Bengaluru skater helps India win 1st medal at international meet
“I was determined to win a medal and it did not matter even if I lost a leg,” were the words of determination of Bengaluru skater Dhanush Babu, after winning India’s first-ever medal in the 17th Asian Speed Skating Championships in Lishui, China, on Thursday.
That determination is perhaps the reason for the success. Dhanush along with Vikram Ingale and Nikhilesh Tabhane, created history. The trio came out with all guns blazing to win the bronze medal in the 3,000 metres relay event. This is the first time India has won a medal in competitive skating in two decades. This is also a first in the senior category.
Speaking to Express from China, Dhanush, the youngest of the three, said, “I was the last to start the last 200-metre lap in the race. We were in the fourth position and the only thing that went through my mind was, I am not going to return without a medal. Let me give it whatever I have got, even if it means injuring my leg’. That 200-metre sprint was the best one of my life,” he said.
The Indian team was fourth in the five-team race when Dhanush went for the final push. His late charge resulted in the Indian team getting past Chinese Taipei to clinch the coveted medal. South Korea won the gold and China clinched the silver medal.
About his first stint in the senior category, Dhanush said, “At the national level, the three of us are hardcore competitors. We don’t even talk to each other before the event. But here, representing India, we came together as a force and won the medal. This has definitely boosted our confidence to win more medals as a team in future championships. This team is considered to be a ‘dream relay team’.
From Vidhana Soudha to Asian Championship medal
Dhanush’s mother Sudha Babu, who is also in China, said that she was in tears when her son won the medal. “The hard work and sacrifice that we invested has paved the way for success,” she said.
Recalling how Dhanush got the determination to pursue skating she said, “When Dhanush was three years old, he saw an eagle flying high with its wings spread wide near the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. At that moment, he expressed his desire to do something of that sort. After being enrolled for skating classes, he was not really comfortable. Later, his father Babu started training him in front of Vidhana Soudha and by the time he started practicing in the rink, he was into competitive skating,” she remarked.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Kiran Parashar K M / Express News Service / October 29th, 2016
Karnataka on the antarjaala
An online space for products from small and rural entrepreneurs of Karnataka, Total Karnataka is all set to reach out to the world
Natural dyed khadi kurtas from Shikaripura in Karnataka’s Sagar district can now be shipped to Australia or anywhere in the world. Traditional Kinhal dolls can now be delivered to the grandchildren in America.
An NGO in Shimoga is able to sell its terracota jewellery online. People of Karnataka who live all over the world can have gifts with a flavour and feel of their home states delivered at their doorstep. Even pickle!
Chandrasekhar Kakal, a food entrepreneur and start-up coach with three decades of corporate experience and Lakshmikanth V., a software engineer-turned- entrepreneur passionate about Kannada and Karnataka, have launched totalkarnataka.com. Lakshmikanth has earlier experience from his venture Total Kannada.
“We have on board a family in Bidar district of Karnataka engaged for generations in carving traditional Bidriware, artisans of Channapattana shaping the famous Channapattana toys, carpenters chiselling white wood, rose wood or sandalwood in the lanes of Mysuru’s Mandi Mohalla region. These are people who know their craft well but are unable to market themselves and find themselves lost in the online market space,” says Lakshmikanth. They all belong to micro, small, or medium enterprises (MSME) segments, and they are struggling to keep their tradition alive, and even earn a livelihood for their families, he points out.
“Our idea is to bring them to the mainstream and connect them directly with the customer.
We have put in place a system whereby the craftsman can directly ship an order. Even rejects and returns go back to him with a reason, so he can change and adapt accordingly. The craftsman also feels a sense of pride that he is selling his work online to people in other countries,” explains Lakshmikanth.
They also want to make speciality products of Karnataka origin available to consumers anywhere in the world under one umbrella.
As of now they have over 500 products across nine categories.
There is also a small video accompanying each category so that people get an idea of how a particular hand-crafted piece is made.
Soon translation services and state-specific tourism services will also be added, along with many other categories of products. It is also the only online market place where there is an English and a complete Kannada version — “and it is not done using Google translate”, he laughs. In the three months that they have been in operation, they have shipped over 180 orders, including those to the U.S.A.
The site now stocks terracotta jewellery, hand crafted cotton and khadi dresses, paddy craft display pieces, speciality pickles, north Karnataka food products including the famous jolada rotti, traditional Channapattana toys, Mysore handicrafts, Kannada books and movies, T-shirts with Kannada slogans etc.
For details see www.totalkarnataka.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / Bhumika K / Bengaluru – October 28th, 2016
GIT student designs watch for Swiss firm
Belagavi :
Parth Sabnis, an electrical and electronics engineering student of KLS Gogte Institute of Technology (GIT) who designed the smart PDG wat ch for Switzerland-based Luxius M’iWatch, will represent the brand at the annual GPHG Awards event at Geneva on November 10.
Parth Sabnis, 22, is thrilled by the appreciation he’s been getting.
“The company specialises in simple yet sophisticated designs. It was a challenging task as watch design was a new domain for me. I considered it an opportunity when I got the assignment,” Parth told TOI.
Parth, who is from Mumbai, said initially it was a challenge to identify the appropriate tool for the design. After some research, he decided to use Autodesk Maya software due to its sheer versatility. After dis cussions with several clients, he decided to go for a traditional design that incorporates modern technology. The objective was to offer something more than usual ensemble of high-end watches.
Smart PDG Watch features a digital face that would run on Android Wear OS along with a fully hand-crafted analog dial. Parth said the watch symbolises two things which never stop — time and news of the world. “I did not realise the magnitude of the project until I received the invitation to attend the awards function. It couldn’t have happened without the support of the college faculty. They allowed me to got Bengaluru to work on the project and resume classes later. The college authorities appreciated my effort,” he said.
The Smart PDG Watch is a hybrid watch with two interchangeable watch cases and two time zone dials. The first watch case contains a Swiss manual winding, mechanical tourbillon movement. The second case integrates a connected smart watch movement, with a digital dial face, with a notification screen streaming real-time world news at the bottom.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Hubli / TNN / October 29th, 2016
AeroMIT and their flying machines win accolades
Manipal:
AeroMIT, Manipal Institute of Technology’s aero-modelling enthusiasts who design, build, test and fly radio controlled aircraft, capped their performances earlier this year with two more accomplishments.
AeroMIT participated in two competitions at NITK, Surathkal and NIT, Calicut and returned with ‘flying’ colours. In the competition at NITK, the team won second and third places and at NIT, Calicut, the team finished first and second.
The first competition that AeroMIT participated in was Engineer, Technical Festival of NITK, Surathkal. MIT team’s event was called ‘Wright Flight’.
The aim of competition was to test flying skills and manoeuvrability of scratch built remote controlled aircraft and compete by executing complex in-flight manoeuvers as well as dropping payload on a bulls-eye target. This involved spot take-off and landing and stable flight.
The second competition was in Tathva, a technical festival at NIT Calicut and their event was called ‘Albatross’. Here the team required to scratch build an aircraft with maximum takeoff weight of 700 grams and adhere to limited wingspan and could take-off from top of a building and spot land on a bulls-eye. It also included points for manoeuvrability, range of flight and speed. The team won 1st and 2nd places.
AeroMIT had on December 28, 2015 outmatched 37 teams including IITs and NITs to clinch the first place in its maiden appearance in the Boeing National Aero-modelling Competition for West zone.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Chennai News> Bangalore / TNN / October 27th, 2016
Celebrating Success … : Sankalp Group : 20 Years of Building Homes in Mysuru
by B.C. Thimmaiah
Sankalp Group has been building apartments in Mysuru for 20 years now and is known to be the only local builder who has managed to complete big projects. The group that started with 40 apartments near Highway Circle today has grown to building projects like their ambitious Sankalp Central Park at Yadavagiri where already 250 families stay in a community that is set to grow to 1000!
As the Sankalp Group completes its 20 years in construction, Star of Mysore spoke to the Group’s Founder and Chairman Dr. V.K. Jagadish Babu and his son Nikhil Jagadish, who with an engineering degree from Columbia University, USA, has now joined his father as Director, about their journey and future plans.
Jagadish Babu, who started off as a structural and design consultant in Bengaluru, speaking of him taking the plunge into construction industry says: “During my Master’s degree, I was working as a part-time architect for a Bengaluru-based firm and I was selected for a government job as a PWD Assistant Engineer in Gulbarga. I went there and assumed charge and spending just a day at the Gulbarga office made me think about my future and I came back to Bengaluru to complete my studies. Then I set up a small design office in Bengaluru and soon enough the entrepreneurial bug bite me and I became a property developer.”
Speaking of why he chose Mysuru instead of staying in Bengaluru where he had opened his first office, Jagadish says: “I chose Mysuru as I did my schooling in Demonstration School (DMS) and my family was closely associated with Ramakrishna Ashram here.” Jagadish Babu’s first project in Mysuru was a wing of Bharat Cancer Hospital in 1995 after which he established Sankalp. “Sankalp means determination in Kannada, and in 1996 I did not have the money but I had “Sankalp” so I named my company with the one thing I had,” he says and adds: “At that time, the concept of apartments was new to Mysuru and it was a one-man show — I was the builder and the marketing manager. Fortunately, my first apartment on the New Sayyaji Rao Road clicked and the rest is history.”
Jagadish says the secret to his success is he sees himself as custodian of people’s hard-earned money as many of them are first-time home owners and also he has never compromised on quality while making sure the properties have clear titles. This is the reason he says he has over 3,500 customers and quite a few of them have turned into repeat customers.
Mentioning about the group’s flagship Sankalp Central Park at Yadavagiri, the land which once housed Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd., that manufactured the most sought-after two-wheelers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Jagadish Babu said that today, Sankalp Group has converted the 18-acre “Old Jawa Factory” (as called by many in Mysore) into a beautiful and sprawling neighbourhood with 500 completed apartments, 250 already occupied and another 412 planned in the next phase.
“For the first time in Mysuru, we brought architects from Singapore for designing. While the first phase of the project has been completed, the second phase is nearing completion. A unique feature about this international lifestyle project is that only 22 percent of the total land is built area and the rest 78 percent is dedicated to landscaping and open space,” he says.
Jagadish Babu’s son Nikhil Jagadish, who joined as the Director of Sankalp Group early this year, also added saying that now the Group plans to move beyond just apartment construction and will soon be setting up educational institutions. One specifically would be a Sankalp Finishing School where architects will be trained practically on live projects. The other important project he says is an efficient senior citizen’s home where the old can live with dignity, joy and confidence, a place they will be truly cared for.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / October 22nd, 2016
An app that helps one search for lawyers
District and Sessions Judge Joshi launches Legall
Legall, an app developed by a Mangaluru-based start-up that helps in finding lawyers and has a host of services, was launched here on Saturday. First Additional District and Sessions Judge C.M. Joshi launched the app at a function held on the SDM Law College premises.
Using Legall, people can search for lawyers across the State.
A separate section has been created in the app that guides people in preparation of agreements and other documents required for real estate transactions. The app provides services required by entrepreneurs having start-ups.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Legall Uday Prakash Muliya said that they have listed many advocates on the app and have classified them based on their areas of practice. People can book their appointment for advocates using the app. This service is available free.
Mr. Muliya said that the app offers lawyers assistance in preparation of arguments. The entrepreneurs are offered solutions based on their requirements. Charges will be collected for these services and for assistance provided in preparation of documents in real estate transactions, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Staff Reporter / Mangaluru – October 23rd, 2016
Corneal transplant gives Kalaburagi man a new life
Access to higher education makes the impossible possible
Siddaramayya Hiremath, who was born visually impaired at a remote village in Jewargi taluk, Kalaburagi district, and later underwent a corneal transplant, is a happy man today. He has now been selected for the post of Second Division Assistant (SDA) in the Directorate of Employment, Bengaluru.
Born in Kanameshwar village in Jewargi, Mr. Hiremath had his first glimpse of the world in 2009, when he was studying in Class 9 at the Government Blind School in Kalaburagi city, after a successful corneal transplant by noted ophthalmologist Prashant Kamalapurkar. This corneal transplant was reportedly a first for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.
“I have no words to express my joy… one of my patients not only got his vision back, he also completed his education and got a government job after passing the KPSC (Karnataka Public Service Commission) examination,” said Dr. Kamalapurkar.
Mr. Hiremath said that after gaining vision, he completed SSLC at the Government Blind School in Kalaburagi and moved to Bengaluru, where he completed Pre University Course (PUC) at the A.P.S. College.
He later moved to Vijayapura district to pursue BA at the H.A. Nandi College, Almel. He said he took the KPSC exam for the post of SDA in 2015-16 and cleared it. “It would not have been possible to continue my education beyond SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) since there are no study books in Braille. The visually impaired pursue studies any further only through audio. I am grateful to the donor and Dr. Kamalapurkar, who performed the surgery and provided medicines free of cost,” Mr. Hiremath recalled.
Mr. Hiremath lost his father when he was young and his mother Sharanamma is an agricultural labourer. His brother Ningaiah Hiremath, who is also visually impaired, has been selected to the post of a First Division Assistant (FDA) in a State government department. His younger brother and sister have normal vision.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Kalaburagi – October 20th, 2016
Great-granddaughter of Lalbagh’s creator looks to restore his legacy
Bengaluru :
Amid cries of protest over the steel flyover, which could sound the death knell for over 800 trees in the heart of Bengaluru, a ringing message to protect green spaces reverberates across the pages of the city’s past. Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, the German botanist who was largely responsible for turning Lalbagh into the wonder it is today, often cycled around the city with his oldest daughter, Hilda, their baskets leaden with plants to raise awareness on the importance of trees.
As the city’s lung spaces shrink, Krumbeigel’s greatgranddaughter, Alyia PhelpsGardner, 55, is all set to resurrect her forbear’s legacy . In a bid to restore the dilapidated Krumbiegel Hall, Alyia too will cycle around Bengaluru. The cost of restoration comes up to £32,000, and Alyia is being helped in her endeavour by Intech Bangalore. The plan is to have the house restored in a traditional manner, with lathe and plaster.
Pointing out that her greatgrandfather was described to her in heroic terms, Alyia said, “He was affectionately known as Krumbie, and his wife as Great Granny Krumbie.”
Seated on the Lalbagh wall, Krumbiegel sipped his coffee along with a cigarette – a ritual in itself – while his family members relaxed in the garden. This will be Alyia’s first visit to the Garden City . Her tryst with Lalbagh too, is confined to pictures. “The hall, once restored, can be used as a media library for all horticultural students. He had a special love for Lalbagh. He also loved books. In this day and age, I would like to offer books and internet access. His work, and mode of thinking will come alive,” she said. She attributes the image of Krumbiegel that she carries around in her head to the many tales and anecdotes that her grandmother, Hilda Gustav’s daughter used to narrate. “One story that makes me giggle even to this day is of a tiger jumping through a window of their house in Vadodara, when the family was having a dinner party . Only Granny Krumbie saw it. She left the room, and it jumped out again.She didn’t say anything, since she did not wish to alarm anyone,” she said.
Alyia recalled that Maharaja Wadiyar had intervened twice to prevent Krumbiegel from being sent back to Germany by the British.
“He always wanted independence for India. One of his last planning assignments was Mahatma Gandhi’s tomb. One of his greatest wishes was to start a horticultural school, a dream not many were aware of,” she added.
Alyia’s granddaughter, Sofia too shares her love for planting flowers and other planting.Alyia said that she is regaling her grandchildren with Krumbie’s any adventures in India.
Krumbiegel Hall
Previously a horticulture lecture hall, it was named Krumbiegel Hall to honour the German botanist. Built in accordance with the classical principles of Greek architecture, one of the distinctive features of the structure is the Gandaberunda – the two-headed mythological bird, which is believed to possess magical strength.
The many years of neglect have rendered restoration both difficult and expensive. The lime and mortar that the British builders used cannot be replaced with regular cement or plaster of Paris.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Bangalore / by Aditi Sequeira / TNN / October 27th, 2016
G Balakrishna, Bengaluru driver, wins Mr. Asia 2016 title
25-year-old water tanker driver from Bengaluru has won two distinctive bodybuilding titles – the Mr Asia 2016 and “Arnold Schwarzenegger of Whitefield” – during the 5th Phil-Asia bodybuilding championships in the Philippines. G Balakrishna, a gym instructor, is a resident of Ramagondanahalli near Varthur, who has a list of accolades behind him.
“I am proud of my achievement and hope to repeat it more often with some financial support,”I owe it to my mother, Parvathamma, and brother Rajesh who have been my pillars of support,” he said.
Balakrishna, an ardent fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he practices nearly six hours a day and is trained by renowned bodybuilders from Mumbai and Punjab, named Sangram Chougla and Manish Kumar respectively. Balakrishna adds that he’d followed strict diet to bring down his weight for the tournament.
“I am maintaining my position with a rich daily diet that includes 750 gms of chicken, 25 eggs, 300 gms of rice, 200 gms of vegetables along with fish for extra protein and fruits,” he said.
He has earlier won the Mr Universe Under-24 junior contest in 2013 in Germany and the Mr Universe title in the same category at the world championship in Athens in 2014. He joined the water-tanker business in 2010 in Whitefild, Bengaluru.
Balakrishna’s journey to the Mr Asia platform was not easy. Whitefield Settlers’ and Residents Association funded helped him raise funds for the competition. Despite winning the championship, he says, With no government support, I still struggle to participate in bodybuilding championships outside the country,”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Beauty Pageants> Others / TNN / October 26th, 2016