Bengaluru-based Trashonomics wins international waste educators award
Bengaluru-based Trashonomics, representing India at the Waste Education Awards,won the first prize, beating Greece and USA.
Bengaluru :
Bengaluru-based Trashonomics, representing India at the Waste Education Awards, won the first prize, beating Greece and USA. They were one of the shortlisted teams for The International Solid Waste Association Young Professionals Group’s (ISWA YPG) ‘Waste Education Award’.”We were awarded at the ISWA World Congress 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was part of their global campaign #WhatHappensToMyWaste. We are happy to represent our country. We sent them all our work at Trashonomics, including the illustrative guide for children, our trainer programmes and workshops,” said Archana Prasad Kashyap, co-author of Trashonomics.
“We sent a presentation of our impact as well. For example, we have reached out to 20,000 students in government schools across Bengaluru, Mysuru and Delhi. As a part of training of trainers (TOT) programme, we have trained 300 people to in turn train other volunteers and conduct classes at other schools. This competition had waste educators participating from across the globe,” Archana added.
Of all the applicants, three were shortlisted. PCAI Junior from Greece and The Six R’s from USA, grabbed the second and third place respectively. People could vote for these organisations by sending an e-mail or voting on polls conducting on social media. The five-chapter guide titled Trashonomics, describes itself as a simple guide on solid waste management. It is used to teach children how to manage their waste in the above cities, with Bhubaneswar joining the list recently.
The idea behind Trashonomics is to make children relate to the concept of waste management. They learn to dispose of all kinds of waste – wet, dry, biomedical, electronic – in a responsible manner. The volunteers use hands-on activities in the classrooms such as asking the kids to bring dry waste from their homes and segregate them in the school.
The project is supported by The Anonymous Indian Charitable Trust (TAICT) and has recently received a grant from Millenium Alliance to train 150 government school teachers on the subject, so that they can take it forward without depending on volunteers. Their illustrative guide will soon be available in Tamil and Bengali as well.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Madhavan, Express News Service / October 23rd, 2018
Muscular Dystrophy: Rare diseases find a cure at the nerve centre
India sees about 3,000 to 5,000 cases of Muscular Dystrophy.
Bengaluru :
India sees about 3,000 to 5,000 cases of Muscular Dystrophy. While England has about five specialised centres to handle such cases, India has none. This has given rise to India’s first paediatric neuromuscular service, called, ‘The Muscle and Nerve Clinic’. The initiative is for patients who suffer from rare diseases that affect their muscles and nerves, and was launched by Bangalore Baptist Hospital, in association with Organisation For Rare Diseases India (ORDI).
Prasanna Shirol, founder, ORDI, is the father of a girl who suffers from a rare disease, and knows first-hand of the plight one can face in such situations. “People suffering from rare diseases run from pillar to post to find appropriate help and treatment.
We started a rare disease care coordination centre in Indiranagar two years ago. This clinic provides care specialised in neuromuscular diseases and we hope to alleviate the struggle of families and young people dealing with it.”
The Muscle and Nerve Clinic was set up with an aim to provide treatment to families suffering from rare diseases. Some of the conditions treated here include Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Congenital Myopathies, Congenital Neuropathies, Congenital and Acquired Myasthenias and Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. These cause weakness in muscles and the affected may not be able to jump, run or even sit without any support.
The clinic is open every Thursday at the Baptist Hospital. Prasanna says, “There are 7,000 rare diseases and the majority of cases that we have observed are related to muscle and nerves.
The challenge with a rare disease is its proper diagnosis. The symptoms can be visible at any age. Once these symptoms are identified and diagnosed, a treatment or support plan can be prepared. Prognosis can be identified and parents can also be mentally prepared to deal with it.” As many symptoms could be similar to other diseases, doctors might often miss out on these signs or wrongly diagnose them, he says. “This needs care from experts in multiple specialities such as paediatrics, nutrition and diet,” he adds.
Dr Ann Agnes Mathew, paediatric neurologist and neuromuscular specialist, said, “Many of these diseases may have a cure one day soon. But until then, we need to care for them so that children suffering from rare diseases can have a better quality of life. With a proper treatment plan, children who currently need support to sit may be able to do so without any help.”
Prasanna and others are also fighting for the implementation of the National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases. “We are filing a PIL. There is no clarity in the policy. It says `100 crore will be provided but the proper demarcation is not available. The treatments have also not begun. They say the treatment would be provided only to below poverty line patients but above poverty line patients may also not be able to afford treatment as costs could run into crores,” he says, adding that even insurances don’t cover rare diseases.
For emergencies contact: 080 22024700 For appointments contact: +91 8892555000 (ORDI helpline), Baptist OPD:080 22024322
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Akhila Damodaran, Express News Service / October 23rd, 2018
A woman of many words
Scholar compiles feminist dictionary in Kannada
Will a “feminist dictionary” help men and women get a better understanding of contemporary rights movements and shift in laws — the #MeToo campaign and the ruling on Section 377, to name a few — that are changing the fabric of society? Women’s studies scholar H.S. Sreemathi thinks so. She has recently published a dictionary in Kannada that interrogates and scrutinises patriarchy.
It is not a dictionary in its truest sense as it doesn’t just list synonyms, but has notes trying to reconstruct words from a woman’s perspective. The dictionary is a compilation of 444 words and includes seemingly gender-neutral terms like “city” and “technology”. “I show how they are actually male constructs that exclude women, but claim to be inclusive and objective,” she said, citing the example of the word “city” with segregated work and residential spaces.
According to Ms. Sreemathi, a city as we define it, was built from the viewpoint of a man who doesn’t shoulder household responsibilities but expects a woman to do so. “This has made the life of women who straddle both worlds difficult pushing many out of jobs,” she said.
Bettering women’s lives
The dictionary entry for the word “technology” explains how feminists including Simone de Beauvoir thought its advent would help better women’s lives. One of the examples given was contraceptives that would give agency to women. “But who controls this technology?,” Ms. Sreemathi asked.
While there are a handful of feminist dictionaries in English, Ms. Sreemathi’s book, titled Feminist Dictionary, is a rare endeavour in a regional language. A retired professor from Kannada University, Hampi, Ms. Sreemathi was a literature scholar who built the women’s studies department from scratch at the university. “Women’s studies has failed to establish itself as an academic discipline. It also faces a lot of resistance from within the system. There is no adequate reading material for women’s studies, especially in regional languages,” she said. To solve this problem, she first translated feminist classics like Simone de Beauvoir’s Second Sex into Kannada. The feminist dictionary was a step to build terminologies in Kannada, she said.
Early feminist theorists argued that women would achieve independence with education and a job. Today, women — especially in cities — have both, but they still find something lacking. “It is because the entire system — society, education and knowledge systems are male constructs. What feminism strives for is to make social life governed by norms, mores, rules and laws that are inclusive,” she said.
“The backlash against the #MeToo movement shows the man is feeling threatened,” she noted.
Knowing one’s rights
She hopes the dictionary will be a useful tool to women in understanding their rights.
“In women’s studies, academia and activism must complement each other. Academia must learn from the experiences on the ground. Academia will give activism the much needed theoretical framework for activism, without which movements can go off track. These thoughts will help women frame the right questions to the system they are fighting and inform them of what they can expect and how to fight the backlash,” she said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj / Bengaluru – October 22nd, 2018
Woman auto driver fights odds to steer her dream
A revolutionary path for women laid by former chief secretary of Karnataka K Ratna Prabha has made this Raichur woman battle against all odds.
Raichur :
A revolutionary path for women laid by former chief secretary of Karnataka K Ratna Prabha has made this Raichur woman battle against all odds. In 1992, during her stint as deputy commissioner of the district, Prabha made arrangements for women to get trained in driving autorickshaws. Now, after 26 years, one woman stands out, braving the societal patriarchy and alcohol abuse of her husband.
Nirmala, a poor woman from a backward community, bought a plot by saving money from profits she earned by driving an auto through the city roads. Recalling those “difficult” days, Nirmala said, “Former Deputy Commissioner Ratna Prabha provided us autos under a government scheme. The government paid Rs 6,000 as down-payment for the auto, while a loan of Rs 34,000 was granted from a bank.”
Fight against odds,sexual predators
Nirmala told TNIE that 11 women were given autos. However, she is the only one in the profession now. “Other women could not sustain their fight against patriarchy, due to which, they had let their men drive the autos,” she said.
Nirmala said after three years of driving, she got married. “My husband also drove an auto. To my shock, I realised later that he was an alcoholic. We had no money for our daily expenses. He stopped driving for some time and started to work as a lorry cleaner,” she said.
Nirmala lamented that her husband also started to object to her decision. Braving this, she stood strong and continued to drive. “I also faced sexual harassment, with male customers touching me inappropriately. I, also, effectively resisted them. Now, I earn a status on par with men,” she said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Shreyas H S, Express News Service / October 22nd, 2018
21
Chaduranga’s family stumbles upon his self-translated story
The writer died on Vijayadashami two decades ago
Exactly two decades after the death of Subrahamanya Raje Urs — Kannada writer and film-maker better known as Chaduranga — his attempt at translating one of his own plays has been found by his family.
The writer’s son S.N. Vikram Raja Urs recently stumbled upon Four Feet of Land, in his father’s hand, a translation of his short story Nalku Mola Bhoomi from the collection Meenina Hejjepublished in 1958.
‘His only translation’
“This is the only translation of my father, who wrote in Kannada throughout his life. Nalku Mola Bhoomi was one of his own favourite short stories.”
Chaduranga died on Vijayadashami day. “He died as he was speaking to his friends,” recalled Mr. Urs.
Chaduranga authored four novels, seven collections of short stories, and three plays. His first two novels Sarvamangala and Uyyalehave been made into films. While the first was directed by the author himself, the second was directed by N. Lakshminarayan.
Among his collection of short stories, Mrigaya won the State Sahitya Akademi award for the best short story collection in 1994.
His three plays, Kumara Rama, Ili Bonu, and Bimba, have been translated into other regional languages and also English.
The English translation of his Vaishaka is being published by the Sahitya Akademi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Muralidhara Khajane / Bengaluru – October 18th, 2018
Life is looking up for Mudhol hound breeders
Most of them are Dalits, who now see a spike in the brand value of their dogs
The Indian Army’s growing interest in Mudhol hounds has pushed up their brand value among animal lovers, and in turn, helped the families of breeders escape the cycle of poverty.
The Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) of the Army in Meerut has been training Mudhol pups for battle duty and this has increased the demand for the hunting breed from Mudhol and nearby areas of Bagalkot district.
Most of the families of breeders are landless Dalits or tribal families and they have been breeding the hound for generations. The new found interest in the indigenous breed seems to be turning around their fortunes.
Venkappa Navalagi, for instance, has turned prosperous. He earns between ₹5 to ₹7 lakh a year and has built a house for his dogs. His two children are in good schools. “But it was not so always,” he recalls. His father used to hunt rabbits and foxes to feed his children. Neither Venkappa nor his three siblings went to school.
When we were children, I remember bartering a pup for a cup of jowar. After a few years, we sold a couple for ₹10. By the 1990s, we were selling them for ₹800 a pair. Now my pups fetch me ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh, depending on the bloodline, he said.
The Navalgis have eight dogs and Venkappa’s wife Lakshmi Bai calls them her “children”. A month-old pup sells for ₹10,000 while the adult dog earns up to ₹5,000 for each breeding attempt. A few years ago, Venkappa met with an accident and needed ₹1.5 lakh for a surgery. “Two dogs had 16 pups and helped their father get treatment,’’ says Laksmi Bai.
However, there has been significant government effort behind the spike in prices of the breed. Bidar-based Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) started the Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) dedicated to the Mudhol hound in Thimmapur village near Mudhol in 2009. survey indicated that there were over 600 families, 90% of them from SC/ST families, that were making a living out of Mudhol breeding in Bagalkot district.
The university used Rs 3 crore of state government funds to set up the centre under the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan scheme. Of that, Rs 1 crore was used for infrastructure and the rest was set aside as an endowment to pay the salaries of scientists and staff.
The centre trains farmers in intelligent breeding and to avoid crossing between blood relatives or with nondescript breeds. “This ensures that the litter is purebred and fetches the best prices,” says Mahesh Dodmani, director of the centre. The bloodline certificates issued by the centre have ensured good prices for the pups, he said.
The centre’s scientists take breeders to dog shows in many States and help them build a network with kennel clubs, dog enthusiasts, and pet keepers. The CRIC keeps a database of lineage of dogs. It issues purebred certificates to pups bred by farmers and fixes prices for the dogs that can be sold. CRIC’s website and social media handles create awareness about the hound and create a platform for buyers to meet breeders.
“Setting up of CRIC using SCP /TSP funds has been a fruitful exercise. I can confidently say that the centre’s activities have ensured the welfare of Dalit and tribal families and fulfilled the objective of the funds,” said Suresh Honnappagol, Commissioner, Ministry of Animal Husbandry. Dr. Honnappagol started pushing for recognition to the Mudhol hound when he was the KVAFSU Vice-Chancellor. He added that the signals from the Army were positive about possible induction of the Mudhols into the forces. A final decision is yet to be announced, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Mudhol – October 20th, 2018
How Kulgod wrested the best village tag
It beat all gram panchayats in the country on development of the Ministry of Rural Development
How did obscure Kulgod, in Belagavi district, beat 3.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country to emerge as the best rural local body under the Antyodaya scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development? The answer is simple: Kulgod was not built in a day. It took the concerted effort of officials, panchayat members and enlightened villagers many years to bring it to this pinnacle of development.
“Thankfully, our village has had good officers, who implemented schemes in earnest,” says Govindappa Koppad, former GP member from Kulgod, who is now a zilla panchayat member. “They are serious about their work and realise that they are answerable to the people. That helped us,’’ adds Basavaraj Hegganayak, Taluk Panchayat executive officer.
Back in 2005, officials conducted the first survey of health and hygiene in the village as party of the total sanitation campaign. The results were surprisingly good. Irrigation facilities had reached 97% of the 3,550 hectares of land reducing poverty levels significantly. Over 70% of the dwellings were pucca houses and there were amenities like banks and health centres. Toilet coverage was at 60% above the district average.
Still, the officials focussed on sanitation, drainage, and piped water supply. Construction of low-cost houses and other infrastructure was taken up in phases.
“Now we have three borewells, a pipeline from the Ghataprabha river, a mini-purification unit and an overhead tank with a capacity of 3 lakh litres,” says Mr. Koppad. Self-Help Groups and their bank linkage was promoted, number of students in anganwadis and schools increased and there were doctors in the village hospitaland veterinary treatment centre.
“What works for us is that this GP has just one village,” says Parashuram S.K, Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), who lives in the village and is available to the people at all times.
Two and a half years ago, when ZP CEO R. Ramachandran took charge, he had a lot on his hands. He had to run a district with over 550 GPs and nearly 2,000 villages and hamlets. He used funds as an incentive for better-performing GPs and implemented new projects in villages that welcomed them. This helped officers achieve nearly 100 per cent LPG utilization and 100 per cent toilet construction. The GP also built two community toilet complexes in areas with houses with not enough space for individual toilets. He organised training for GP secretaries and PDOs in computer usage and office maintenance. “These sessions, along with regular follow up with officers ” “This ensured that our documentation was ahead of other districts,” the CEO says.
Shakuntala Chippalakatti, GP president, says, “Nature has been kind to us. The Ghataprabha flows close by. She supplies our drinking water needs and irrigates our fields. What more can we ask for,” she asks.
Kulgod got 94 out of 100 in an assessment based on 47 parameters, including infrastructure, social, economic and other sectors. In the last few years, the local body in Belagavi district has been included among the panchayats that have won the Gandhi Gram award at the State level.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / October 20th, 2018
Student’s device to detect eye issues shortlisted for Accenture Innovation Challenge
Students of two engineering colleges in Bengaluru have had their projects shortlisted for the Accenture Innovation Challenge.
Bengaluru :
Students of two engineering colleges in Bengaluru have had their projects shortlisted for the Accenture Innovation Challenge. Under the theme ‘Innovate for Societies’, Nihal Konan and Pujari Kiran Sai of Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, as well as Sabari Prabaaker R, Pranith H, Priyanka S and Deivanai A of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, have been chosen from the city, among 16 other teams across India.
Participants were expected to demonstrate their tech skills by applying disruptive and emerging tech in areas such as advanced analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, crowdsourcing, digital ethics, cybersecurity, immersive reality, and Internet of Things (IoT).
The team from VIT developed a ‘cost-effective, ingestible, battery-less electronic health pill’ to predict and prevent sudden heart attacks. The data from the pill alerts family members or caretakers of an impending heart attack nine to 11 minutes before it happens.
The team from NMIT developed a device that will detect eye problems such as blindness or glaucoma using a virtual reality app.
Mohan Sekhar, senior managing director and lead for Accenture Advanced Technology Centers, said, “Such challenges can help students transition to the industry seamlessly, as it gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of new technologies and spark their innovation potential.”
The two themes for this year’s event were innovate for business and innovate for society. “Prizes will be given to all the winning entries on October 24, which will be the grand finale. This will include prizes worth Rs 1,50,000 and Rs 75,000 to each member of the winning team and winners of the two themes respectively. Accenture will also setup a fast-track recruitment process for all eligible finalists,” Mohan added. There are six categories of prizes, including ‘grand prize winners’, ‘theme winners’, ‘best all-women’s team’, ‘jury’s choice and accenture employee’s choice’.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / October 20th, 2018