125-year-old school’s new building to be inaugurated today

October 2, 2015Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, Alladmin

It is the second oldest educational institution in Udupi

The new building of the Board High School, now known as the Government PU College, which is celebrating its 125th year celebrations this year, will be inaugurated here on Friday.

The Board High School, located on 3.2 acres in the heart of the city near the Service Bus Stand, was established in 1890. It is the second oldest school in Udupi. It was called the Board Middle School when it first started functioning.

It has produced many illustrious students including the former Union Minister late T.A. Pai, the former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes, the former Minister late V.S. Acharya, and veteran journalist late M.V. Kamath.

Mr. Oscar Fernandes’s father late Roque Fernandes was the headmaster of this school from 1940 to 1948.

The institution now has both Kannada and English mediums from class 8 to 10, while its PU wing has courses in Arts, Commerce and Science streams.

It presently has about 150 students in the high school section and about 400 students in the PU college.

The existing building of the Board School used to serve as Magistrate’s Court and a jail during the British times. It got converted into the Board School in 1890.

The auditorium of the school, known as ‘People’s Hall’, was constructed in the mid-1940s.

The Board Middle School was upgraded into a high school in 1918, and as a Multipurpose High School in 1955. The PU college section was started in 1972. The institution is popularly known as Board High School because the Taluk Board and District Board administered it for a long time.

Most of the students coming to this institution now are from economically weaker sections.

The new building of the Government PU College is built at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crore due to the efforts of Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Pramod Madhwaraj, MLA, and the former Minister late V.S. Acharya.

source: http://thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Ganesh Prabhu / Udupi – October 02nd, 2015

Vintage cannons ready to boom

October 2, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Traveladmin

Policemen cleaning the vintage cannons as part of the forthcoming Dasara festivities.— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

As Dasara approaches, seven cannons, which had been housed at the iconic Mysuru Palace, had been handed over to the Gun Shed Troupe, a team of police personnel attached to the City Armed Reserve (CAR) which operates the cannons.

The vintage artillery, used to fire 21 gun shots on the day of Jamboo Savari, is being readied for the big day.

A 32-member police team has cleaned the cannons, which are installed on two-wheeled carts.

The team is expected to start rehearsals to acclimatise elephants to the booming sound of the cannons firing.

The rehearsal is done under the watchful eyes of Forest Department officials and the elephants’ mahouts and kavadis.

On the day of Vijayadashami, cannons are fired 21 times outside the palace fort to signal the beginning of Jamboo Savari.

Rehearsals are conducted three to four times in the run-up to the Dasara finale every year to prevent the elephants from getting nervous as a result of the sound and smoke.

Siddaraju, a head constable of CAR, who is part of the Guns Shed Troupe, said ammunition for the cannons – gun powder – is procured either from Arsikere or Channarayapatna in Hassan district.

The powder is first dried and then about 1.8 kg is packed in a cotton bag and tied with a thick thread.

The bag is then inserted into the barrel of the cannon for firing. Three rounds each are fired from seven cannons to complete a 21-gun salute. The cannons are fired at the palace and also at Bannimantap, where the procession concludes. Each round of fire needs cleaning to remove leftovers inside the cannon, before another round.

Earlier, two kg of gun powder was used for firing but the quantity had been reduced over two years. Each cannon needs about five persons to operate.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – September 30th, 2015

Fourth Anniversary of Devagitam

October 1, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Vidu. Kalavathy Avadhooth to perform tomorrow

Family members of reputed music composer and Sanskrit scholar late H. Yoganarasimhan (1897-1971) have formed Devagitam Charitable Trust to perpetrate his legacy. As part of its fourth anniversary celebrations, the Trust has organised a special function on Oct. 2 at 5.30 pm at Veene Sheshanna Bhavan in Kuvempunagar. Prof. Gowri Kuppuswamy, retd. Principal, Fine Arts College, Mysuru and a senior musician will be the chief guest. Dr. T.V. Venkatachalashatry, reputed Kannada scholar will preside. A special music concert will follow after the formal function.

Vidu. Kalavathy Avadhooth from Bengaluru will present a Karnatak vocal concert. Stalwarts Nalina Mohan on violin, Tumkur Ravishankar on mridanga and M.R. Manjunath on ghata will accompany Kalavathy.

Profile: Born on 9th September 1969, Vidushi Kalavathy hails from a family of musicians. Daughter of the illustrious musician couple Sangeetha Kalaratna Bangalore K. Venkatram and Gamaka Kala Kogile G. R. Jaya, Kalavathy had music running in the whole family.

Her father was a ghatam maestro, an organiser par excellence and Founder-Director of Percussive Arts Centre while her mother is a veteran Gamaka artiste and vocalist of repute. Brother V. Krishna is an eminent Mridangam artiste, presently Director of Percussive Arts Centre and has accompanied veteran artistes on the Mridangam.

Kalavathy, married to D. Avadhoot, a connoisseur of music, is a gold medallist in MA (Music).

After the initial training under her mother Vidushi G. R. Jaya and then under Vidushi Usha Char, Kalavathy had her intensive training under Ganakala Bhushana Anoor. S. Ramakrishna. She also learnt under Vidushi Seethalakshmi Venkateshan and is now learning under Vidwan P. S. Narayanaswamy of Chennai.

Kalavathy Avadhoot has performed all over India in major Sabhas of Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Trichy, Mysore, Bangalore, Shimoga, Bellary etc.She has toured the USA, Amsterdam and Netherlands. Kalavathy has lent her voice for Art movies like “Madhwacharya,” “Ramanujacharya” and “Bhagavadgeetha” under the direction of G. V. Iyer and B. V. Karanth with the musical legend Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna.

Endowed with a rich and mellifluous voice, Kalavathy’s vocal stands out for the feel (bhava) she imparts to her music. She also has to her credit many laurels and awards. —KRM

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / October 01st, 2015

Kairus F. Irani passes away

October 1, 2015Business & Economyadmin

Mysuru :

Kairus F. Irani (52), youngest son of late F.K. Irani, founder of Ideal Jawa factory in city, who was residing at ‘EFKAYS,’ Karanji Lake Road, near Vasanth Mahal in Nazarbad, passed away following brief illness at Vikram Hospital here this morning. He was a bachelor.

A member of Mysore Race Club (MRC), Kairus leaves behind his sister Morvarid, brother Raian F. Irani and a host of relatives and friends. Kairus was admitted to Vikram Hospital on Tuesday where he passed away early this morning.

Last rites will be performed at the Parsi Burial Grounds, opposite Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram on Nanjangud Road here at 4 pm today, according to family sources.

A large number of people including MRC members and ex-employees of Ideal Jawa paid their last respects.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / October 01st, 2015

‘Forests and Wildlife can be protected only if there is transparency in the Dept.’

September 30, 2015Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Traveladmin

Says Hon. Wildlife Warden N.M. Naveen Kumar

One should not work in the forest just for the sake of working but should have the passion for wildlife, its protection and conservation. One such person, who not only has the passion for wildlife but also wants to create awareness among the young generation about the importance of forests and wildlife, is N.M. Naveen Kumar, Hon. Wildlife Warden of Chamarajanagar district, who holds a M.Sc degree in Public Policy and Management from University of London. He has been appointed by the State Government for the second term. Chamarajanagar District Wildlife Division consists of six ranges in Bandipur National Park, complete BRT Tiger Reserve, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and a major portion of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

In a tete-a-tete with Star of Mysore, Naveen Kumar spoke about Wildlife Wardens, their duties, responsibilities and challenges. Excerpts…

by S. Kenneth Shishir

Star of Mysore (SOM): Who is an Honorary Wildlife Warden?

Naveen: An Hon. Wildlife Warden is a gazetted public servant, appointed under Section 4, Sub Section BB of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It is a statutory post that is created by an Act of Parliament.

SOM: What are the duties and responsibilities of Hon. Wildlife Warden?

Naveen: The notification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests has clearly stipulated the duties and responsibilities of the Hon. Wildlife Warden. The primary duties according to the Act are of enforcement in nature, namely, Control of poaching and clandestine trade in wild animals and products; Detection and prosecution of offences under the aforementioned Act; Preventing damage to the habitat of wildlife; Initiating measures for dealing with man-animal conflicts including the assessment and payment of compensation, etc.; Carrying the message of conservation to the people and enlisting public support for nature and wildlife conservation.

SOM: What powers do you have to carry out these duties?

Naveen: Hon. Wildlife Warden has the status of a deemed public servant under Section 59 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and has powers of entry, search, seizure and detention under Section 50 for prevention and detection of offences under the aforementioned Act and also has powers to inspect records of licences under Section 47 Sub Section B of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

SOM: Do Forest officials extend co-operation to Hon. Wildlife Wardens in carrying out works?

Naveen: Co-operation is being extended to a limited extent only by a few honest officers who have the passion for wildlife conservation.

The officers whose priorities (unfortunately in majority) have certain personal agendas and they see the Hon. Wildlife Warden, especially an educated, informed and pro-active ones, as a thorn in their flesh.

SOM: Could you elaborate?

Naveen: The problem with the functional process of the Forest Department is that it is completely beyond public scrutiny unlike the works of Revenue, PWD or Police Department. For example, the Forest Department’s functioning is beyond the sight of the common man (Public) because forest is a technical subject and most importantly, the general public has no right of entry. This has created an atmosphere where “Power – Transparency = Corruption.”

Therefore, the role of Hon. Wildlife Warden becomes very crucial as he/she is the only representative of the public who has powers of entry and access into the forest.

SOM: How is the Anti-Poaching Force working in Bandipur?

Naveen: We have increased the number of Anti-Poaching Camps and to a large extent, they have been instrumental in preventing and contain poaching. But on the ground in case of Bandipur, more than 60% of the Anti-Poaching Camps do not have a gun despite several written observations in this regard.

SOM: How do they work without weapons then?

Naveen: Patrolling on foot with a machete in their hands and any observations of human intervention, animal deaths, etc. are being reported to the head quarters in the evenings. Moreover, Anti-Poaching Camps are under-staffed and in case of Bandipur, there are 68 vacant positions with 28 persons at the guard level being transferred with a replacement of only 10 guards which has left Bandipur National Park to the mercy of poachers and timber smugglers.

SOM: What are your suggestions to improve forests?

Naveen: In order to protect, conserve and improve the forests, there has to be transparency and open public scrutiny of the Department’s functioning; Corrupt officers, especially those trapped by Lokayukta and against whom cases are pending, should not be given sensitive postings in places like Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks; The subordinate staff vacancies should be filled on priority; Weapons should be issued and hardness allowance extended to those working in the Wildlife Divisions. They should also get basic incentives like Life Insurance, canteen benefits on the lines of Police Department.

SOM: What are the challenges faced in the forest?

Naveen: Some of the major challenges being faced in the forest include sand lifting from core area sometimes with the connivance of officials concerned, timber smuggling which is being routed to depots and small game poaching especially deer, variety of fowls, hares and so on.

SOM: Has the night traffic ban been effective?

Naveen: Of course yes. Night traffic ban has been effective in ensuing peace and tranquillity for wild animals and has averted a lot of road kills. It is an outstanding example of what a passionate officer (in this case Dr. R. Raju, IFS) can contribute to the wildlife if he really minds.

SOM: What measures have been taken to end or control man-animal conflicts in forest borders?

Naveen: The Congress-led State Government has taken up a major project which is worth Rs. 230 crore. The Railway Barricade Project for border areas of both Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks is the first in the country which is an initiative of C. Srinivasan, retd. APCCF, Project Tiger. Upon completion of this project, man-animal conflicts, especially man-elephant conflicts, would drastically subside.

Apart from this, night patrolling along sensitive areas and Village Watch Committees has been functioning to control Man-Animal conflicts.

SOM: What is your message to the younger generation who are interested in nature and wildlife conservation?

Naveen: Just remember, wildlife conservation is all about ‘swimming against the tide.’ Never hesitate to voice your opinion against the system when it is not in the interest of conservation. Help in protecting, preserving and conserving forest and wildlife by creating awareness about its importance to mankind. Those interested in wildlife conservation or have suggestions pertaining to wildlife and forest conservation may contact Naveen Kumar on e-mail: nmnaveen@yahoo.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / Wednesday – September 30th, 2015

Post Offices to go paperless

September 30, 2015Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

Core System Integration (CSI) pilot project to be launched at 70 POs in Mysuru Division tomorrow

Mysuru :

The Department of Posts (DoP), in its attempt to integrate all solutions implemented under the IT Modernisation Project across different channels, levels and locations, is all set to implement the Core System Integration (CSI), a pilot project, in Mysuru Division tomorrow — the first in the country.

A special software has been created by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for this project.

The objectives of CSI are: To lay down a robust IT infrastructure; Implement software applications for various business areas of the department like Mail Operations, HR, etc. and to provide IT-enabled services to the rural community among others.

It is envisaged that CSI will be responsible for overall integration of the solution and thus accountable for successful implementation of India Post-2012 project across channels, across various levels and locations, and for all business operations and supporting functions of DoP.

In addition to the overall responsibility as mentioned above, the CSI will have direct delivery responsibility for mail and logistics operations, enterprise wide human resources and payroll, finance and accounts, and customer interaction management services.

The CSI shall ensure that the components that are delivered to the end-users are seamlessly integrated onto a common front-end and are successfully deployed onto the client hardware. The pilot project will be implemented in all 40 Post Offices in the city and 30 in Mysuru Division.

Meanwhile, Senior Post Master of Mysuru HPO H.S. Hunagund, speaking to SOM this morning, said that in view of the implementation of the project tomorrow, all the Post Offices in the city remained closed today to upgrade to the new system.

With the launching of CSI, the customers will get good and speedy service, he said and added that almost all services of the Postal Department would go online from tomorrow.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday – September 30th, 2015

The breeze of yore

September 30, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independenceadmin

Unique hobbies

Junk is old and everything old is collectable’ believes Sharath Namburi, a passionate hoarder of antique objects.
A businessman by profession, he can be rightly called curator of an unexplored museum, which is his house.

While it is the vintage bicycles that welcome one at the gate, it is the breeze from the 100-year-old, 40 kilogram fan belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad, which gives the rustic air as one enters the living room.

Watches, cameras, lanterns, tricycles, clapboards — ‘antiquity’ shouts from every corner of his house!

“This interest started as a boy. I used to collect stamps and coins. I collected cricket cards (from the 1990s) that came with the ‘Big Fun’ (chewing gum).”

“Then I went on to currencies and more authentic and antique objects. Since then, there has been no end to this passion,” says Sharath. It was his frequent business visits that helped him explore the various ‘scrap shops’, which added a lot of value to his invaluable assets.

He has a collection of 185 models of reel cameras, 780 mechanical watches, a 100- year-old-dressing table, a tricycle and a toy jeep that belonged to the Nizams, 40 types of kerosene lamps; the list goes on and on.

“I do not just collect them, but use them too. The kerosene lamps come in handy during the power cuts, the tricycle and the toy jeeps have been restored for my four-year-old son Tejal, the wall clocks still tick in all the rooms and I change my watch three times a day to keep them all going!” he explains. Ask him if his wife is supportive about his passion and he jokes, “I think she is forced to support me. She believes – if you can’t beat them, then it’s better to join them.”

His Sundays are spent winding the 780 mechanical watches and he says, “I am a HMT watch collector and since the factory is shut, a bunch of watch collectors have started a club and we meet once in two months.”

Among his camera collection, the reputation for being the oldest one goes to his 1885 Eastman Kodak, which has the first transparent photographic film. Apart from the antique gadgets, he owns a portable coffee mill — Philco coffee grinder.

“Till date, we use this at our house,” he details. It is his friends and scrap shop owners who have contributed largerly to his interests.

“I have a lot of friends in Hyderabad who also collects antique stuffs. There was a guy working at the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, which is now run by the Taj, who helped me get the 100-year-old fan. This ceiling fan had once fallen off the roof and it was kept aside for 20 years without any repair. My friend informed me about this and the next morning I was on a train to Hyderabad,” he reminisces.

He visits the scrap shops during lunch breaks to look for more antique objects.
However, he goes back in time and says, “Initially I have lost a lot of money as I could not differentiate between authentic and fake objects. It was a learning experience. Now, I know what to collect from where.”

Some day, he hopes to open a walk-in museum to exhibit his collection to the next generation.

He is hopeful that his son will take forward this passion. The next priced possession he wants to own is the Penny-farthing bicycle, which has a large front wheel and a smaller rare wheel. “I wish I could insure all these collections,” he says as a parting shot.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / by Prajna GR / DHNS – September 28th, 2015

Lapping up the laurels

September 30, 2015Education, Sportsadmin

Blazing the track

His journey is one behind the wheels and his mind moves at the same pace as his vehicle. Final-year medical student and City-based racer, Shuchindra Gowda made his foray into motorsport four years back and since then, he is an alter ego of his car — fast-paced, edgy, rushing and rolling outside the track as well.

He is a man of few words but has traversed a long, tough journey. His first lap was ‘just for fun’, he recalls, when he was a newbie to the sport and didn’t know the basics, including tuning the car. From there, he has driven a long route.

After steering through some nail-biting rounds, he participated in the finale of Toyota’s Etios Motor Racing (EMR) recently at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.

He says, “It was my first time in this Circuit. It’s a very well-respected and inspiring track. Great racers with shining careers have come here. It’s a humbling feeling to have represented my State and country.” After bagging the Indian National Autocross Championship in 2012, which was one of his biggest milestones, he wishes to make his friends and family proud here now. Though he has no strategy planned out as he is yet to analyse the race track, he is mentally prepared and bustling with confidence.

The only student to be stepping into the circuit this year, especially from a world of skulls and cadavers, he practises as much as he can during the weekend at his own race tracks in Nelamangala and Hesaraghatta. Happy that he is representing Bengaluru, he wishes that the racing circuit grows in the City.

“The City lacks professional tracks and hence fails to promote more racers. Racing is still an expensive sport so the growth is slow. However, the Federation is supporting us so that the racing scene around the country can become active. There are many races now which promote freshers in the novice category, which is helpful for them so that they can gauge their interest and see if they want to continue with racing.”

Though these loopholes are taken care of, Shuchindra believes that winning a lap depends on the driver and his relationship with the car. He adds, “There is nothing like a perfect lap. One can lose out within a fraction of a second here. The most important thing is to be focussed. Racers have to understand the nuances within racing and different kinds of tracks and rallies to continue. More sponsors, race tracks and awareness will only follow after dedicated racers.” And this dedicated racer will not stop his lap here. With veteran Michael Schumacher as his inspiration, he plans to participate in “many more races” and conquer the racing circuit.

“I feel like I am living in two different worlds altogether. There are times when I have thought of quitting medical school and taking this up professionally to continue living a swift life.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / by Anushka Sivakumar / DHNS – September 30th, 2015

Dreams on wheels

September 30, 2015Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Traveladmin

Candida Louis at Gurez in Kashmir where she was given a rousing reception by school girls.

It was on a hazy morning last month that Candida Louis rode into the largely unexplored Gurez Valley in Kashmir on her Royal Enfield.

It didn’t take long for the news to spread about the girl on motorcycle, a rare sight in those parts of the world. The next thing the 24-year-old knew was she in the middle of a mob of girls who had come to meet the brave one. They were awestruck by the adventurous spirit of the Bengaluru girl and wanted to ride pillion, which she obliged. “Its such experiences and people I meet that count more than covering thousands of kilometres,” said the IT professional with Infosys, who is on a three-month vacation to live her dream.

Circumstances conspired to help her fulfil that dream in a flurry. First, Dalton Louis gifted his only daughter with a Royal Enfield on her birthday last November and then seven months later a television channel approached her to be part of a group of ten riders in a programme meant to cover 30,000 kilometres in 22 states.

The supportive parents gave their nod and so did her employer. And before she knew it, she was on the road this July. Though the programme was wound up just in 20 days, Candida declined to be dispirited and continued her journey solo with the same target.

Since then she had covered 8,200 kilometres in over 12 states and till now she didn’t have a single bad experience despite many apprehensions about her safety by her loved ones. She reached Kochi from Munnar and was at Vypeen on Tuesday.

Staying at different hotels and experiencing variety food, the youngster plans to write about her travelling experience for a mobile app, which she said would help her meet fuel expenses.

The end of the journey in Goa in November would just be the beginning of wait for her next big adventure. “I always dreamt of going around the world in a motorcycle and I wanted to start it covering India,” she signed off.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home>National> Kerala / by M.P. Praveen / September 30th, 2015

Golden jubilee of St Michael’s Seminary in Belagavi on Friday

September 29, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Traveladmin

Belagavi :

The alma mater of many priests in the diocese of Goa, Karwar and Belagavi — St Michael’s Seminary here will be observing its golden jubilee celebrations on Tuesday.

Located at Macche on the Belgaum-Goa road via Chorla, about 12 kms from city, the seminary is well known amongst the Catholic religious circles across the nation and is hailed as one of the finest seminaries where more than 200 priests including two bishops have passed out.

At the celebrations that will be held at the premises of the seminary, three archbishops and six bishops will be taking part in the holy eucharistic celebrations that will be held at 4pm followed by a programme to commemorate the golden jubilee.

Archbishop of Bengaluru Rev Bernard Moras will be the main celebrant for the mass accompanied by archbishops, bishops and about 500 priests from three states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra will be celebrating the mass.

Rev Fr Joseph Rodrigues and team of priests under the guidance of bishop of Belagavi Rev Dr Peter Machado have made elaborate arrangements for the golden jubilee celebrations.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hubballi / by Ravindra Uppar, TNN / September 28th, 2015

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