Monthly Archives: March 2014

NRR Exports wins State Export Excellence Award

Business & Economy, Records, All

Mysore :

NRR Exports, the export arm of the Mysore-based NR Group (makers of Cycle Pure agarbathies), has recently won the State Export Excellence Award-Handicrafts including (Arts & Crafts) SSI-Gold for the year 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 from Visveswaraya Trade Promotion Centre (VTPC).

R. Selvam, General Manager, Operations, NRR Exports, received the award from Roshan Baig, Minister for Infrastructure and Development and S. R. Patil, Minister of IT & BT.

Speaking on the occasion, Arjun Ranga, Managing Partner, NRR Exports said, “We are proud to receive this award and would like to convey our deepest gratitude to the government of Karnataka for the recognition. Over the years, NR Group has constantly strived to expand its reach across the globe and this award is an acknowledgement of those efforts.”

The Government of Karnataka annually recognises companies with the best State exporter award in order to increase competition and exports from the State. Currently, Karnataka ranks fourth in the country in exports.

The Visvesvaraya Industrial Trade Centre is the nodal agency of the State for selection and conferring of export awards, which was instituted in 1992.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / March 06th, 2014

LS Polls : Mysore Paints to suppy 21.65 lakh vials of indelible ink

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

InkBF12mar2014

Mysore :

The Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd. (MPVL), a feather in the cap of this heritage city as it is the sole industry that supplies indelible ink (Voters’ ink) to the entire country and some foreign countries too, had commenced the production and supply of the indelible ink months before the announcement of Lok Sabha poll schedule yesterday.

The ink, used to mark on voters’ fingers during elections to avoid fraudulent, multiple voting and malpractices, has been applied to over 4.5 billion voters both in India and across the world. The ink is produced in association with the Election Commission of India, National Physical Laboratory and National Research Development Corporation.

MPVL, the only one of its kind (among the PSUs) in the country, was established by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1937 and named as Mysore Lac and Paint Works Ltd. It has been supplying ink for the Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body elections since 1962.

MPVL Managing Director M.V. Hemanth Kumar told SOM that more than 200 personnel have been working since January to produce the ink for the Lok Sabha elections, to be applied on 81 crore voters, which is 10 per cent higher than last year.

MPVL has received orders for manufacturing 21.65 lakh vials of ink for the coming elections. A total of 14 lakh vials have been supplied to 20 States so far and the remaining will be delivered by this month end, said Hemanth Kumar and added that MPVL had supplied 19.4 lakh vials of ink for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and this year, the demand is for 21.65 lakh vials.

“The cost of each 10-ml vial is Rs. 142 (excluding excise duty and VAT) and can be applied on about 500 voters. It has a shelf-life of six months and it remains on the finger for about three weeks,” said Hemanth Kumar.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / March 06th, 2014

SDMITES win Boroplus all India short-film contest

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
The Student Team (from left): Himanshu Singh Gurjar, Aastha Vyas, Piyush Kumar, Ravi Shankar, Aman and Omkar Rajyaguru.
The Student Team (from left): Himanshu Singh Gurjar, Aastha Vyas, Piyush Kumar, Ravi Shankar, Aman and Omkar Rajyaguru.

Mysore :

The short film “Who am I” by the students of Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development (SDMites) — Himanshu Singh Gurjar, Omkar Rajyaguru, Piyush Kumar, Aastha Vyas and Ashwin S. Prasad — won the BoroPlus All India Short-Film Making Contest-2014. This year the contest invited entries on the theme ‘Crime against Women.’

The film was expected to speak about the domestic violence, sexual harassment, income inequality, chauvinism, cultural stereotyping. The theme attracted entries across India and 14 entries were shortlisted for the final round. The entries were judged by the jury headed by Ad Guru Alyque Padamsee (Brand Father of Indian advertising, Padamsee has built over 100 brands).

“Who am I” presented the theme and the contest expectation in five minutes which made it to top the contest.

Himanshu Singh Gurjar, who led the “Who am I” team says, ‘“It was then, when there was a storm of Damini’s case (16 December 2012) across the nation that I wondered what is all this happening in the neighborhood in our country, may be in our city next, what if it is our own people? That very thought was awakening for me, I knew it is not possible to change everything but I wanted to raise my voice, against this crime. It was enough of wondering and I knew it is always the action that has stood strong against the injustice.”

Another team member Ashwin S. Prasad says “Who am I is an attempt which is not just a film but also a question from each and every Damini of our society to me, to you and to everyone. We don’t need to answer anyone at all; we just need to answer ourselves. You don’t know her, she may act strong and happy, but she cries to sleep at night. You don’t know the main story behind her story, and you can’t even make assumptions, because her story is far different from yours. But she is present everywhere. We just need to open our realistic eyes.”

This video was not possible without the support of SDM-IMD student community who helped in spreading the message across the nation through social media platform.

The film is available in YouTube in the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuYXIbhFHkkorhttp://youtu.be/PuYXIbhFHkk

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / March 05th, 2014

Karim Khan’s biography released

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders
(From left) D. Boralingaiah, Vice-Chancellor, Kannada University, Hampi; A.J. Sadashiva, former judge, Karnataka High Court; and K.R. Sandhya Reddy, writer, releasing a book on Karim Khan in Bangalore on Monday. / Photo: K. Murali Kumar / The Hindu
(From left) D. Boralingaiah, Vice-Chancellor, Kannada University, Hampi; A.J. Sadashiva, former judge, Karnataka High Court; and K.R. Sandhya Reddy, writer, releasing a book on Karim Khan in Bangalore on Monday. / Photo: K. Murali Kumar / The Hindu

‘Kannadada Santa Karim Khan Jeevana Charitre’ is written by the late D. Lingaiah

A biography on the late Kannada folk poet and scholar Karim Khan will provide an account of the entire 20th century, H.C. Boralingaiah, Vice-Chancellor, Kannada University, Hampi, has said.

He was speaking at the release of Karim Khan’s biography Kannadada SantaKarim Khan Jeevana Charitre at Kannada Sahitya Parishat on Monday.

Mr. Boralingaiah said the story of Karim Khan, a Gandhian, was also the story of the creative success of the Gandhian path before Independence.

“In an era of unbridled growth and development post-Independence, we have forgotten Gandhi and this book can be an excuse to introspect on the path we have taken,” he said.

Mr. Boralingaiah also recounted his interaction with Karim Khan when the two worked together at the Janapada Academy in the late 80s. “Despite the criticism he came under over his appointment to head the Academy at a ripe old age of 83, Karim Khan worked tirelessly for three years and did foundational work in the field of folk arts, along H. L. Nage Gowda, another scholar in the field,” Mr. Boralingaiah said.

A.J. Sadashiva, retired judge, Karnataka High Court, who inaugurated the function, said that in his limited interaction with him, Karim Khan came across as a polymath and a great humanitarian.

“He was a man who believed there was not much of a difference between man and God and if one strove hard, man could reach that holy state. His life was a journey in the direction,” he said.

The biography is written by the late D. Lingaiah. It is published by Godhooli publications.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bangalore – March 11th, 2014

Repository of Indian medicines

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

With the growing interest in traditional and complementary systems of medicine across the globe, a facility located in Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) campus, Bangalore helps authenticate the identity of medicinal plants, especially in the form of a repository of the natural resources. 

This centre named as Bio-cultural herbarium is a one-stop information related to plants and currently holds about 40,000 accessions pertaining to more than 3,200 medicinal plants collected from across various bio-geographic regions of the country. A unique feature of this herbarium is its easy accessibility both to the scientific community and the layman which has been achieved through linking the cultural information pertaining to vernacular names, local uses and classical uses of plants to the herbarium database.

The centre also has a repository of raw drugs collected directly from the botanical source and samples. The herbarium and raw drug repository is supported with an image library that currently possesses over 20,000 images. Dr Noorunnisa Begum, curator of the Herbarium says “Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and their utilisation is increasingly being realised and put to use by modern medicine”.

The long term goal of the centre is to act as a vehicle to promote medicinal plant conservation and in turn help revive health care traditions.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Manish Sharma / March 11th, 2014

City boy’s chopper bike burns rubber

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology

Zakir’s 10-feet long Captain America-style bikesports monster Trepador tyre; actor Upendra asked him if the bike can be used in one of his movies.

The bike sports a converted 500 cc Royal Enfield engine
The bike sports a converted 500 cc Royal Enfield engine

If you find a monstrous 10-feet long bike zipping around the streets of Bangalore, ridden by a young lad, don’t mistake him for a ghost rider. It is actually 25-year-old interior designer Zakir Hussain Khan, who has passionately created this unique chopper bike which sports a converted 500 cc Royal Enfield engine.
Zakir Hussain, aka Zak as he’s popularly known among motorcycle enthusiasts, was inspired by the intriguing ‘Captain America’ chopper bikes in the West. Choppers are handcrafted or modified bikes. Captain America is the lead character in the counterculture 1960s movie Easy Rider, in which the two protagonists ride a chopper bike.
It took Zak three months to create this mean machine, which he calls the ‘Big Indian’. He now has Sandalwood bigwigs queuing up to feature this monster in their movies.
“Actually, I was test-riding the bike near actor Upendra’s house when his son saw the bike and called his father to check it out. He seemed quite impressed,” said Zak.
Uppi, known to wow his audience with his exuberant and larger-than-life characters, has even asked him if the bike can be used in one of his movies — this of course, after spending a few minutesinspecting the bike and its unusually big hind wheel.
The young designer, who invests most of his earnings from interior designing on modifying bikes, used the imported Maxxis Trepador tyre made by Taiwanese company Cheng Shin Rubber, doing business as Maxxis International, for the hind wheel. The tyre, made to be used on light trucks and SUVs, reportedly cost Zak a whopping Rs 60,000 to import from Germany. He thinks it gives the machine a mean look.
The bike cost him Rs 6.25 lakh to make from scratch. Another of its unique features is its silencer, which emits fire from its exhaust. This lone cost him a cool INR 1,50,000. Some of the characteristic features of this single-seater bike, now grabbing onlooker eyeballs, are its lengthened frame, extended forks, a skull for headlight, and Gatling-style (a forerunner of the modern machine gun) barrels, extending from one side of both the fork tubes.
Zak, always keen on wanting to make something different, started modifying cars and bikes since he was an 18-year-old. “I want to create another chopper bike which is 18-feet long,” said the ambitious Zak. And what is he going to do with this one? “I want to auction it after a few months,” he said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Nandini Kumar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / March 08th, 2014

Tulu Koota Kuwait to host get-together March 14

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

Kuwait :

Tulu Koota Kuwaitis pleased to announce the TKK Family get-together on Friday March14, from 8:30 am onwards at the Mishref garden.

Following a very successful screening of the first ever Tulu film in Kuwait, Tulu Koota Kuwait is all set to organize the annual family picnic and hopes that the contestants and the audience cherish every moment of the day.

TuluKootaKuwaitBF10mar2014

Tulu Koota Kuwait cordially invites all the members to take part in this annual picnic, to be held under the beautiful blue sky and warmth of the sun, where everyone simply expects fun frolic and entertainment.

All valid members are kindly requested to join the picnic with their families and enjoy the day. A number of games for individuals along with thrilling Tulunadu games and teams matches of Volleyball, Throw ball and Kabbaddi will be held on the occasion with many prizes waiting to be won.

All the members taking part in the team matches are urged to register their names well in advance with:  Ronald D’Souza: 965 99865712 or Lional Mascarenhas: 965 67662324.

You can also avail free transportation from Fahaheel-Mangaf-Mahboula and Abbasiya-Farwaniya-Khaitan.

For more information, the following members may be contacted:
Faustine Pinto: 965 66614622, Vijay Kairangal: 965 99760458, Shankar Shetty: 965 99473630, Wilson D’Souza: 965 97875789

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Gulf> Media Release / Kuwait – Sunday, March 02nd, 2014

With sheer grit, Haseena moves on

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, World Opinion
Haseena Hussain./ File photo: K.Gopinathan / The Hindu
Haseena Hussain./ File photo: K.Gopinathan / The Hindu

We want society to be humane to us: acid attack victim

Earlier this week, Laxmi, a victim of acid attack, was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by U.S.’s First Lady Michelle Obama for successfully leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in India.

The story of Haseena Hussain of Bangalore, who fought a long battle after an acid attack in 1999, is as inspiring as Laxmi’s.

Ms. Haseena was attacked with acid in 1999 by Joseph Rodriguez, her former employer, as she had not responded to the marriage proposal and had refused to stay back in his firm. Today, almost 15 years later, Ms. Haseena is the sole breadwinner of her family of four comprising her father, mother and grandmother.

Choosing not to be bogged down by 35 surgeriesand loss of vision in both eyes, besides constant “stares” and comments from relatives and acquaintances, she now works in a government office. When asked if she was offered the job by the government, an irked Ms. Haseena says: “I got this job on my own. I cleared several rounds of tests after undergoing computer training.”

Ms. Haseena hates re-living what she calls “sob story” and says that she hopes every acid attack victim is able to fight the odds and become independent. “As I was educated, I was able to secure a job. But acid victims, particularly in rural areas, may find it difficult to be independent. Most acid attack victims lose their vision. If the government provides jobs, they can remain independent.”

She adds categorically that she needs no sympathy. “We only want society to behumane to us.”

Besides the discrimination she faced in society, her family had a tough time mobilising resources for her surgeries and other medical aid. “My father had to sell our house and his entire bank balance was empty as we had to spend Rs. 15 lakh on my medical expenses.” Though the Supreme Court had directed all States to pay acid attack victims Rs. 3 lakh towards medical treatment and for after care rehabilitation, Ms. Haseena says it is inadequate.

It was nine years after the attack of Ms. Haseena that the accused was finally convicted, even as she struggled every minute of those years. “There is a need to have a fast track court for trying cases related to acid attack victims,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Tanu Kulkarni / Bangalore – March 07th, 2014

Shrine to immortalize Pope John Paul II’s visit to Bajpe

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Mangalore :

The ‘Rome of the East’, which celebrated the beatification of Pope John Paul II three years back on the silver jubilee year of the first ever Papal visit to this coastal city, has another celebration in the offing.

A shrine is being built at the place where Pope addressed a humongous gathering of more than four lakh people on February 6, 1986. Also doubling the joy will be canonization of John Paul II by Pope Francis on April 27 this year.

Canonization is the act by which the Catholic Church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints.

Elaborating on the importance of the initiative, Fr William Menezes, public relations officer of the diocese of Mangalore, said: “It is a momentous occasion for us. Not only was John Paul II the first Pope to visit Mangalore, but will also be a Saint declared in our time.”

The shrine is being built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. Though work has begun, the shrine will not be complete when John Paul II is elevated to sainthood in April. It will be ready by August-September and the Vatican Ambassador to India – Apostolic Nuncio Salvatore Pennacchio will inaugurate it, Fr William said. A life-size bronze statue of John Paul II, sent by the Apostolic Nuncio, will be unveiled on that day.

Recently, a delegation led by Mangalore Bishop Aloysius Paul D’ Souza met chief minister Siddaramaiah requesting him funds for the shrine.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> City> Mangalore / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / February 28th, 2014

Martial art to painting … A cop with multiple talents

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Mysore :

Police personnel are normally seen dealing with ruffians, anti-social elements, IPC sections and patrolling the areas, serving the public round-the-clock, keeping crime at bay.

Most of the personnel in the department have various talents, but they have neither the scope nor the opportunity to showcase their talents. Despite the everyday pressures and routines, here is a Policeman who has squeezed in time to nurture and hone his skills. Be it imparting training in Karate or creating wonderful sketches of eminent personalities, he has imbibed them all.

( First ) Chinnaswamy training his colleagues in Karate. ( Centre ) Former SP Ramasubba is seen felicitating Chinnaswamy. (Bottom) Chinnaswamy's paintings of well-known personalities and beautiful nature landscape.
( First ) Chinnaswamy training his colleagues in Karate.
( Centre ) Former SP Ramasubba is seen felicitating Chinnaswamy.
(Bottom) Chinnaswamy’s paintings of well-known personalities and beautiful nature landscape.

Meet Chinnaswamy, a Police Personnel and also a Sensei who imparts Karate training to his fellow colleagues and while off duty, paints wonderful portraits.

Some of the artistic creations of Chinnaswamy include portraits of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, Da. Ra. Bendre, U. R. Ananthamurthy and beautiful nature landscapes.

Born to Puttegowda and Chandramma couple and a native of Yelandur, Chinnaswamy joined the Police Department in the year 1998 and was posted to City Armed Reserve (CAR).

Having mastered Karate and Kung Fu, Chinnaswamy is also a gifted artist. While at ground he is a Sensei, and when at home, he is a painter par excellence. When asked about what motivated him to pursue fine arts, Chinnaswamy said that it was because of Usha Rao, his art teacher in school, that he developed an interest in painting. He also added that his seniors in the Department always encouraged him to pursue his artistic skills.

“I am indebted to former City Police Commissioner Kempaiah who recognised my talent and encouraged me to impart Karate training to other Police personnel,” recalls Chinnaswamy.

Chinnaswamy, presently in his final year BA (Fine Arts), aims to pursue post graduation in the same discipline and also secure a doctorate. He is a rare artist who has an ability of creating an art using Kannada alphabets.

It is not only Chinnaswamy, there are several other Police personnel who have hidden talents. Police department needs to identify and encourage such talents to help them grow in their respective field of interest along with their professional life.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / March 03rd, 2014