Category Archives: Education

Award for teacher who transformed school from a shed to a 2,000 square feet building

Education, Records, All

She was among 75 teachers to be honoured for their services

Priscilla Shantakumari, a teacher from Government Higher Primary School in Mathikere, Bengaluru, transformed her school from a shed to a 2,000 square feet building by raising funds through donations. The teacher, who has served over 22 years in the profession, also saw to it that children in the neighbourhood attended school by organising a ‘Come to School’ campaign. And even before the government initiated the Akshara Dasoha programme, she introduced a mid-day meal scheme to encourage families to send their children to school.

She is one among the 75 teachers from Karnataka who was honoured on the occasion of Teacher’s Day.

On Wednesday, State awards were presented to 20 primary government school teachers, 10 secondary school teachers, 10 pre-university college teachers and one special teacher. Thirty-four teachers were also given awards under the Teacher’s Welfare Fund. The awards were presented by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Two schools received the best school award instituted in the name of former education minister and freedom fighter H.G. Govinde Gowda. They are Government Higher Primary School in Arakare, Koppalu, Mysuru district; and the Government Secondary School in Moodala Koppalu, Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district.

Some of the awardees

Environment awareness

Satish C.S. from Government Primary School, Mulluru in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu district, received the State honour for creating environment awareness among students in the school. He was instrumental in building a small zoo and a vegetable farm within the school premises. He introduced clean energy technology by setting up a solar park.

Promoting science education

Krishnamurthy L. Bhat, assistant teacher, Government Secondary School, Ganesh Nagar, Sirsi, was awarded for cultivating a scientific temperament among students. He has been encouraging students to participate in national-level science exhibitions and competitions. A dedicated teacher, Mr. Bhat ensured that his students perform well in their SSLC exams. In the last five years, 96% of his students have passed the science exam. He is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Science award and CNR Rao national award.

Extending a helping hand

Manjunath K.N., an English teacher from Government PU College, Ponnampet, Virajpet taluk, Kodagu district, has served 28 years teaching children in rural areas of Karnataka. He is credited with bringing students who had dropped out back to school. In many cases, he has even extended financial help to families so that their children’s education did not suffer. As an NCC officer, he has been promoting sports among students, many of who have participated in national championships.

Cultural promotion

Soumya Jain, a music teacher from Government High School, Varuna, Mysuru district, has been promoting arts and music among students. She has been instrumental in enabling students to participate in national-level dance and music programmes. She is a recipient of the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule award and Rashtriya Yuva Jaina Prashasti.

English will be taught in 1000 government schools: CM

Despite opposition from various quarters to start English in 1,000 government schools on a pilot basis, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said it would go ahead as planned. Taking a dig at the watchdogs of those protecting Kannada, the CM said that if a survey was conducted among people, it would show that all those opposing the move were sending their children to English-medium schools. The measure was initiated to make sure that government schools re on par with their private counterparts. “What wrong have the children of farmers, daily wage labourers done? Why should they not be entitled to learn English?” he said.

Three teachers receive national award

Three teachers of government schools in the State were presented the national best teacher award by the Union Ministry for Human Resources Development.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu presenting the national ward to Rameshappa G., in New Delhi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu presenting the national ward to Rameshappa G., in New Delhi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

M. Shivakumar, assistant teacher, Government High School, Cheemangala, Chikkaballapura; Shaila R.N., headmistress, Government High School T. Dasarahalli, Bangalore North; and Rameshappa G., physical education teacher, Government Junior College, High School Section, Vijayapura, Devanahalli received the awards from Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.

Mr. Shivakumar was awarded for making learning of mathematics effective and attractive to students. Ms. Shaila received the award for bringing a dramatic improvement in the school infrastructure.

Mr. Rameshappa was awarded for promoting physical education and yoga in his school. He has also been working with children with special needs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / September 05th, 2018

20 teachers to receive district-level award

Education, Records, All

It will be presented at Teachers’ Day programme today

As many as 20 teachers from lower primary, higher primary and secondary government, and aided schools will receive this year’s best teachers award from the district administration.

The award will given in the district-level Teachers’s Day programme to be held in Sullia on Wednesday.

Among the seven teachers to receive the award from the lower primary school include Thimmappa, the Assistant Teacher from the Government Lower Primary School in Maletodi village in Puttur. Mr. Thimmappa is the lone teacher for 30 students of the school. The other teachers from the lower primary school to receive the award are Assistant Teacher Wilma Sequeira from Kula village in Bantwal, Assistant Teacher Seetaram from Machhina village in Belthangady, Seesamma from Kallapu near Mangaluru, Ashwini Shedti from Kakwa near Mangaluru, Jyothi K from Kemaru near Moodbidri and Shalini M from Yennemajalu in Sullia.

The six teachers to receive the award from the higher primary schools are Nalinakshi from Bolar in Mangaluru, Mary D’Souza from Bondel in Mangaluru, Vinay Kumar M from Kallabettu near Moodbidri, Mudara Baira from Harady in Puttur taluk, Saraswati K from Arantoodu village in Sullia taluk and Sanjeeva N from Mittooru village in Bantwal taluk.

The seven from secondary schools to receive the award are Roshan Alexander Pinto from Modankapu in Bantwal taluk, Gopalakrishna Tulupule from Naravi in Belthangady taluk, Lilli Pais from Attavara in Mangaluru, Krishna Nayak from Surathkal in Mangaluru, Balakrishna Gowda B from Prantya in Moodbidri taluk, Vanita Kumar from Puttur and Channappa Gowda M from Gandhinagar in Sullia.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – September 05th, 2018

A hundred years in service to their school

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
The alumni association of St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School will organise a centenary year programme from August 31 to September 2. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The alumni association of St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School will organise a centenary year programme from August 31 to September 2. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

If this school has a rich history spanning 160 years to boast about, so does its alumni association. From reconnecting old students to helping the current ones, the association does its bit to strengthen the school and it has been at it for a hundred years.

To celebrate this milestone, the Old Boys Association (OBA) of St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School is organising a centenary year programme from August 31 to September 2 on the school premises on Museum Road. The idea of forming an association of alumni of the St. Joseph’s Boys High School, which was established in 1858, was initiated in 1901.

“But, it took shape only in 1918 after the first World War. The first general body meeting of the association was held in 1919. From just a handful of former students who started the association, the OBA today has over 7,000 members,” said Jyotinath Ganguly, member of the managing committee of OBA and a student of the 1975 batch.

Apart from offering academic scholarships to students, the association has also been giving scholarship for sports. “It provides midday meals to underprivileged students and provides health and accident insurance to the teaching and non-teaching staff,” said Mr. Ganguly.

The OBA also made a significant contribution for the reconstruction of the school and got a modern sports complex built.

“The fact that we alumni have been able to maintain strong ties with the school for this long is very unique. Many eminent personalities have been part of the association, including former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid, former acting President of Singapore J.Y. Pillay, NetApp Ceo George Kurian, Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia, Olympic gold medal winners in hockey Walter D’Souza and Jansen Patrick among others. They have helped drive our initiatives,” he said.

As part of the centenary celebrations, the OBA plans to release a coffee table book describing the journey of the association along with a special postal cover and a centenary souvenir.

The book will be released by Rahul Dravid. Gala events for the former students has also been planned.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – August 29th, 2018

Hackathon throws up ideas galore by students

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
Class IX students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru demonstrating their solution to convert sign language into audio output at the hackathon in the city on Sunday.
Class IX students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru demonstrating their solution to convert sign language into audio output at the hackathon in the city on Sunday.

When Sathvik S.R., a Class IX student of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru, and his classmates were unable to understand the sign language of a verbally challenged carpenter who was working in their school, they decided to do something to make it easier for him and millions of others like him.

Their invention – gloves with flex sensors that provide an audio output when fingers are moved – drew applause from the jury as well the mentors and fellow participants at the Fall Hackathon 2018 organised by Silicon RD Accelerator, a launchpad for startups, in Mysuru on Sunday.

Sathvik worked with classmates Changappa P.D., Gangadhar K.M. and Karan R., all 14-year-olds, and demonstrated how the flex sensors fixed to the glove worn by the person give certain values when bent while they communicated in sign language.

The arduino – a platform for building electronic projects comprising programmable circuit board with software that runs on computer – sends certain signals over Bluetooth for certain values that are in turn received by an application, which interprets the signals and provides an audio output along with an image.

The team, named ‘Awaaz’, tried to convince the jury that their solution was not only cost-effective, but also user-friendly. Awaaz said they would like to target NGOs that can provide a larger platform to reach millions of people with similar difficulties.

Dealing with backache

Backaches have turned out to be bane of many, especially those whose job involves a lot of desk work.

But, Ajay and his teammate Niranjan have come up with a network of sensors that not only diagnose and alert a person when she or he is slouching, but also provide solutions on maintaining the right posture.

After speaking with doctors, orthopaedics and physiotherapists, Ajay and Niranjan plan to manufacture garments including shifts, T-shirts and jackets fixed with sensors that can be customised to the requirements of an individual.

A total of 80 students and professionals comprising about 18 teams participated in the two-day Hackathon, which concluded on Sunday. The other ideas that were praised at the hackathon included a mechanical device that climbs and plucks arecanut from trees, said Sid Mukherjee, founder CEO, Silicon RD.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – Septmber 03rd,2018

A museum in the shape of a human face

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technology
An artist’s impression of the speech and hearing museum in the shape of a human face, planned at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysuru. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
An artist’s impression of the speech and hearing museum in the shape of a human face, planned at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysuru. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

It will give an overview of speech and hearing, and problems affecting communication

A museum in the shape of a human face is coming up at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) here.

Reckoned to be one of a kind, the museum has been proposed at a cost of ₹5.21 crore to spread awareness on vocal and auditory functions, besides pathological/ dysfunctional conditions, and preventive measures.

AIISH Director Dr. S.R. Savitri told The Hindu that the institute has got the status of Centre of Excellence (COE) from the Union government; and the museum will give an overview of speech and hearing, and the problems affecting communication.

It is also planned to introduce a section on the contribution of ancient India in the field of phonetics, linguistics etc., a note from the institute said.

The basement of the museum representing the neck of a human being will have three floors each with a mezzanine. The floor, walls, and ceiling will have interactive display systems.

The museum has been planned in such a way that visitors feel as if they are entering through the brain and coming out of the lungs, larynx and the oral tract, experiencing how speech is produced, and language is encoded and decoded.

Likewise, visitors will get the feeling of entering the ear system and getting into various parts of the human ear to reach the brain, in order to learn how one listens and understands. The floor of the museum will be fitted with sensors which will lead to the central nervous system through various cranial nerves. When one touches the sensor of a particular nerve end, the sensor will glow showing the path leading to the end of the nerve, the institute’s note said.

The ceiling will have an audio-visual display showing the functions of brain. There will also be posters or large screen projections that are colourful and informative, according to the institute.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – July 20th, 2018

IISc researchers find cholesterol helps bacterial toxins kill cells

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
The interaction of cholesterol was with the region on the protein that is responsible for forming the pore, say Rahul Roy (sitting, left) and Pradeep Sathyanarayana (sitting, middle).
The interaction of cholesterol was with the region on the protein that is responsible for forming the pore, say Rahul Roy (sitting, left) and Pradeep Sathyanarayana (sitting, middle).

Cholesterol stablises and binds the toxin protein to the cell membrane

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have found that cholesterol present in cell membrane plays a crucial role in stabilising and binding together the pore-forming toxin cytolysin A. The pore-forming toxins form the largest class of bacterial proteins causing virulence that kills human cells. The cytolysin A toxin is secreted by E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella.

The toxin secreted by E. coli bacteria is water-soluble and binds to the cell membrane. The binding of the water-soluble toxin to the cell membrane does not depend on cholesterol present in the membrane surface. In fact, the binding drops in cholesterol-containing membranes. “Binding is only a part of the pore forming process and cholesterol has no role to play,” says Dr. Rahul Roy from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IISc who led the team.

Toxin movements

Once the toxin gets bound to the cell membrane, it does not stay in one place. Instead, it keeps moving around the cell membrane surface. Using a powerful microscope that allows them to look at single molecules tagged with a fluorescent tag, the researchers could actually see the toxin proteins moving around.

Unlike the usually observed Brownian movement, these proteins tend to move around fast and then slow down before picking up speed and moving fast again. This happens even when no cholesterol is present. The structure capable of puncturing the cell membrane is supposed to slow down the protein movement. So this suggested that the structure of the bound protein is similar to the water-soluble protein and different from the structure that pierces the cell membrane.

Cholesterol interaction

In the presence of cholesterol, the protein stops moving quickly. “Using molecular dynamic simulations, we found cholesterol interacting with the protein just as we suspected. The interaction was with the region on the protein that is responsible for forming the pore,” says Dr. Roy.

Binding to cholesterol per se does not stop the motion of the protein. But on binding to cholesterol, the structure of the protein undergoes a change resulting in slowing down of the motion.

The change in the speed of motion happens even in the absence of cholesterol due to the change in structure of the protein. But in the absence of cholesterol, the protein is unable to maintain the structure required for pore formation.

“The structure of the toxin is stabilised in the presence of cholesterol and that is essential for pore formation,” says Pradeep Sathyanarayana from the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering at IISc and first author of a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “This is a clever strategy by the bacteria to use the toxin to specifically target only human/animal cells while the bacteria themselves are protected from the toxicity since cholesterol is absent in bacterial membranes.”

To be able to rupture the cell membrane, the proteins bound to cholesterol have to come together to form a ring-like structure comprising 12 molecules. The coming together of the molecules to form the ring-like structure is also enhanced in the presence of cholesterol.

“Computer simulations showed that when two pore-forming protein molecules come together there is a small pocket where the cholesterol goes and interacts with the proteins. So cholesterol provides additional support to hold the two molecules together,” says Dr. Roy.

Studies by other groups have shown that cancer cells in mice can be reduced dramatically by using cytolysin A toxin.

“Based on our study, we can work on making the toxin target only the cancer cells. We can also use cholesterol-like molecules to prevent the toxin protein from changing its structure thereby prevent cell destruction,” says Dr. Roy.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Science / by R. Prasad / July 21st, 2018

CMU holds 3rd India alumni meet in city

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, World Opinion

CMUbf17jul2018

The Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a private research university based in Pennsylvania, organised its third India alumni meet here.

The meet, named CMU India Conclave 2018, was themed “Future of Work”, and comprised of fireside chats,  panel discussions and networking sessions.

Most of the discussions were centred around the future of the work, with emerging technologies as the driver. “At CMU, we have a strong technology related alumni. So, that is why, in the given situation, you are seeing this theme,” Rashmi Gowda, one of the organisers of the event, said.

CMU organises biennial all-India meetings for its alumni. The first event was held in Mumbai and the second one in Delhi, which was organised on a much smaller scale.

India, which has the largest alumni base of CMU outside the US, has almost 2,000 alumnus from the university.

Devi Shetty, founder and chairman of Narayana Health, was the keynote speaker at the event.

Other panelists and speakers, which included both CMU alumnus and guest speakers, were ITC Infotech MD and CEO Sushma Rajagopalan, Mindtree CEO and MD Rostow Ravanan, Anand Anandkumar from Bugworks; Shyam Vasudevarao from Renalyx, Tushar Vasisht from Healthifyme, Amit Gupta from Yulu, Prashanth Prakash from Accel, Ravi G from Flipkart, Neeru Sharma from Infibeam, Siddhartha Agarwal, from Bhoruka group, among others.

The event also hosted child prodigy Saad Nasser as its panelist on transportation. Aged 16, Nasser dropped out of school at the age of 10 to follow his ambition of automobile engineering and co-founded Ati Motors.

“The aim of the event is to help network the alumni group and also facilitate the knowledge transfer,” Rashmi said.

Founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools, the university became the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912 and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> In Brief / by DH News Service, Bengaluru / July 15th, 2018

MVJ College Of Engineering, Bangalore . Students Invent A Gas Leakage Detector With SMS Alert

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Gas leak detection is a process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by means of various sensors. These sensors usually employ an audible alarm to alert people when dangerous gas has been detected along with it gives SMS.

students displaying their project
students displaying their project

Objective 

The primary objective of the present project is to provide a novel means for safety and detecting any malfunctioning of a pressurized gas system to prevent accumulation of combustible gases so that damage or explosion due to such an accumulation of gases is prevented.

Operation

Gas detectors measure and indicate the concentration of certain gases in air via different technologies. Typically employed to prevent toxic exposure and fire, gas detectors are often battery operated devices used for safety purposes.

They are manufactured as portable or stationary units and work by signifying high levels of gases through a series of audible or visible indicators, such as alarms, lights or a combination of signals. While many of the older standard gas detector units were originally fabricated to detect one gas, modern multi-gas devices are capable of detecting several gases at once.

As detectors measure a specified gas concentration, the response of the sensor surpasses a certain pre-set level, an alarm will activate to warn the user.

Features 

High sensitivity to LPG, is-butane, propane

Small sensitivity to alcohol, smoke.

Fast response

Wide detection range

Stable performance and long life

Simple drive circuit

Application 

It is used in gas industries.

It  is   used  in  mining   of  coal  and   other  materials .

It  is   used  in  municipal   gas  distribution.

It  is   used  in  nuclear   power  stations.

Used   for   safety  from  gas   leakage  in  cooking   gas  fired  appliances   like  ovens , stoves etc.

It can also detect alcohol so it is used as a liquor tester.

Scope of the project 

In future, more detecting systems like any gas detection systems can be implemented. Additional features include more secure systems like a call/SMS will   be sent to a telephone number if a gas leakage and a   fire in an n/w area like LAN and internet used to worldwide

Conclusion 

This project is a microcontroller based project. A gas sensor is used to detect dangerous gas leaks in the kitchen or near any gas heaters. The sensor can also sense LPG and coal gas as well as an ideal sensor to use to detect the presence of a dangerous LPG leak in your car or in a service station, storage tank environment. This unit can be easily incorporated into the alarm unit, to sound an alarm or give a visual indication of LPG concentration. The sensor has excellent sensitivity combined with a quick response time.

source: http://www.bweducation.businessworld.in / BW Education / by BW Online Bureau / July 12th, 2018

Champion for change

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, World Opinion

NiharikaBF07jul2018

Bengaluru-based YouTube content creator Niharika Nm on representing India in YouTube’s Creators for Change initiative for the second year in a row

Amidst the sea of entertainers on the global platform that is YouTube, Bengaluru-based Niharika Nm has made it to the forefront. The third-year engineering student was recently chosen as one of the global ambassadors of Creators for Change — a YouTube initiative, which uses influencers to generate awareness and engage their audience regarding relevant social issues.

This is the second time she has been chosen for the initiative, and this year Niharika will be representing India alongside three other big names in the industry — All India Bakchod (AIB), MostlySane, and Girliyapa. Her first experience with Creators for Change involved her being flown to London by YouTube to attend their Social Camp. “It’s basically a camp in which influencers from around the globe are trained on how to make an impact with their content; to create videos that make a difference,” says Niharika, adding that being in such an environment pushes creators to learn about different cultures and helps them realize that the same problems exist in every country, just to varying extents.

But why make videos on YouTube? Niharika says she has always had a love for theatre. Growing up, she had always been attracted to plays and movies, but the idea of being a part of such productions seemed too wishful. She recollects having been introduced to YouTube when she was in Class 10, but it was nearly three years later that she started expressing herself on the Internet through her videos. She gained popularity through short, funny skits, entertaining viewers with her own brand of observational comedy. Two-and-a-half years later, she has amassed 136K followers.

When asked at what point she realized she had made it big, she answered, “I remember going to the mall and having fans run up to me, asking to take pictures. It was surreal, mostly because a lot of them were my age, or slightly younger.” This incident occurred after her second video, ‘Types of Students Before an Exam’, went viral, garnering her 10,000 new subscribers in just one week. “My dad was even sent a link to one of my videos through Whatsapp by a friend. That was when I knew I had made it,” she says.

Niharika02BF07jul2018

The Creators for Change initiative, which was launched in 2016, aims to tackle problems such as xenophobia, hate speech, extremism, and destroy social stigmas. It allows YouTubers to stay true to themselves while addressing issues, sometimes those that they have faced themselves. The social impact videos made by the chosen creators have garnered over 60 million views, and camps connected to the initiative have trained nearly 15,000 young people at over 200 locations across the globe, according to the official YouTube Creators website. The initiative’s mission includes teaching young Internet users how to tackle hate speech, identify fake news, break stereotypes, and spread positivity in their communities through workshops.

Niharika is no stranger to hate herself. “Hate is a by-product of becoming an influencer. I almost quit when I first started on YouTube, because the hate was that intense; it definitely got to me.” The overwhelming support from family, friends and fans motivated her to keep going. She was also greatly supported by Tanmay Bhat of AIB during the early stages of her channel. “I couldn’t believe that someone so influential in the industry was rooting for me, it was unfathomable.”

____________________________

Hate is a by-product of becoming an influencer. I almost quit when I first starter on You Tube ____________________________

Niharika says balancing college and her online persona is a challenge. “I essentially have no time to hang out with my friends. If anything, I get to spend quality time with them once every few months between my college schedule and YouTube. It is harrowing, but on the other hand, so worth it.” She is now looking forward to completing her degree so she can commit herself to creating videos and use her influence in the right way..

Niharika’s video with Creators for Change, 2017, titled ‘Things People Should Stop Saying to Women’, tackles everyday sexism and has garnered over 408K views.

Her next video for the initiative is set to release sometime in September, 2018.

 

India’s biotech queen Kiran Mazumdar elected to MIT board

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

KiranBF30jun2018

Bengaluru:

India’s biotech queen Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw got elected as a full-term member of the MIT Corporation, the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), her company Biocon announced on Thursday.

“I am honoured to be elected as a full-time member of the MIT Board and look forward to contributing to its journey of making a difference in solving challenges of the world,” she said. “Shaw is among the eight members who will serve the five-year term on the Board from July 1,” said the city-based biotech firm in a statement here.

She is also on the board of directors of the US-India Business Council and the board of trustees of the Keck Graduate Institute at California’s Claremont.

Shaw was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in 2006.

source: http://www.nyoooz.com / Nyooz / Home> Bengaluru / by Siyasat / June 29th, 2018