Monthly Archives: December 2013

City couple on a national mission to prevent suicide

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Travel
(Top) M.V. Santhosh and Akshatha S. Rao enroute their mission. (Below) Santhosh addressing a group of students during one of their expeditions.
(Top) M.V. Santhosh and Akshatha S. Rao enroute their mission.
(Below) Santhosh addressing a group of students during one of their expeditions.

Mysore :

With an aim to educate and create awareness among the young minds on how precious life is, a couple from Mysore is on a cycle expedition throughout the country on a modified tandem cycle. The couple who started their journey from Mysore on August 11 has toured Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat till now with a message to prevent suicide and educating youngsters that suicide is not the only solution to solve problems.

M.V. Santhosh and Akshatha S. Rao, both Ballroom dance instructors & residents of Gokulam in city, have been visiting schools and colleges across the country with the message of suicide prevention among youngsters. They also hold interactive sessions with these youngsters and tell them about ways of combating suicidal tendencies if any.

Till the now the couple have visited 53 institutions and interacted with more than 9,000 students. Currently, they are in Bharuch, Gujarat and will be travelling towards Rajasthan after completing their mission in Gujarat. Speaking to Star of Mysore, Akshatha said that the so far the tour has been successful with lot of youngsters coming forward and sharing their experiences with them.

She said, in most of the cases the students were forced to take the extreme step due to the examination pressure and also pressure from their parents. “Some reasons also included molestation and rape not only among girls but also boys, addiction, betrayal from friends by not keeping their secrets, relationship issues.” We interact with the students and also stay at a place for a sometime to interact one-on-one with students if need be,” said Akshatha.

When asked about her inspiration to go on a cycle expedition with a social cause, Akshatha said that it was during a dance workshop in one of the colleges in Kollegal in Chamarajanagar district, they found out that four girls of the college had committed suicide in a single academic year unable to bear examination pressure. This inspired us to go on a expedition with a message to youngsters not to end their lives.

Akshatha also mentioned that during their interaction, on an average, around 4-5 students have the courage to tell them that they have had suicidal tendencies citing various reasons. “We interact with them and educate them regarding their precious lives. There have been many examples of students changing their minds not to take extreme steps and assuring us to not to end their lives through suicide,” added Akshatha.

The couple also conduct dance classes at the places they visit and collect funds to continue with their journey. During their recent visit to Maharashtra, Santhosh and Akshatha met Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chauhan and actor, model Milind Soman and shared their message.

They have been visiting NGOs who have been working on distress helpline, share their experiences and also learn from them. COOJ (You Matter) in Goa, Connecting NGO, Pune, Samaritans, Mumbai are a few of the NGOs that the couple have visited so far.

The couple have not planned their date of return back to city. As of now, they are happy touring the entire nation.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / December 25th, 2013

Award for retd. CFTRI Scientist

Records, All, Science & Technology

AwardBF31dec2013

Mysore :

Dr. Baldev Raj (left), a retired scientist of CFTRI, Mysore, was conferred Dr. Mahadeviah Award-2012 by the All India Food Processors Association, New Delhi, in recognition of his contribution to the development of “Food Packaging Technology.”

The award, comprising a Silver Plate and Citation with cash, was presented by Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Tariq Anwar, at a function held at India International Centre, Delhi. Dr.Baldev Raj, a Ph.D in Polymer Science and Technology from UOM, has 35 years of experience in the Field of Food Packaging Technology at CFTRI, Mysore.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 25th, 2013

Titan’s 1,000th Store Opens In Bangalore

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Bangalore:

Leading retail chain Titan Industries opened its 1,000 store here, becoming the first Indian firm to have a thousand outlets across the country in seven formats.

“It has been a fascinating journey for us since 1988 when we opened our first watch store in this tech city. It was a bold step then when consumer products and retail market were unorganised and underserved,” Titan managing director Bhaskar Bhat told reporters on the occasion.

With a retail footprint in 177 cities across 26 states and a retail area of 13,95,712 sq ft, Titan has stores for watches under World of Titan, Helios and Fastrack, jewellery under retail brands Tanishq, Zoya and GoldPlus and Eye Plus for multi-brand eyewear.

“As our manufacturing expertise produced world-class products, we envisioned an elevating experience for customers when buying. This is where we saw an opportunity to start retailing through our stores, which worked well for us,” Bhat said.

In a retail journey spanning a quarter century, Titan has changed the retail fabric of the country, he said. 

“For us, retail is beyond stores, which has become our company’s face to consumers across country and a commitment to deliver service and experience through human and technological intervention,” Bhat noted.

Noting that technology changed the rules of the game, Bhat said laser engraving service at watches store, Karatmeter at jewellery stores and visual map developer at eyewear stores had given the company a competitive edge in the retail space.

As a joint venture of the Tata group with the state-run Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco), Titan recently entered the fragrances segment with Skinn and forayed into making helmets under its Fastrack brand.

The company posted 15 percent growth in fiscal 2012-13 with net sales of 10,009 crore.

Rev. Dr. Jose Aikara elected unanimously as Vice-President of COBSE

Education

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Mysore :

Rev. Dr. Jose Aikara CM was elected unanimously as the Vice-President of COBSE (Conference of Board of School Education) at the meeting held in New Delhi recently.

Fr. Jose Aikara was the founder Principal of De Paul International Residential School, Mysore. At present, he is the Chairman of the ICSE Board, New Delhi.

COBSE is the apex body of chairpersons of all school education boards in India, including National Boards and State Boards. Representatives of some of the neighbouring countries also attend the COBSE meeting. This body meets, studies and proposes new changes and policies in the field of School Education which are being introduced by various school boards.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 24th, 2013

Stories in a frame

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Paresh Hazra’s new show marries the apple and the lotus — two seemingly unconnected motifs — in works that take you from lust to stillness

Bangalore-based artist Paresh Hazra has no problems creating a series. But it is the first painting that is like the “birth of a child”, filled with its share of joy and pain. It was the same with his new series The Apple and the Lotus that is now on display in the city, which had its inception in the sight of lotus blooms in a pond at his studio in Shantiniketan late last year. “I knew I had to capture the sight,” he says.

“After having been an artist for over 40 years, one tends to make connections and narratives,” he adds. “What becomes important is the composition of the story I want to tell.” His first painting came to being after his storyboard had connected the dots between a lotus and an apple. “Yes,” he laughs, “it was a combination that made sense.” His first painting of the series was done there and although there are 19 paintings in all, that particular painting remains conspicuously absent from the display.

It is in the possession of his second daughter, artist Aditi Hazra. “I will give my daughters paintings instead of dowry,” he says in a jocular vein. In fact, he has always discussed his ideas with his wife and two daughters. “I tell them all my thoughts before starting off with a series. When they are bad, my daughter threatens to take me to Brigade Road to see some beautiful girls.” His older daughter, a scientist in the US, joins in the discussions via the Internet.

The story for the series found approval with them. The Apple and the Lotus symbolises several metaphors. Adam and Eve ate the apple and were banished from Paradise. Eating the forbidden fruit, according to Hazra, denotes an evil mind. “With atrocities on women happening frequently, the eating of the fruit symbolises the evil acts.” Another metaphor is to connect the “aesthetically pleasing” apple with the female form. By showing it on his canvases without the complete identity, he feels that the body can be depicted as a site of victimisation. The apple in his paintings becomes a symbol of desire, lust and unbridled temptations, he explains.

The lotus started out as a symbol of peace, but by combining it with the apple, he hopes to depict the period of stillness that comes after any action. “After every action, there comes a period of silence, of absolute tiredness and disconnect — which is what the lotus is connected with. After all, even if you are quarrelling, how long can you quarrel? You have to be quiet a little later,” Hazra expostulates. And so the unlikeliest of symbols become strange bedfellows.

Hazra has seldom made just one single painting — it has always been a series, like storytelling. One scene follows the other in rapid succession. In this case, it took painting all day, every day, for three-four months in his studio, to complete the series. The apple series is done in charcoal whereas the lotus series is done in the medium of old egg tempera. He acknowledges, “I don’t go out much. I don’t socialise. I paint in my studio and remain in it like a prisoner.”

Hazra is already preparing for his next stint in Shantiniketan, where he plans to begin his new series. The idea, he says, came to him when he was helping his wife cook his favourite meal of fish. Fodder for some more unlikely themes? Certainly.

The Lotus and the Apple, till Dec 30, 11 am – 7 pm, at Gallery Time and Space, 

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Lounge / by Jayanthi Madhukar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 16th, 2013

Bosch enters consumer retail space

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

Bangalore : 

Bosch India , known for its technology prowess in the automotive market, has entered the Indian consumer retail space with the launch of its first home appliance store in Bangalore. It’s also Bosch’s first retail store in the world.

“India is a very different market where you have this concept of independent brand stores. And this concept of exclusive brand stores for Bosch is unique globally,” said Michael Steinborn, director, head of business development Asia, BSH (Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group ).

BSH is a joint venture company that Bosch has with Siemens AG that is the largest manufacturer of home appliances in Europe and the third-largest home appliances manufacturer worldwide.

With a plan to open 10 retail stores by the end of next year across Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Delhi, Bosch will be taking on the likes of South Korean majors Samsung and LG, and US-based Whirlpool, all of who have gained significant market share over the last decade.

However, Bosch is looking to tap the premium end of the market in appliances, carrying a 10% to 15% premium over its competitors. Last year, Bosch had announced an investment of around Euro 50 million to set up a manufacturing facility in Chennai for its consumer retail business, which would be operational by the end of the next year.

The retail stores will also include consumer products from the Robert Bosch Power Tools division such as garden equipments and DIY (do-it-yourself) products. The DIY segment had sales of Rs 30 crore last year. The company aims to grow the business to Rs 100 crore in the next 2 years through the consumer retail channel and exclusive DIY centres.

“On a global level, this is the first store where Bosch home appliances, power tools and security solutions will be retailed under one roof,” said Vijay Pandey, VP, Power Tools Division. Bosch entered the Indian home appliance market two years ago with a range of refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, but was present through organized multi-brand electronic retail channels. “Our success in India has been tremendous. At the moment we are the market leader in imported refrigerators,” added Steinborn.

By the second quarter of next year the company will launch its range of kitchen appliances such as hoods and hobs, a segment where homegrown players TTK Prestige and Pigeon dominate.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Anshul Dhamija, TNN / December 13th, 2013

She’ll always be Isabella to me

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's
She’ll always be Isabella to me
  
Fardeen Khan and wife Natasha welcome their first child, a daughter whom they plan to bring up in Mumbai.
Diani Isabella Khan entered the world on December 11 at 5.33 pm in a London hospital. And papa Fardeen Khan hasn’t stopped smiling since. Speaking to Mirror from London, Fardeen, who was present during the delivery, describes it as an “awesome, lifechanging experience”.The 39-year-old actor admits that he was overwhelmed when he first laid eyes on his daughter, also the grandchild of film icons Firoz Khan and Mumtaz. “It stuns you, shocks you. Your eyes fill up and so does your heart, with pure love and joy,” he says, relieved that both his wife Natasha (Mumtaz’s daughter) and their baby are healthy. “Since she’s just a day old, it’s hard to say yet who she looks like. What’s important is that she has all her toes and fingers, and her brain is intact.”

Natasha, the actor’s wife of eight years, has been in London for the last two years and Fardeen has been shuttling between the British capital and Mumbai.

“Natasha has been through the worst to have our baby and today she deserves all the happiness in the world,” he says emotionally.

So which city will Diani call home?

“Once she’s done with her vaccinations and it’s safe to travel with her, we’ll bring her to Mumbai which is her home. She will be brought up here,” he says.

For now, the entire family is in London to be with the happy threesome. “My mother is here and so are Natasha’s parents (Mayur Madhwani and Mumtaz). I think it’s as special for them as it is for us. I wish my father (Feroz Khan) had been here too. He is greatly missed but I know that whatever joy comes into my life is because of his blessings. I’m a part of him and my daughter is a part of me. I’m gearing up for the life-long responsibility of bringing her up well,” he adds.

The mother and baby will be back home by the weekend and everything’s in place, from a nursery with shades of pink, matching furniture and a wardrobe of little dresses.

“We were aware that we were going to have a daughter which is how we had the name ready. Diani is Portuguese for Divinity and Isabella is a name I have always loved. My daughter will always be Isabella for me. As for her, we’ve given her two names, she can choose what she wants,” he says.

And what’s happening on the career front? “I’ve commissioned two scripts, the films should start next year. I will be acting in one of my productions,” he says. “But before that No Entry 2 should kickstart in June,” he signs off.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / December 14th, 2013

Karnataka Indians mark 57 years of statehood

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's
Karnataka and neighboring states are shown in this map from Wikipedia.
Karnataka and neighboring states are shown in this map from Wikipedia.

Indians from Karnataka celebrated Rajyotsava Day at the Indian consulate recently to mark the formation of their state 57 years ago.

Prabhat K. Jain, Indian consul for labor affairs, was the chief guest. Vishwanath Hegde, chief patron of the forum; Ilyas Momin, a member of the Indian International School-Jeddah management committee; and Iqbal Yousuf, founder of Jamiatul Falah, were special guests.

The program started the traditional way with the lighting of a lamp, and a song performed by Nagarathna Prasad and her group.

Krish Jangal, president of the forum, welcomed the guests. He spoke about how the state was formed and the functioning of the Karnataka Non-resident Indian Forum (KNRIF). He asked all Kannadigas to help the poor and downtrodden in the state.

Syed Nasir Khursheed, general secretary of the KNRIF, outlined the work of the organization, and how it had helped many poor people since its inception.

Jain thanked Karnataka residents here and in India for assisting various community initiatives. He advised the forum members to help other members of the Indian community. He thanked the forum for recently helping a needy Kannadiga in Jeddah.

Momin highlighted the importance of charity and praised the KNRIF. Yousuf described Karnataka as a major tourist attraction with natural beauty, flora and fauna, historical monuments and exotic beaches.

Sabu Chandra and Roshan Rodrigues choreographed programs to entertain the audience. Mohammed Kaleem, Mohammed Saif, Mohsin, Miss Rehana, Miss Nidhi and others presented favorite Kannada and Hindi songs. Niaz Ahmed, the master of ceremony, hosted a quiz show.

Manzoor Ahmed, vice president, and Sri Harsha, treasurer of the forum, said the program helped bring Kannadigas together. Yashwanth Amin, joint coordinator, and Aijaz Ahmed, the meeting coordinator, said it felt like the celebration was taking place in India.

Shaikh Saoud, Vishwanath Karkera and Mohammed Sahib praised the organizers for setting up a successful function. Alok Pattar, IT coordinator of the forum, organized games. Mohammed Mansoor, event manager of the function, delivered the vote of thanks. The program ended with the national anthem.

source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> Jeddah – by Fouzia Khan / Saturday – 14th December 2013

Kannada Sangha lines up star-studded show

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All

Bahrain :

Kannada Sangha will organise its annual mega cultural event Kannada Vaibhava on Tuesday at the Al Raja School, from 5pm.

Well-known flautist and world famous fusion artist Pravin Godkhindi and his troupe are being specially flown in from Bangalore to perform at the eagerly awaited show in the Kannada Sangha calendar.

“We are once again coming together to put up another mega show to highlight our music, art and culture,” said Sangha president Mr B Rajkumar.

“Pravin Godkhindi is a household name in India and the world over for his contribution to Indian classical music and experimentation with various instruments. I’m sure music lovers in Bahrain can look forward to a memorable evening of classical music.”

Mr Godkhindi became the first Indian flautist to perform the eight-feet contrabass flute and the first Indian to represent ‘Bansuri’ at the World Flute Festival held in Mendoza, Argentina.

He has toured the US, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Muscat, Qatar, Holland, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Argentina and Portugal for his solo and fusion performances. He has also performed with eminent musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Dr Balamurali Krishna, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Dr Kadri Gopinath.

Three prominent politicians from Karnataka will also attend the event. They are Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai, Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader and Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree.

Title sponsors are United Land Bank, Platinum sponsors Metalco, and main sponsors are Al Namal Group, State Bank of India, Prudential Manpower, Auma Bahrain and Malabar Gold and Diamonds.

Entry is free and all are welcome. For more details, contact Mr Rajkumar on 39688395.

source: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com / Gulf Daily News / Home> Local News / Saturday – December 14th, 2013

Biocon launches programme to train bioscience students

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

In partnership with the California-based Keck Graduate Institute, Biocon Academy – the educational arm of the pharma company – will launch the Biocon KGI Certificate Programme in Biosciences next year on January 9 in Claremont, California.

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Indian pharmaceutical giant Biocon  has teamed up with a top American bioscience institute to train and develop industry-ready talent for India’s rapidly growing pharma sector.

In partnership with the California-based Keck Graduate Institute, Biocon Academy – the educational arm of the pharma company – will launch the Biocon KGI Certificate Programme in Biosciences next year on January 9 in Claremont, California, a press statement said.

The 16-week course, offered in Bangalore, will leverage the industry leadership strengths of Biocon and the academic vigour of KGI to benefit participants and make them readily employable, the statement said.

India’s Biotech industry is valued at about USD 11 billion, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 20 percent over the last 10 years. At present, more than 40,000 biotech students graduate every year from more than 725 institutions across India. However, lack of hands-on trainings and practical industry exposure prevents many of these students from building a successful career in biotechnology, Shaw said.

source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / MoneyControl.com / Home> News> Business / by PTI / December 13th, 2013