineering at GSSSIETW, Mysore, represented India in the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track Championship (also a qualifier for the Winter Olympics) held between Nov. 7 and 11 at Torino, Italy. She has been coached by K. Srikantha Rao.
Benazir Meera is the daughter of A. Mohammed Meera and Naheed Meera, residents of city.
Benazir Meera had previously won the second place in National Short Track Speed Skating Fall/ Winter Ranking Competition held in Taipei Arena Annex Ice Rink in 2007 and represented India in 2008 at the same event.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / November 22nd, 2013
The state government has decided to conduct the three day Hampi Utsav-2014 from January 10. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, minister of state for labour P.T. Parameshwar Naik, who is also in-charge minister for Bellary district said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate Hampi Utsav.
Tourism minister R.V. Despande and Mandya Lok Sabha member Ramya will be the chief guests at the programme. Since former deputy chief minister M.P. Prakash had started Hampi Utsav, the government has decided to honor his wife Rudramma on the occasion.
Naik also announced that the government is committed to pay minimum wages to garment factory workers. At present, the government has fixed the minimum wage at Rs 4700, but due to the increase in the price index, it has been decided to raise the minimum wage for garment factory workers, Naik said.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / November 09th, 2013
(1-Top Left )Sabu, the elephant boy. (2-Top Right) Sabu with his father, a mahout (3- Middle) This is the rear of the building from where Kennedy was shot and killed. (4-Bottom) The memorial like a wall with vertical lines at the spot where Kennedy delivered his last speech. Dr. Sunder Raj is seen standing by the side of the information plaque.
A couple of days back, an old friend of mine from Bangalore had come to meet me and casually asked if Dr. J.K. Sunder Raj, a well-known family doctor of our city, had hung his stethoscope. Since I am in regular contact with him either in the Sports Club or Mysore Race Club or in connection with the Zoo (where he treats the gorillas), I answered in the negative.
“What makes you think Dr. Sunder Raj has called it a day and closed shop?” I asked.
It seems my friend had gone to see him at his clinic on Old Mysore Bank Road in city and found there was no clinic. That was news for me too. I called him on telephone to check. Yes, indeed he had closed his city clinic, but continues his service to the sick families from his house on Vivekananda Road in Yadavagiri. It was then that the good doctor said he was wanting to see me personally to hand over a unique newspaper that he had purchased in Dallas, Texas, where he had been recently to be with his daughter.
As promised, he came to my office with his special newspaper and more. The cover page of the newspaper is produced here… and the headline is self-speaking.
The daily newspaper ‘The Dallas Times Herald’, in its Friday evening Nov. 22, 1963 Final Edition, had carried world’s most shocking and tragic news of the day that happened in the city from where the paper was published. The assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. Looking at the paper that appeared as pulled out from the well-preserved archive, I wondered how our doctor managed to get the paper which will have huge antique value ! He asked me to take it easy. There is nothing like grabbing an old copy of that day of tragedy of Nov. 22, 1963. The credit for making available this copy of the newspaper to tourists should go to the Curator of Kennedy Museum at Dallas where Dr. Sunder Raj purchased it by paying $ 4.60. The cover price of the newspaper in 1963 was five cents.
The Museum authorities periodically print this historic newspaper as it was printed on that tragic day and sell them. What better souvenir one would want for visiting the Kennedy Museum ?
I took a copy of it before returning the original to the doctor and wondered if anything like this is being done at Gandhi Museum or Nehru Museum in our country. Readers with information on this may please write or e-mail to me.
Dr. Sunder Raj also gave me two photographs he had taken — one of the building from where Lee Oswald, the assassin, shot the President from the sixth floor which has now been converted into a Museum and another, the spot where President Kennedy delivered his last speech.
Dr. Sunder Raj also had two more surprise photographs with him which were of personal nature. One was a photograph he had clicked in the year 1951-52 at the elephant stables of the Maharaja, known famously as ‘Anekaroti.’ Now the new generation as also of the old generation may not know that the Anekaroti ever existed in Mysore, attracting huge number of tourists those days.
The stable was located where the JSS Hospital Complex is now. There used to be 20 to 25 elephants, well fed and healthy, says the doctor. The area of the Anekaroti used to be green and cool with plenty of trees, adds Dr. Sunder Raj.
The doctor recalls: Once a team of Hollywood film-makers visited Mysore in around 1950. They also visited the then famous Anekaroti. As they went around Anekaroti, they saw a young, bright and handsome boy playing with a huge elephant. His name was Sabu Dastagir who later became a famous Hollywood actor under the name Mysore Sabu (27.1.1924 – 2.12.1963). He was born in Karapore in H.D. Kote, the famous hunting forest of the Maharaja of Mysore. His father was a mahout (elephant attendant) and trainer of elephants. Sabu, his son, too was following his father’s profession where he was spotted by the Hollywood film-maker Robert J. Flaherty.
Dr. Sunder Raj says that Robert Flaherty persuaded Sabu’s father to let him take Sabu to Hollywood. Once in the US, Sabu was taught English and given training in acting.
Sabu acted in several English movies, specially connected to the jungles. His first movie was ‘Elephant Boy’ which was a great hit. Other movies were ‘Song of India,’ ‘The Jungle Book,’ ‘The Thief of Baghdad’ etc. It is sad that such a talented Mysore boy died young at the age of 39.
To those working to develop Mysore as a tourist destination, I may suggest that they revive the ‘Anekaroti’ which is sure to become a tourist attraction. Some lessons from the ‘elephant show’ of Bangkok’s ‘Rose Garden’ may be learnt and incorporated to this Anekaroti. Howzzat?
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra….Abracadabra / by K.B. Ganapathy, Editor e-mail kbg@starofmysore.com / November 18th, 2013
