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ISRO presents awards to 96 achievers in Bengaluru
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday presented awards to 96 individuals at a ceremony held at Antariksh Bhavan.
Bengaluru :
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday presented awards to 96 individuals at a ceremony held at Antariksh Bhavan. ISRO awards are in recognition of the unique contributions made by individuals and teams towards the success of projects and programmes of ISRO. The ‘ISRO Awards’ were distributed by former ISRO chairman Dr K Kasturirangan and current chairman Dr K Sivan.
The scheme was first introduced in 2007, making this the 12th edition of the ceremony. Speaking at the occasion, Dr Kasturirangan said, “ISRO Awards have, over the years, become prestigious among the space fraternity.”
This year, the awards were distributed in four categories – Young Scientist Award (50), Merit Award (20), Performance Excellence Award(10) and Team Excellence Award(16). “The recipients were selected taking into account their outstanding contributions in 2017. The selection panel comprised officials from various ISRO centres,” the agency said in a statement.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / March 14th, 2019
How pure is your silk? Get it tested for Rs 20 at nine testing centres in Bengaluru
Silk lovers in the city can walk into any of the nine silk testing centres opened in the main retail hubs of the city, to check the purity of their product.
Bengaluru :
Silk lovers in the city can walk into any of the nine silk testing centres opened in the main retail hubs of the city, to check the purity of their product. Last week, the Silk Mark Organisation of India established nine consumer testing centres to help customers conduct purity tests with the help of personnel trained by Central Silk Board.
“The staff will take a strand from the material without damaging it and put it through two checks – under the microscope and flame tests. Much like how customers are cheated when it comes to buying gold, we found during our national expos that several people were cheated with impure silk,” said T Sivakumar, assistant director of Central Silk Board. Within five to 10 minutes, the test which costs `20, will ascertain the product’s purity.
“Several retailers mix polyster, cotton, nylon, viscose with silk and sell it at a cheaper price. For example, a pure silk saree would cost `2,000 but retailers who mix it with other materials, sell it for anywhere between `500 and `1,000. When we conducted free testing at expos, customers were shocked to know they had been cheated. This will affect the overall business of silk itself,” Sivakumar said, adding that based on the response to these centres, they plan to set up 100 more across the country.
The centres were inaugurated on March 8 by K M Hanumantharayappa, Chairman of Central Silk Board and Silk Mark Organisation of India and other officers. The centres are in BTM layout, Chickpet, Cubbonpet, Tank road, Jayanagar, Gandhi Nagar, M G Road, Okalipuram and R V Road.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / March 12th, 2019
Over 40 Kannada films enter race for National Awards
Popular entertainment films in the reckoning include KGF
For the first time, the 66th National Film Awards competition will have over 40 Kannada films in various categories. This is at least 10 films more than in the last year.
According to sources, Mookajjiya Kanasugalu of P. Sheshadri, Nathicharami of Manjunatha Somakeshava Reddy (Mansore), Kanoorayana of T.S. Nagabharana are among the films in the competition.
Besides these three, Ammachi Yemba Nenapu by Champa Shetty, Aa Karala Rathri of Dayal Padmanabhan, Neeru of Eshwar, Ondalla Eradalla of Satyaprakash, Savithri Bai Phule of Vishal Raj, Vishwamanava of M.S. Muttu Raj, Ramana Savari of K. Shivarudraiah, Attayya V/S Handikayolu of Lokendra, Samanateya Kadege of Anantharayappa are also in the race under various categories.
Popular entertainment films in the race include KGF of Prashanth Neel, Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shale Kasaragodu, Koduge Ramanna Rai by Rishab Shetty and Kurukshetra by Naganna.
Film-makers, whose films are in competition, are happy with the increase in the number of films competing for the National Awards.
“An increase in the number of films competing for National Awards is proportional to the number of films released. In 2018, the number of films released crossed the 240 mark. Over 40 entering the competition is not a surprise for me,” said P. Sheshadri.
Sources in the film industry said that though 240 films were released, as many as 370 films got censored as on December 31, 2018.
“This is a welcome development. If it translates to awards, there is definitely good times ahead for Kannada cinema,” said Mansore.
Last year saw Hebbet Ramakka winning the honours for Best Feature Film. Paddayi, a Tulu film, got the Best Feature Film Award for films made in languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Muralidhara Khajane / March 11th, 2019
Private spacecraft centre soon in Bengaluru
The new facility will start functioning at Devanahalli in a few months
Bengaluru, home to the country’s space headquarters, looks set to also host the country’s first spacecraft production facility in the private sector.
The new facility, designed for building 2,000-kg communication and Internet broadband spacecraft, is slated to start functioning in a few months at Devanahalli here.
“Our satellite and systems unit is getting ready at Bengaluru and we plan to formally inaugurate it in the second quarter [fiscal] of 2019, that is during the June-September period,” said Anurup Pavuluri, Director of Ananth Technologies Ltd.
The Hyderabad-based family-run company has put up the satellite centre at an estimated cost of ₹150-200 crore. The facility is being built on 3.5 acres of land at Bengaluru’s aerospace park north of the city.
The State Government is developing a 1,000-acre hub at Devanahalli to promote aerospace, defence and high-technology industries and has earmarked 252 acres there as an export-focussed special economic zone for these sectors.
“We want to be the first full-fledged private sector player in assembly integration and testing of satellites in the country,” Mr. Pavuluri told The Hindu recently. “Today, there is demand for satellites from within the country and outside. The government-run ISRO is the sole player in this niche,” he said.
Systems for missiles
An immediate deal is in the process for providing a set of Internet broadband satellites, he said. Besides space systems and satellite imagery services, Ananth also manufactures systems for missiles such as Akash and BrahMos that are made in the country.
Mr. Pavuluri said Ananth’s entry into making full spacecraft was an extension of its space-related activities of many years. It supplies systems for spacecraft, launch vehicles and spacecraft command systems of the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO.
About 150 employees are already working in its space programme activities in Bengaluru and some more staff would be recruited. Initially the new Space Systems Facility centre would take up assembly of satellites on the ‘i2k’ or 2,000-kg platform. The facility was designed to make four such satellites at a time or two satellites of 4,000-kg category.
About the expertise needed for a niche activity, he said Ananth already has a pool of employees who either worked for or retired from ISRO; his father and company’s founding CEO P.Subba Rao, he said, was also with ISRO for over a decade.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Madhumathi D.S. / Bengaluru – March 07th, 2019
Meet ‘Walking God of Davangere’, a doctor who gives to the poor
Patients don’t get tired of talking about how he distributes, for free, medicines that he gets as samples from pharma companies, or recommends free tests for the poor at his diagnostics centre.
Davangere :
It’s around 2.30 pm when Dr Siddalingappa Murugeppa Yeli walks in. The faces of his patients, who have been waiting for him at his clinic, light up as they catch sight of his entry. The 80-year-old general physician has just returned to his clinic at MCC B Block in Davanagere after conducting rounds at the JJM Medical College Hospital. The patients flock around their favourite doctor. Yeli patiently hears their complaints before prescribing medicines.
While some offer him Rs 10, Rs 20 or Rs 30 as consultation fee, a few don’t pay anything. Those who pay more than Rs 30 are returned the excess amount, with Yeli telling them, “Keep it with you. This is more than enough.”
As patients wait for their turn, they don’t get tired of praising him, talking about how he distributes, for free, medicines that he gets as samples from pharma companies, or recommends free tests for the poor at his diagnostics centre, or even gives bus fare to those in need. Reasons enough for local people to call him ‘The Walking God of Davanagere’.
“While Dr Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt, who offered free education, food and shelter, was a Walking God, our Dr Yeli is the Walking God of Davanagere,” says K M Kuberayya, a resident of Shagle, who has been consulting the doctor for 25 years. He adds that Yeli has solved his nerve weakness problem successfully.
Laxmi, who has been consulting Yeli for 15 years, says, “He has charged me a maximum of Rs 20 or sometimes nothing at all.” Dr Yeli has been serving the poor in Davanagere for 50 years. Patients say he also conducts free medical camp at Shivayogi Mandira once a year. “It is my duty to serve the society as I have benefited from it greatly. There is nothing special in this,” the doctor says in the midst of examining his patients. “I am honestly doing my duty. I decided about this long ago,” he adds.
When asked about his low consultation fee, he explains, “Many people cannot afford medical services. We should not burden patients who are already suffering from diseases that incur expensive treatments. We must give them mental support.”
Dr Yeli, who lives next to the clinic, begins his daily duty at 8 am. He attends to his patients at the clinic till 11 am, after which he goes to JJM Medical College Hospital to check the in-patients there. He returns to his clinic around 1.30 pm, and examines patients till 5 pm.
He again goes to the hospital at 5.30pm for rounds and returns to his clinic at 7.30pm, seeing patients till 11 pm. He makes two rounds a day at JJM Hospital, taking only Rs50 per round. Even if he makes an additional trip if required, he charges for only two rounds.
The diagnostic centre, owned by Yeli’s son, also conducts free tests for the poor patients referred by him. It, however, collects a fee from other patients. Dr Yeli also urges budding doctors to serve everyone without expecting much in return. He welcomes the one-year compulsory medical service in rural areas for medical students. “When they can take help from the government, they must render service for at least one year at government hospitals,” he says.
HIS JOURNEY
Dr Yeli was born in 1939 in a poor family at Hamsabhavi in Dharwad district. He completed his school education at Hamsabhavi and intermediate science education at Karnataka College Dharwad. He pursued MBBS at Karnataka Medical College in Hubballi in 1962 and earned his MD (General Medicine) from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai in 1968.
He joined JJM Medical College as a lecturer, and worked at the institute as professor and head of the department. He retired in 2005 but continues to visit the hospital for rounds. Yeli has two sons — Dr Vinay Yeli and Dr Suman Yeli — who are also doctors. He treats nearly 100 patients at his clinic every day. He has a Maruti Zen car which he bought 15 years ago.
FOR THE POOR
Dr Yeli’s compassion for the poor was there for everyone to see when he was conferred the honorary doctorate by Davangere University this year. The function got over at 1.30pm, and all the dignitaries were requested to have lunch. However, Yeli politely refused, saying his patients were waiting for him at the clinic. He then rushed to the clinic to examine them.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Arpitha I / Express News Service / March 10th, 2019
The women who keep Karnataka’s buses going
The number of women signing up as technical staff is on the rise
Depots and workshops of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) may be labour intensive work places, but that has not deterred women from signing up as technical staff. Along with their male colleagues, they are responsible for maintenance and electrical work, repairing engines and working on the exterior of the bus.
Deepa Dinesh, who works at the premier AC bus depot of KSRTC at Shantinagar is in charge of inspecting vehicles, fixing technical issues raised by drivers and clearing the vehicles to ply on roads.
“When I joined the corporation 18 years ago, I had my doubts about surviving in this work environment. But the support I received from my colleagues helped me to stay in the profession for all these years.” Today, she oversees maintenance of 32 AC buses, including the high-end Club Class buses. “After attending to technical issues raised by drivers, I sometimes drive the buses inside the depot to check whether problems have been rectified,” she added.
Her colleague, Chaitra, says there is no discrimination in the work done by male and female employees, except when it comes to heavy lifting. Usually, maintenance work of an AC bus is done every 30,000 km. “There are women technical staff who have also got expertise in exterior work [including paint jobs], which gives brand value for the buses,” she added.
KSRTC operates more than 8,700 buses across Karnataka. It has been recruiting women for technical support work since 1999. There is, however, room for more women as the ratio is skewed towards male employees. Currently, the corporation has 5,068 technical staff of which 826 are women.
A similar trend is seen among BMTC’s technical staff. At its Indiranagar depot for instance, of the 80 technical staff, 24 are women.
“I was the first woman technical staff to join this depot 21 years ago,” said Rangamma. “Over the years, the number of women joining this profession has been on the rise. We don’t just do repair work, but also contribute to maintaining the interior of the bus,” she said.
The BMTC has 338 women technical staff out of which 80 are working in central workshops.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / March 07th, 2019
How this small group of women at NAL has been critical to the Saras programme
Nearly 10 years after a crash seemed to have ended the Saras dream, the turbo-prop plane soared over the crowds at Aero India. The sorties of the 14-seater twin-engine propeller aircraft were perhaps overshadowed by the roar of jet fighters. But for the women of National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), the anticipation was thick, and their pride soared higher with each sortie.
“Saras is like our second child,” says Manju Nanda, Principal Senior Scientist, Aerospace Software and Information Systems Division (ASISD), NAL.
Following the crash, when funding for the project stopped in 2013, the scientists felt a sense of betrayal.
“We have seen each and every component being developed, every hurdle being crossed. After the crash, we were angry. We did not avail the passes for the aero show… but our passion remained, and now it has risen from the ashes,” says Akshatha H.T., a senior scientist at NAL’s Centre for Civil Aircraft Design and Development who was part of the team that designed the structure of the plane.
The small group of women — as per their estimates, women form just 17% of NAL’s staff — has been critical to the Saras programme. Among them are J. Jayanthi, Chief Scientist, ASISD, and Dr. Nanda who led the team that developed India’s first Stall Warning System software that has been approved for use in aircraft. Lakshmi Devi, Senior Scientist, C-CADD, plays an important role in the team that looks after the electrical systems and their indigenisation while Sivasakthi M., who has worked her way up from a trainee intern to a scientist, is a part of the flight test instrumentation team that keeps an eye on telemetry.
Ms. Jayanthi was among five girls in the B.Tech course in Madras Institute of Technology. By 1989, she was at NAL when there were less than 10 women scientists in the two divisions she was associated with. “More women have joined since then. NAL and other defense PSUs give equal opportunity for women, but the society’s mindset is such that women do not apply in the numbers we desire,” she said.
Over the years, though more women have completed engineering, it is still the private sector that beckons. The prevalent mindset is that aviation is a place suited for men. But, the women at NAL are determined to change that, whether it is an electrical technician who hauls 200kg batteries, or Sivashakti M. who has to climb 20 feet to check tracking antenna as part of her job.
Women in defence
By rough estimates, women now constitute 24% of the armed forces and defence PSUs. However, this is not evenly spread out, with women having lower representation as pilots or technicians.
The International Women’s Pilots Association, which has over 1,000 members across the country, had opened a Bengaluru chapter last week. The chapter is headed by Tessy Thomas, Director General of Aeronautical Systems at Defence Research and Development Organisation, and the first woman to head a missile programme in India.
“In the coming weeks and months, there will be more collaboration with women professionals from DRDO. We want to highlight opportunities not just as pilots, but as mechanical engineers, flight safety officers and the technical side of aviation,” Harpreet A. De. Singh, President of IWPA had told The Hinduduring Aero India 2019.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / March 07th, 2019