Monthly Archives: June 2017
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Poised for a breakthrough
Having taken a big step towards Formula One, Arjun Maini is working hard to realise his big dream.
History has been beckoning this youngster right from his formative days but still, nothing can be as sweet as hitting the right path to realising a childhood ambition.
The teenager in question is Arjun Maini, a 19-year-old who has really caught the attention of the motorsport world with his performances on the GP3 circuit. So much so that he has been roped in as a development driver for the Haas Formula One team, alongside American Santino Ferrucci.
From the go-karting tracks of Bengaluru to the historic tracks in Europe, the boy who fuelled his adrenaline rush at the tender age of five could well go on to secure a position in an F1 cockpit.
Unusually grounded for a teenager his age, Arjun says that not much will change and that he will leave nothing to chance and continue to strive towards racing at the top level. He, however, does explain the experience of witnessing an F1 paddock was the stuff of dreams.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s hard to explain. When you walk from the GP3 paddock to the F1 paddock the difference in everything, the size, the glamour, it’s absolutely unbelievable. I’m not going to lie, it does feel a bit overwhelming initially, but when you get over it, the racing is still the same.
“You still go out there to win. Haas wants me to be completely focused on what I’m doing now and that’s the GP3 series and that’s what I’m going to do,” he adds.
Interactions with the technical staff in the pit garage will only enhance his skill and knowledge of the motorsport, something that is the key for longevity in the sport. And Arjun is making use of every opportunity he receives.
“I got signed just before my first weekend of the year. I was able to be in the garage during the session. Basically understand how the drivers work with the engineers and how the teams operate at the peak hours of motorsport. That’s what’s important about this role. That’s what I want to take with me, all the experience I can to prepare me for what could be in the future.”
Two days after he was signed by Haas, Arjun reached another milestone, becoming the first Indian ever to win a race on the GP3 circuit, no mean feat considering he had Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok as predecessors.
A visibly emotional and teary-eyed Arjun had stood atop the podium as the Indian National anthem wafted across the Circuit de Barcelona in Catalunya. But the Bengaluru lad admits the predominant emotion he felt at the time was relief.
“I started from second and took the lead a little into the race. And then I had to battle with (Dorian) Boccolacci for two laps… I think the best laps of my career so far. The battle was so intense. I know it was very important for me to win but I did cherish that battle even though that could cause me to lose the lead.
“After that when I pulled away and crossed the flag the first feeling was relief. I was really relieved I had done that because that was very important for me. And then there were so many emotions that took over that it’s hard to explain the feeling, when you’re in the lap coming back to the pit,” he quipped.
While Karthikeyan and Chandok did not have the luxury of a step-by-step progression in the sport, it has been a lot more organised and has panned out better for Arjun, who believes that it gives him an edge.
“I am extremely lucky to be in the position that I am in right now and really grateful for everything. I’ve had fabulous support from JK Tyre during my younger days and with Haas now. Family support has been absolutely incredible from the beginning and support from Karun as well. Everything is pointing in the right direction and I’m much more prepared than Karun and Narain were and hope I can cash in on it.”
Arjun’s foray into motorsport was an obvious one with his father Gautam Maini, a former National racer, providing the necessary encouragement for both his sons. His younger son Kush races in Formula 4.
“The main thing is the support from the family. My father, mother and brother are completely supportive of what I do. My brother being a driver, we push each other when we are training or when we spend time in the simulator. I think that way I’m in a very very privileged position and I’m really grateful for that,” he said adding that another guiding force has been Chandok, who is his mentor-cum-manger.
“He started guiding me pretty much from when I got into cars. He’s guided me all throughout. It’s very important that someone like Karun is guiding me, he’s been there and he’s made it. He knows what I need to do and what not to do. And that’s what’s great. It’s made it easier for me.”
India has a real dearth of good tracks in the country — barring a few in Coimbatore, Sriperumbudur, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — so a success story like Arjun’s may not be a constant occurrance. Apart from the tracks, Arjun believes that there is also a need for further exposure if India have to announce themselves on the big stage.
“There are definitely not enough tracks. When I was young we had the Speedzone track in Bangalore and I used to go there every Sunday to drive and that’s how to start. That’s how you fall in love with the sport. Not having enough racing space is a problem but it’s coming up.
“There is also the issue of lack of exposure. There are a lot more championships and there are a lot more karters that are there in the junior karting championships. A lot more people watch motorsports there. When I got into it I started off by watching Formula One. That’s what got me into my first go-kart. But the opportunity lower down is a lot less,” added Arjun, who is an ardent Sebastian Vettel admirer.
Having taken the first step towards what could be a fulfilling career, Arjun is keen to stay grounded and take one day at a time rather than set himself any long-term goals.
“I think I am just taking it as it comes, day by day. I’ve just started doing really well. We’re third in the championship in GP3 and that’s how we want to continue, be in the top three-four in the GP3 championship. That’s what I’m looking forward to this year,” he signed off.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Sportscene / by Arjun Ganesh / June 17th, 2017
Namma Metro Green Line opened
President Pranab Mukherjee flags off train in presence of Governor, Chief Minister, other Ministers
President Pranab Mukherjee flagged off the Green Line of Namma Metro Phase I in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Vajubhai Vala, a host of Union Ministers and State Ministers on Saturday. He said the country was lagging behind in the execution of urban infrastructure projects compared to Europe and the U.S.
Noting that Kolkata was the fist city to introduce metro rail in 1984, the President said more than a dozen cities would have metro trains in the next 10-15 years. The Delhi Metro was successfully implemented, he said, and appreciated the work of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited in the execution of Phase I project.
With the completion of the 11.3 km-line between Mantri Square and Yalachenahalli, a total of 42.3 km with 40 stations in two corridors — East-West and North-South Corridor for Phase I — has been completed at a cost of ₹13,845 crore.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Urban Development Minister and Information Broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre would announce a new metro policy featuring innovative financing, and add a list of new cities to the Smart Cities Project on June 23.
With the opening of Saturday’s line, the total metro length operational in the country was 370 km (including 13.4 km inaugurated by Prime Minister at Kochi) in the cities of Delhi and NCR, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur and Mumbai.
Around 517 km was under construction in various cities, including Delhi and NCR, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Lucknow. Another 522 km was under consideration, Mr. Naidu said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Nagesh Prabhu / Bengaluru – June 17th, 2017
They managed disability to enter IIM
IIM-Bangalore attracts several students living with disabilities
The vast campus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) is set to welcome a fresh batch of 400 Postgraduate Programme (PGP) students on Thursday. But a few students have arrived early for voluntary preparatory classes.
Two of them chat as if they are old friends, although they met only weeks ago.
What’s special about the duo? Bengalurean Kunal Mehta, 24, is visually impaired. After initial schooling in an institution for the visually impaired, his parents shifted him to a regular school in Class 8. His father is in the automobile spare parts business and his mother, a home maker. He shifted to management studies for undergraduate education after taking up arts in pre-university
Mr. Mehta was then recruited to a top multinational finance company. Two years down the line his thirst to learn more caught up with him. “I started preparing for competitive exams such as the Common Admission Test (CAT),” he says. He managed to clear it in his second attempt with an impressive 97.7 percentile.
Awareness challenge
For Himanshu Mittal, 23, who has spent all his life in Faridabad and is wheelchair-bound after an accident at home, IIMB is a dream. Mr. Mittal attended a regular school. “There is very little awareness about the needs of persons with disabilities,” he says on his experience.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by K.C.Deepika / Bengaluru – June 14th, 2017
A Hoysala-style temple, with a Welsh touch
Cardiff architect revives 800-year-old tradition of building with soapstone in Karnataka
An architectural style that goes back 800 years, a plan for an ornate 21st century temple built out of soapstone in an obscure village, and an architect from Wales to see it through.
That is the story of the Hoysala-inspired Lord Venkateshwara temple at Venkatapura, a few km away from Mulbagal in Kolar district of Karnataka. The usually quiet hamlet hums with activity as people make a clearing, where the fields lead to a plateau.
Funded by donations
The temple, designed in the striking Hoysala style, will come up on seven acres of land here, funded by donations.
The structure shuns modern-day cement. Floated by a public trust, it promises to be bigger than the Belur Chennakeshava temple. Leading the team is architect Adam Hardy, Professor of Asian Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.
The Vimana, or tower, will stand 108 feet tall.
The temple has been commissioned by a public trust. “It was my father’s dream to have a temple in Venkatapura,” says Aravind Reddy, from the same village and treasurer of the Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Hoysala Art Foundation. “I have always been fascinated by Hoysala architecture and wanted to revive the tradition. When we started, we planned a small temple with a budget of ₹15 to ₹20 lakh,” he says. The project is now estimated to cost at least ₹300 crore.
Classic iconography
Prof. Hardy says, “The Hoysala style is known for architectural planning, detailed iconography, beautifully carved pillars and use of soapstone instead of sandstone. To replicate it will be no easy job.”
Quest for the architect
The planners had no problem sourcing sculptors, artists and even the material. It was the search for an architect who could recreate the Hoysala magic that was the bigger challenge, one that took years to solve.
A chance meeting with Yashaswini Sharma, architect and author of Bangalore: The Early City AD 1537-1799, in 2009 gave the project its first chance of success. “When I told her I wanted to build a Hoysala temple, She showed me the book written by Mr. Hardy. I found some 60 plans for a Hoysala temple in his book. I knew I had to meet him,” says Mr. Reddy.
It so happened that the scholar was visiting India at the time. “It was after I met him that the scale of the project became mind-boggling,” says Mr. Reddy. It took eight years of designing and redesigning the plan before construction began a few days ago.
The trust wants its creation to reflect the best of the three famous temples in Arsikere, Belur and Halebid.
The foundation for the ambitious plan was laid on June 14, and the ceremony was attended by the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore Yaduveera Chamaraja Wadiyar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Sarumathi K / Bengaluru – June 15th, 2017
2 B’luru students win national science contest
Two students from Bengaluru have won a national-level science contest organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed outfit Vijnana Bharati in association with Central government institutions.
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar felicitated the winners — Shrishti Kulkarni, a student of Gear Innovative International School, Koramangala, and Joel Tony, a student of Inventure Academy, Whitefield – at a function here.
The minister also felicitated 12 other winners of the ‘Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan’ awards for 2016-17. Each of the winners of the contest was awarded a medal and certificate of merit.
“Physics is my favourite subject. It just fascinates me because I feel Physics has answers to every problem,” Tony, who will now be a student of Class IX, told Javadekar, when the minister asked him about his academic interests.
Tony, however, kept his cards close to his chest about future plans. “I wouldn’t mind,” he said, when Javadekar asked him if he wanted to become a physicist.
Shrishti, who has been promoted to class VIII, told the minister she aspired to become a scientist. “I have interest in Mathematics and Science,” she said.
Vigyan Bharati organised the nationwide contest in three stages in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training and Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous institution under the Centre’s department of science and technology.
A total of 1.4 lakh students from 1,472 schools, including 264 Kendriya Vidyalayas, participated in the contest. Out of them, 14 students were declared winners. The contest was held for students of Classes VI to XI.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DH News Service / New Delhi / June 15th, 2017