Monthly Archives: December 2013

NIE President S.R. Subba Rao passes away

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

SubbaRaoBF23dec2013

Mysore :

S.R. Subba Rao, President of the prestigious National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysore and the Chairman of NIE Governing Council, passed away yesterday night at a private hospital following a brief illness. He was 90.

A resident of Saraswathipuram in city, he leaves behind his son Gurudatt, an Environmental Consultant, daughter Jayashree Srinath, grand and great-grand children. Last rites will be held on Friday (Dec. 20) at 12 noon at the foot of Chamundi Hill.

Condoled: The Board of Management, Principal and the staff of the National Institute of Engineering and NIE Group of Institutions have condoled the sad demise of Subba Rao.

Born on Aug. 29, 1923 as the third son of late S. Ramaswamy (who was one of the three founders of NIE), S.R. Subba Rao was a Civil Engineer. He had served in various departments during the erstwhile Bombay State and Mysore State including Bangalore City Corporation, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board, Public Health Engineering Department and Major Irrigation Department before retiring as the Superintending Engineer in 1980. He was one of the blue-eyed officers of former CM late D. Devaraj Urs.

He was in-charge of many major projects related to construction of roads, bridges and planning, designing and execution of rural and water supply schemes including the 2nd and the 3rd stages of improvement schemes of the Mysore city water supply.

Subba Rao was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India) and Chairman of its Mysore Local Centre during 1984-86. He was also the Governing member of Anathalaya founded by the great Thathaiah since 1983.

As the President of a housing society, he was instrumental in the formation, development and distribution of 500 residential sites named as Niveditha Nagar in city.

He was also the Vice-President of the Association of Management of Aided Engineering Colleges in Karnataka. He was a Rotarian for over 30 years. At NIE, he served in various capacities as Director, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President and President for the past four decades. His contribution to the growth of NIE was immense.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 18th, 2013

Wipro receives 15th NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Awards

Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bangalore:

Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT), a leading global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing company today announced that it has been recognized as a  role model organization by the Helen Keller awards. The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) also conferred the 15th Hellen Keller Award to Wipro employee, Ankit Rajiv Jindal.

Instituted in 1999, every year the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller awards honors individuals or organizations who are working towards helping people with disabilities find positions of equality and dignity in the workplace.

Wipro has been hiring persons with disabilities and providing them with necessary support on an individual basis to help them realize their potential, for many years now. The company has also supported employees who may have sustained disability during the course of their employment and provided them with necessary support to enable them to continue their work adequately. Inspired by the UN/DPI theme “Nothing about us without us”, Wipro is now consciously involving persons with disabilities in reviewing, re-designing and sustaining the company’s “Persons with Disabilities” charter.

Ankit Rajiv Jindal is the first marketing manager with visual impairment at Wipro and was hired from Faculty of management Studies, Delhi University in 2011. Technology has been a great enabler and equalizer for Ankit who leverages it extensively to perform his work and personal tasks.

Isaac George, Vice-President and Human Resources Head, Wipro Infotech said, “It is a matter of immense pride that Wipro has won the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award under the Category: Role Model Companies/Organizations. Wipro currently employs over 450 persons with disabilities. Many functions have collaborated to create the opportunity for them to pursue mainstream careers through a supporting framework of accessible software applications, physical infrastructure, policies, training and culture building initiatives. This reflects the importance that Wipro accords inclusion, and this award recognizes the spirit of all Wiproites who joined hands to create a more inclusive workplace.”

source: http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in / India Education Diary.com / Home / Report by India Education Bureau, Bangalore / Saturday – December 14th, 2013

Veerappa Moily dedicates Mangalore Refinery’s new facility to nation

Business & Economy, Leaders, Science & Technology

Mangalore :

Union minister for petroleum and natural Gas M Veerappa Moily on Saturday dedicated the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) single point mooring and allied facilities to the nation at Tannirbhavi near here.

MRPL has set up the SPM in the high seas, 17-km off the Tannirbavi coast, along with a coastal booster pumping station at a cost of over Rs1,000 crore and commenced operations following trial runs since August.

The SPM, a buoy in the high seas will enable MRPL to ship in crude parcels on very large crude carriers (VLCC) which will provide freight economies and also optimize on logistics. This will also help MRPL source West African and Latin American crudes which provide cost advantages. Additionally, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd, which has its underground caverns at Mangalore and Paddur, will also benefit from this facility.

P P Upadhya, managing director, MRPL, said SPM will vastly decongest oil jetties at New Mangalore Port and enable MRPL to receive all types of crudes that VLCC can transport. “One can expect these VLCCs to discharge crude at the rate of 10,000 kilo litres per hour,” he said, adding that the entire crude parcel contained in such vessels can be discharged in 36 hours. Such discharged crude will go to both MPRL and ISRPL facilities, he said.

MRPL will be in a position to receive 13 million tonnes of its annual crude refining capacity of 15 million tonnes from VLCCs and the remaining 1.5-2 million tonnes on board smaller vessels. The draft of 31 metres on the high seas makes it easier for VLCCs to discharge crude there as against the 14-metre draft available at the oil jetties at NMP. “The smaller vessels will still berth at these oil jetties and not discharge crude at SPM,” he added.

Batting for SPM technology, Moily said: “I have seen this in operation in Jamnagar with Reliance, Essar and IOCL receiving their crude parcels there.” Moily allayed fears of an oil spill out on the high seas as the technology is tried and tested that the rest of the world is using for a long time.

Turbulent sea condition during monsoon might prove to be a small impediment to use SPM and might witness some delay, Upadhya said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore> Mrpl / TNN / December 08th, 2013

Indian bioinformatics firm setting up genomics centre in US

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bangalore :

Leading Indian bioinformatics firm Strand Life Sciences has tied up with the US-based El Camino Hospital to set up a centre for genomics and personalised medicine in San Francisco, the city-based company said Saturday.

“The centre at the genomics medicine institute of the hospital in the Bay area of San Francisco will conduct genomic tests in cardiology and oncology for the local community, which has been an early adopter of technology solutions,” Strand chief executive Vijay Chandru said in a statement here.

Bioinformatics uses computer science, mathematics and engineering to process and analyse complex biological data such as genetic codes.

A joint agreement was signed by Chandru and El Camino hospital chief medical officer Eric A. Pifer here Dec 4 in the presence of visiting San Francisco mayor Edwin M Lee and delegates from the hospital and Palo Alto Medical Foundation, as part of the San Francisco-Bangalore sister city initiative.

The pact also envisages early adoption of next generation sequencing based research panels and counselling services by doctors at El Camino hospital and its partner clinics.

“The centre will provide genomics-based analysis and interpretation for improved health outcomes. Our team of 200 scientists and researchers are already working here to create solutions in genomics and personalised medicine,” Chandru said on the occasion.

The genomics medicine institute has been engaged in continuing education in genomics for physicians and genetic counselling of patients.

“Our hospital is known for South Asian heart study, which addresses the disproportionate risk of cardiac disease seen in the South Asian population located in the Bay Area,” Pifer said in the statement.

As a pioneer in delivering clinical genomics solutions for healthcare institutions in India, Strand combines visualisation, predictive systems modelling, data integration and scientific content management.

Ranked among top next generation sequencing informatics providers, Strand is a portfolio company of Biomark Capital Partners, a San Francisco based global fund for health and life sciences.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Science / by IANS / December 07th, 2013

City’s aroma bakery creates a 548-Kg replica of Lalitha Mahal Palace !

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All
A cake replica of Lalitha Mahal Palace displayed at Loyal World, V.V. Mohalla. Picture right shows the actual architectural marvel — Lalitha Mahal Palace.
A cake replica of Lalitha Mahal Palace displayed at Loyal World, V.V. Mohalla. Picture right shows the actual architectural marvel — Lalitha Mahal Palace.

Mysore :

Chefs and bakers of Loyal World Aroma Bakery at Vontikoppal in city, inspired by the architectural beauty of Lalitha Mahal Palace have prepared a replica of the structure in the form of a cake.

Toiling for about 28 days, the team of chefs and bakers completed the cake at the cost of Rs. 1.35 lakh, weighing about 548 kgs and measuring six and a half feet tall and five and a half feet wide.

Imran Khan, Bakery Manager, said that the bakery prepares and displays such structures in the form of cakes especially during Christmas and New Year seasons.

This year, the Lalitha Mahal Palace was chosen for its architectural marvel.

The replica, created by chefs Lal, Shaneesh, Ramesh, Irshad, Ashok,Jasmir, Rangaswamy, Rashid and Mahender will be on display at Loyal World, V.V. Mohalla, till Dec. 31.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 16th, 2013

High on learning

Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All

From hating wine to becoming India’s first female wine maker, it’s been an educational ride 

Karishma Grover (29) Associate Wine Maker, Grover Vineyards

She cringed at her first taste of wine as a child. But an encounter with Michel Rolland, the Bordeaux-based oenologist at the age of 16, effected a change. “Michel has had a phenomenal influence on my career. I began following him around in vineyards, taking in everything he was saying, fascinated,” she says.

Grover decided to study viticulture and oenology, with a minor in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. She also did an internship at Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley.

“Wine is an integral part of my upbringing, but I wanted to take my legacy to new heights,” she says. Unlike her contemporaries, Grover decided to focus on quality control in winemaking, and started at the bottom of the rung as an assistant wine maker.

Her day begins at 7 am during the peak season (between February and May) in the Nandi Hills estate. She inspects grapes, checks the fermentation process and decides how to sort the wine into different categories. “Much of the day goes in walking and it gets pretty tiring.” As a new winery has opened in Nasik, Grover’s time is divided between the two cities.

The hardest part of her job is people management. “In the States, smaller tasks are often automated with someone to supervise the machines. I only have to deal with people at higher levels. Here, I have to interact with everyone, from the grape-picker to the highest executive. It gets overwhelming,” she observes. That said, her India experience has boosted her confidence. “The eagerness here is refreshing. Every day is a different challenge.”

A 12-hour day ends with Grover thoroughly exhausted but satisfied. “I usually take a walk near my house to clear my head. It helps me relax.” She lives in Yelahanka so she doesn’t drive into the city often, and draws solace from her never-ending vineyards.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work / by Sindhuja Balaji, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 07th, 2013

Karnataka Economic Summit to be held on December 16 and 17

Business & Economy

Bangalore :

Industry body Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce  (BCIC), with the support of the state government, is organizing the first Karnataka Economic Summit beginning December 16.

Conceptualized to be a recurring annual event, the two-day summit will discuss, debate, understand and propose solutions to Karnataka’s economic issues.

“The idea is to look at solutions to the issues that are facing the state with an objective to develop thought leadership and initiatives to propel the state in to a higher growth orbit,” said H V Harish, president, BCIC.

He added that the big picture of the summit was to closely examine the state’s economic performance. “The focus is not industry alone, but industry as an element of the economy,” he said. Some of the key economic focus areas that the summit would touch upon include, governance, urbanization, infrastructure, and social infrastructure.

Global consultancy firm Deloitte will bring out a white paper that compares Karnataka with other states on parameters such as infrastructure, investment opportunities, human resource and skill sets availability, ease of doing business, and taxation policy.

Former state bureaucrat A Ravindra, now chairman of Centre for Sustainable Development, said that the summit also would discuss ways to spread urban development to other regions in the state such as Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore, and Belgaum.

“We don’t just want to close the summit with a good set of conversations that are intellectually stimulating. We would request the government to set up a project management office, which will work along with BCIC to try and implement some of the measures emanating out of the summit,” said S Vaitheeswaran, MD, Manipal Global Education Services.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Anshul Dhamija, TNN / December 07th, 2013

‘BAREFOOT’ girl wins cross country championship

Sports

Mysore :

ManjulaBF21dec2013The girl who ran barefoot at the 48th Karnataka State Cross Country Championship organised by Mysore District Athletic Association at the Chamundi Vihar Stadium emerged victorious.

M. Manjula, a native of Kurubur in T. Narasipur Taluk, ran the 4-km run for girls in U-18 category, bare foot and emerged victorious.

The race witnessed athletes from various districts across the State participating in the event wearing sports shoe but Manjula was a lone athlete who ran barefoot. Though she ran barefoot Manjula was faster than the other athletes.

Apart from the prize announced, she was also given a pair of shoes and other sports items by the Athletic Association.

A few people who saw Manjula running barefoot had doubted about her completing the run. But Manjula proved them wrong by winning the race. Manjula hails from a poor background. Mahadevaswamy, her father, is a farmer and Madalambike, her mother, is a home-maker. She has been practicing for the past 7 years and yesterday was Manjula’s first ever participation in the cross country championship.

MLA Vasu, who is also the President of Mysore Athletics Club, apart from handing over the shoe and other items, also gave her the prize money.

District In-charge Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Abhaychandra Jain and Co-operation Minister Mahadevaprasad also lauded Manjula for her achievement.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 15th, 2013

Pune, Bangalore NGOs to work for shared parenting

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized

Seeking to eliminate parental alienation of children of separated and divorced parents, a Bangalore-based NGO Saturday said it has joined hands with the city’s Men’s Rights Association (MRA) to work against gender-biased laws.

“Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting, Bangalore and MRA, Pune will jointly take forward the cause for children who suffer on account of their estranged parents due to increasing separation or divorce cases,” CRISP president Kumar V. Jahgirdar told IANS.

With a strong presence in Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and other cities, Jahgirdar hopes that the Pune chapter with MRA would help mitigate the sufferings of men who are at a disadvantage owing to gender-biased laws.

“We are a pro-family and pro-life NGO engaged in promoting social harmony and comprise people from all walks of life like IT, medical, teaching and business who have been deprived of children’s love due to the anti-father mindset prevalent in our society,” said MRA president Mahesh Shinde.

Usually, in divorce cases, one of vengeful parents deprives the child of the love, affection and care of the other parents which is a form of child abuse, he said.

As a result kids suffer from consequences of permanent psychological damage due to the parental alienation syndrome and reactive associative disorders, in which they don’t establish healthy bonds with others, Shinde said.

Citing studies, he cautioned that such children tend to become criminals later in life for which society itself is responsible, unless shared parenthood is properly permitted.

One of the measures suggested was setting up of special courts to dispose of child custody cases within six months and Supreme Court guidelines on the issue, Jahgirdar said.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Human Interest-Society / by IANS / Pune – December 14th, 2013

B’lore lab helping develop first TB vaccine in 100 years

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

Scientists at Max Planck Institute of Infection Biology, Germany, are trying to develop a tuberculosis vaccine for adu-lts which will be the first in nearly hundred years since the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for children was developed. Lending a helping hand in this is a clinical lab at St John’s Research Institute (SJRI) in Bangalore.

The SJRI has been commissioned to come up with biomarkers to test the efficacy of the new vaccine, which is set to go into phase three trials.

The vaccine being developed by Max director Stefan H E Kaufmann is considered the most promising among a clutch of other candidates that have appeared following a renewed interest on account of the emergence of drug-resistant varieties of the disease.

Kaufmann, who was in Bangalore last week, has tied up with John Kenneth, head of the infectious disease unit and molecular diagnostics at SJRI, to locate biomarkers that will establish the efficacy of any tuberculosis vaccine administered to patients.

“All current vaccine candidates are relatively low on ambition. They all attempt to contain mycobacterium tuberculosis. We do not have a candidate that claims to prevent infection or eradicates the pathogens,” Kaufmann said.

Max has created a vaccine against adult TB of the lungs by working with a recombinant version of the BCG vaccine that prevents TB in children.

The vaccine had been sub-licensed to Serum Research Institute of India that wants to test it, Kaufmann said.

“When you put the vaccine candidate into the trial cycle you need an end point measure of the efficacy of the vaccine to indicate that antibodies have been produced to provide immunity. We don’t have that marker at present,” Kenneth of SJRI said. The presence of a biological databank and a TB patients to carry out tests for biomarkers is key to the tie-up between Max and SJRI.

“Biomarkers are critical factors for the future research on TB. They are critical factors for better vaccines, better drug design and better diagnosis,” Kaufmann said. One of the questions that the researchers are trying to answer in the quest for biomarkers for TB is, what distinguishes patients with active TB and those who remain healthy.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home / Bangalore, Saturday – December 14th, 2013