Monthly Archives: March 2014

City Doctor to address American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Records, All, World Opinion

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Mysore :

Dr. B.R. Prashanth, Joint Replacement and Sports injuries expert, Columbia Asia Hospital, Mysore, has been invited to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to moderate one of the sessions of the annual meeting in New Orleans, Lousina, from March 11 to 15.

Dr. Prashanth, who has been associated with AAOS, will also be critically evaluating two instructional courses on Joint Replacement and Knee Reconstructive Surgery along with Dr. Frederic Wilson from USA and Prof. Raman from UK for these sessions. The session will also include scientific research papers from Canada, Sweden, USA, UK and Korea.

Founded in 1933, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is the pre-eminent provider of musculoskeletal education to orthopaedic surgeons and others in the world.

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

Polling lessons part of their syllabus now

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Bangalore :

Nagaratnamma, 55, is usually taught basic arithmetic and the Kannada alphabet at her village, 7km off Hoskote and 25km from Bangalore. Of late, she’s been getting lessons in class on how to use the electronic voting machine, the importance of casting one’s franchise and the rights of a voter.

The Election Commission of India has signed an MoU with National Literacy Mission Authority on educating illiterate adults on electoral matters. Electoral literacy is a subject in classes conducted under the Saakshar Bharat Programme, and with the big poll battle drawing closer, it’s being taught extensively across Karnataka.

To make classes fun, instructors plan to use aids like posters, books, slogans, SMS messages, radio jingles and songs. Posters will be put up at learning centres in gram panchayats, jaatas and group discussions will be organized, school and community-level meetings on the topic will be encouraged. Apart from electoral literacy, financial literacy, disaster management and legal literacy have also been added to the syllabus.

The prerak – class coordinator at the gram panchayat level – has to ensure that adults are registered as voters. In case someone is yet to be enrolled, the coordinator has to contact booth-level officers. Preraks are also tasked with the responsibility of educating villagers on the documents required to get themselves enrolled.

“It is not easy to make villagers understand the importance of elections. The general belief is that one vote will not make a difference. We need to make them get over this feeling,” said BH Kamraj, a prerak from Doddagataginabbi, off Hoskote.

The State Resource Centre, Mysore, has prepared the training manual and teaching materials. “Our goal is simple. We want everyone to vote. It’s not just about casting your vote, but also being informed about ethical voting. People should understand that good governance comes from the choices they make. They should be aware of whom they support. Voting percentage in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh surged after EC launched the adult education programme. We hope to bring about change here as well,” said Basavaraj Devanoor, programme coordinator, materials and media unit, SRC.

WHAT ARE THEY TAUGHT

-How to vote

-How to use EVM

-What is a voter ID

-How to register

-What documents do you need

-Who is a people’s representative

-What are democratic rights

-Rights of a voter

-Importance of voting

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore> Namma Metro / by Sruthy Susan Ullas, TNN / February 26th, 2014

Star this week : Talented Volleyball player – Mallika Shetty

Sports

Mysore :

Volleyball is a popular sport and is played both indoors and outdoors. The game has advanced and gained more popularity in the National, Asian and International level. Sports Hostel, Mysore and the University of Mysore have been promoting this sport in Mysore and have been regularly seeing talented players coming up from their support.

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One amongst these talented sports persons is Mallika Vikas Shetty, a Mysore Sports Hostel’s product, who has been the most talented and upcoming volleyball players in the women’s section in the State. She was adjudged as the Best Player in the South Zone Women’s Volleyball Championships recently representing Karnataka as the skipper. She is our ‘Star This Week.’

Mallika Shetty is a State volleyball player from the Mysore Sports Hostel, who has been in the National camp for three years now but is yet to get a look-in into the Indian squad. The South Western Railway and Central Railway were interested in recruiting this talented lass.

Mallika Shetty, 21, led Mysore Sports Hostel team to another State ‘A’ division league title recently. Being a left-hander and very athletic has its advantages but it also comes with lots of responsibilities. She is the pillar of her team and shoulders the burden of smashing her way past the rival defense with impunity. Mallika has a wiry frame and has capitalised on her athleticism to good effect right from her school days.

“I did my schooling in a small hamlet in rural Karnataka, I excelled in athletics (shot put and discus throw). In 2007, I came to Bangalore and joined the Sports School Vidyanagar, and began my tryst with volleyball,” admits Mallika. She has been encouraged a lot by her parents to puruse sports as a career.

She is currently pursuing her second year B. Com at Teresian College in Mysore and honing her skills at the Mysore Sports Hostel under coach Ashok, whom she has been with for over three years now.

She is being encouraged by the DYES, Government of Karnataka and her college (Teresian College) provides her with all the needed help in attending various tournaments.

She has been a real inspiration and live wire for her team in the court and inspires the other players too.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / March 02nd, 2014

‘Dynamic’ Ramya impresses British politician

Leaders, World Opinion

It seems actor-turned-politician Ramya is quickly climbing the political ladder and impressing a lot of people with her work. Her latest admirer is none-other-than Lindsay Patricia Northover, a Liberal Democrat British politician and currently government spokesperson in the House of Lords , who recently visited Mandya with other British MPs.

“Women’s self help group in #Mandya: we need more #women in #Parliament, like our dynamic young MP Ramya,” tweeted Lindsay along with a picture of Ramya interacting with members of women self-help groups in Mandya.

On Saturday, actor-turned-politician Ramya hosted a group of British politicians at her constituency in Mandya. The British Members of Parliament had an interaction with women self-help groups from Mandya.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / TNN / February 25th, 2014

HISS Master’s Voice

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Cobra, a leading brand of pepper spray, was created by word of mouth. Customers still call up and speak directly to the brand’s owner.

Fangs ahead Bangalore-based Cobra launched when there was no market for pepper spray_K Murali Kumar / The Hindu
Fangs ahead Bangalore-based Cobra launched when there was no market for pepper spray_K Murali Kumar / The Hindu
In 2002, Cobra pepper spray, from Bangalore-based Aax Global, launched by selling just two units and fetched founder Raana Singh, then just 32, a princely sum of ₹1,000.

It’s not that Singh, the son of a defence officer, had too much of a choice. After setting up a unit that was meant to manufacture industrial paints in canisters, Singh found he was allergic to certain chemicals used in the process. With the equipment idling in his factory, he began researching adjacent categories. The body spray category was crowded. Pesticides were an option too.

But it was a statement from a senior police official in Bangalore, exhorting women to use chilli powder to ward away criminals, that clinched the deal in favour of pepper sprays. A meeting with the commissioner was encouraging. “When we meet the next time, you should come back with the product,” the official reportedly told Singh. With such words of encouragement, there was no looking back, reminisces Singh.

Twelve years later, Cobra is India’s leading pepper spray brand, meant to protect women from anti-social elements. Along the way, the company diversified into riot- and mob-control equipment and recently also signed an agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to co-develop non-lethal weapons.

But Cobra did not exactly taste success from the word go. Even as early as 1999, Singh had tried to bring out pepper spray in a lipstick-like container. With a spray range of just 2-3 ft, the product was a non-starter.

Even the later product, with spray range exceeding 8 ft, faced other hurdles. As there was little awareness about pepper sprays, Singh decided to place ads in newspapers. But he got responses from all the wrong people. Anti-social elements started calling up, as they saw the product as a weapon to aid criminal activities.

To counter that problem, in the initial days Singh sold only to consumers who placed orders and the product was delivered to their address. “By doing so, we at least had proof of their residence,” he says. But there were not enough takers. “Customers were not interested.” Gradually the product began selling through word of mouth.

Cobra was available in two versions. One, priced ₹499, for individuals; and a professional version, priced ₹599, for security guards and so on. To give buyers confidence, Singh displayed his mobile phone number on every can — to advise consumers if the product was accidentally sprayed. That move helped increase orders and, soon, corporate bookings started coming in.

Of course, Cobra’s success would have made Singh popular among members of the fairer sex, something that he does not deny. He does get his share of fan mail. But he also recalls a stray instance of someone calling up to threaten him for trying to be a hero to women in distress. Selling nearly two lakh units a year, Cobra might be India’s largest pepper spray brand, but Singh is in no hurry to expand operations. Barring a single office in Bangalore, the company has no other branches. “It was always intended to be that way,” he says. The Cobra will move at its own pace.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Features / by Prasad Sangameshwaran / March 06th, 2014

‘Tees’ for good thought

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

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Instead of Eminem t-shirts why not sport one supporting a cause for autism. Rather than Levi, UCB or Reebok, why not buy one locally from Cachapa — that would be your contribution to society. This was the aim with which Sundeep Hiremat and Kinjal Bannerjee started Cachapa, an organisation to support social causes through merchandising. They are now the talk of the town and have collected more that `25,000 for charity.

A tedious desk job, which he quit after seven years, Sundeep decided that he wanted to do something that would challenge him on a daily basis. “Working with an IT company proved to be quite taxing and I quit one fine day. After experimenting and exploring my options I began volunteering,” exclaims Sundeep.

Understanding the drawbacks that NGOs and the volunteer sector faces, he formulated a plan that could make it easier for youngsters to contribute. “When I began to talk to my friends about the benefits of social causes, they usually seemed very interested or sceptical. They either did not trust if their donation would be put into good use or did not have the time to invest in. That’s when I came up with Cachapa,” reveals Sundeep.

Cachapa manufactures merchandises which are linked to various charity organisations, their recent one being autism awareness for Asha Foundation in Indiranagar. “It was more about creating a platform where both the volunteer and the NGOs profited. We wanted to crowd source the idea and now we have made good revenue for a few organisations in the city,” says Kinjal Baneerjee.

The t-shirts come in funky colours, each sporting a social message and priced at `399. How do they differ from other charity merchandising companies, we ask “There is transparency which is maintained in each purchase that one has made — every little detail is maintained on the website.

The impact that the t-shirts generate comes as feedbacks from each organisation and that gives the buyer trust to come back for more,” effuses Kinjal. Speaking about Bengaluru’s response, “It has been amazing as we have already generated quite a significant amount of funds. We are meeting up with various organisations and doing conferences and trying to involve the corporate sector too,” they share.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Fashion-Beauty / DC / by Nuvena Rajendran / February 24th, 2014

BVB’s village vocational venture

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

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For good work to be done, it is important that a person or an institution takes initiative. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, founded in 1978, has been working on promoting Indian culture and tradition. The latest being the Village Vocational Venture which is held every year at Kollegal in Chamarajanagar district. This weekend’s Star Supplement introduces our readers to the initiative taken by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to help students learn about the richness of rural culture.

 

Taking students close to village culture

by S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

Located about 77 kms from Mysore is a town called Kollegal, in Chamarajanagar district. Until 1956, Kollegal was part of the Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 moved Kollegal to Karnataka primarily organising it along linguistic lines. Kollegal is a name derived from the names of two hermits namely ‘Kauhala’ and ‘Galava’ who were believed to be have been instrumental in the development of Kollegal.

Kollegal, also called ‘Silk City,’ is famous for its handloom silk saree industry. Some historians believe that Silk was introduced in this part of the State by Tipu Sultan, who learnt the secrets of silk. But there is no evidence to prove the matter. Kollegal also has a very rich forest land with Sandalwood and Teak grown in abundance. The town is surrounded by Siddappana Hills, Edni Hills, Koteboli, Kanchanboli, Mallige Boli, Dupada Boli, Biligiri Rangana Betta and Malaki Betta.

A second range of forests include Gunndal, Daigallu, Bombegallu, Burude Forest, Dodda Sampige range, Chikka Sampige range, Kere Dimba, Nallikadru, Dodda Kallu, Atthi Kane estate, Kadigere, Beduguli Estate, Jodigere, Gaddesala, Dimbam, Thalai Male, Adunmale, Satekhana, Akka Thangi Bole(Sisters Hill), Devargatta, Sebunkube, Havina moole, Ere kadu, Ame Kere, Purane, Kyathadevangudi and Banglekodu.

Kollegal was one of the areas which played host to the activities of Sandalwood brigand Veerappan who also poached elephants for their tusks. The town also plays host to many tourist spots which include Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, Hogenakal falls, Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki at Shivanasamudra (also known as Bluff) among many other. Also there is a small hill called ‘Maradi Gudda’ which is located in the heart of the city where the foot prints of the Sri Mahadeshwara Swamy are preserved. It is believed that Lord Mahadeshwara Swamy first stepped at this place above the hills.

Though Kollegal is located in Chamarajanagar district, which is one of the backward districts of Karnataka, it has produced some eminent personalities who have gone on to make a name for themselves in society. Among them are the famous sculptor Shilpi Siddalingaswamy, former AICTE Chairman Ramegowda, former BEML CMD K. Aprameya, former HMT CMD N. Ramanujan, who is now the Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Karnataka among others.

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s presence in Kollegal

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), has gone to become a huge intellectual, cultural and educational movement. The institution was founded by K.M. Munshi, a multi-faceted personality, who was a lawyer, author, constitution-maker, statesman and a social reformer. Now after more than six decades, BVB has become one of the premier institutions in the country and abroad. The institution has been offering education in various subjects which include Sanskrit, Indology, Indian Culture, Indian Classical Music, Dance, Drama, Yoga, Classical Languages, Ancient Scriptures, Arts, Science, Commerce, Modern Management, Mass Communication and Information Technology as well as foreign languages such as French, Spanish, Russian, German and Japanese.

Institutions run by BVB range from Kindergarten to Post Graduate and Research levels. The main objective of BVB is to provide a modern bridge to span the past, present and future built on a strong foundation of the fundamental values of life.

BVB has also set up Centres in London, New York, Lisbon, Mexico City and Durban. There are also plans to start BVB Centres at Geneva, Singapore, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Kuwait. The institution not only aims at providing quality education with modern facilities to urban students but also to students in rural areas. Besides having a global presence, BVB has also been concentrating on taking quality education to rural areas. A recent endeavour of BVB is the Bhavan’s Geetha Vidyalaya in Kollegal. The School, originally known as ‘Geetha Shishuvihara’ was established in the year 1954 by a team of philanthropists. In the year 1995, A. Krishna Shetty, a philanthropist, donated the site to Geetha Shishuvihara on which the School was constructed.

It was in 1991 that Geetha Shishuvihara started a primary school and since then it has added one class every academic year. Currently, the institution caters from kindergarten to Class 8. Next academic year, the institution will be starting Class 9 as the Department of Public Instruction has given its nod for the same.

Geetha Shishuvihara was taken over by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in the year 2009 and was renamed ‘Bhavan’s Geetha Vidyalaya.’ An important personality responsible for BVB taking over the Shishuvihara was A.S. Devendra Gupta of APS in Kollegal. He was instrumental in running the school for many years. Sadly, he passed away in July 2013, soon after the School laid a foundation stone for the construction of a new building. The School has a separate committee headed by K. Shekar as the Chairman. It also involves members of BVB Mysore, who have been guiding the committee on various issues.

After BVB took over the school administration, the school has seen several changes right from providing quality infrastructure to salaries for staff members. The student strength has also increased over the years and slowly, Bhavan’s Geetha Vidyalaya is becoming one of the most sought after institutions in Kollegal and surrounding villages.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, School Secretary Girirajan, said that the school had seen a lot of improvement since BVB took over. “Student strength has gone up, amenities for the school have improved and staff benefits have also increased. Currently, the school administration has also taken up construction of new building which will provide classrooms for students. Slowly, the existing building will be demolished phase-wise to make way for the new building. We have added a Computer lab, Educomp Smart Class and transportation facilities,” said Girirajan.

Village Vocational Venture (V3)

BVB’s activities in Kollegal doesn’t stop at that. One of the unique features of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s education system is that it provides an opportunity for the students of Bhavan’s Priyamvada Birla Institute of Management to learn and educate themselves on rural system of living. Not many institutions which offer management courses concentrate on taking the students to villages to allow them to learn and get hands-on experience of life at grass-roots level.

Under the initiative Village Vocational Venture (V3), the management students are taken to Kollegal during their academic year and are made to understand different scenarios that villagers encounter in their everyday life. The two days and one night programme involves a batch of 20 students who are introduced to cottage industry, pottery, sericulture farming and jaggery manufacturing unit.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Karnataka Chairman, N. Ramanujan said that students who are the management executives tomorrow should understand the hardship of the rural people, who work as agriculturists, in rural industries, labourers and also the exploitation meted out to them by the middlemen. This apart, the programme also focuses on making students understand the rural lifestyle, which is filled with healthy food and a care-free life.

“They do a lot of work but at the same time they also enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Students are made to experience rural lifestyle by introducing them to different cultures, traditions and rural sports such as kabbadi, lagori, marakothi and others. This programme is to make students understand that the simple joys that they derive actually originate from villages,” said Ramanujan.

The most interesting and fun part of the entire programme is the stay. Students are accommodated in an ancient house believed to be over 300-years- old. The house is the ancestral property of N. Ramanujan, bought by his great grandfather Narayana Iyengar from Krishnaraja Wadiyar II on April 18, 1760 AD. The sale deed executed by Krishnaraja Wadiyar II is well preserved by Ramanujan, who has now donated it to be used for V3 project. The house is located on Doddamane Narayana Iyengar Street near Lakshmi Narayana Temple.

There are around seven rooms where the students are accommodated during their stay in Kollegal. The pillars of the house are made up of Teakwood which adds to its antique value.

Though the house has been maintained in its original state, a few changes have been made to make the students’ stay comfortable.

During their stay at the house, students get to relish some of the best village food served on a plantain leaf. The scheduled morning walks are a delight for the students, as they get to enjoy sugar-cane juice, tender coconut directly from the nature’s bed. They are also taken to paddy fields, jaggery manufacturing units and are briefed about different business opportunities in villages.

Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘India lives in her villages’ and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, through its Village Vocational Venture programme, has been successful in introducing the urban students to India’s rich rural culture.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / March 01st, 2014

Style runs in their genes

Business & Economy
The mother daughter duo, Kavya and Padmini Chandra.
The mother daughter duo, Kavya and Padmini Chandra.

Bangalore:

There are many successful mother-daughter duo in the business fraternity, but what makes Padmini and Kavya Chandra stand apart is their sense of client management.

A conversation with the duo would make you wonder whether you are just another client or a family member. That’s their USP and that’s why they have managed to run the show for more than 15 years. With a new store Soulful Hues; opening in Indiranagar they are going places with their impeccable sense of fashion.

“When I started the brand Vikramaditya and Padmini, 15 years back I just wanted to try my luck at something new,” begins Padmini. With a background in textile designing, she kicked off a silk route with her intricately designed embroidery. Thus was born a brand, which specialised in contemporary design and fabrics, which also got her daughter Kavya, involved.

“Growing up in the factory, becoming a designer has always been there though, I was doing a bit of this and that before getting into fashion,” begins Kavya. She credits every bit of her fashion statements to her mother.

“We usually launch collections every three to four months and ensure that we stick to customised pieces.” explains Padmini. For Kavya however, everything has been a learning experience off the shelf.

“Though I have been shadowing my mom when she makes the patterns and styling, some sort of technical expertise is required to get into any field. I am currently undertaking pattern making classes and also a few tailoring lessons.”

Travelling for fabrics all over the country, Kavya says, “We pick up our fabrics from Banaras, Lucknow, Jaipur and other parts of the country. However, we owe our growth to Bengaluru because if not here we would not have had the kind of response anywhere else.”

Apart from designing and managing the company, both these women love travelling. Known to be an avid yoga buff Kavya smiles, “I love to unwind as I manage a stressful life and I am quite busy all the time. Yoga is the best for that,” while Padmini opts for travel and quality time with family.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Fashion-Beauty / DC / by Nuvena Rajendran / February 28th, 2014

African nations to adopt biofuel models from State

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Models or prototypes of biofuels developed six years ago by the Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB) are being adopted by certain African nations under a programme by the United Nations through the World Agroforestry Council (WAC). 

The models are aimed at empowering farmers.

State government, however, is lending minimal support to the models. Speaking at a press conference here to announce the national conference on Accelerating Biofuel Programmes in India on February 22, A K Monnappa, Managing Director of KSBDB, said: “It has been observed that similar agricultural situations prevail in Asia and Africa. Some African countries such as Mozambique have decided to espouse the multi-species cultivation approach model, unlike the Karnataka government, which promotes the single-species cultivation approach.”

Fuel crops

“The Hasiru Honnu and Baradu Bangara models, which are already in use, encourage farmers to grow oil seeds along the borders of farmlands and wastelands. They also ask them to cultivate fuel crops in addition to agricultural crops. These seeds are then collected and sold at standardised rates,” he said, while pointing out that the recent budget had made provisions for 10 per cent biofuel to be blended in automobiles, compared with the earlier five per cent.

MoU to be signed

The KSBDB and the WAC will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard. African nations will set up information and infrastructure development organisations, which will have a capacity to generate 100 litres of biodiesel a day.

Asked about the slow growth of biofuel in India, Divakar Rao of Vision Group on Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, said: “The KSBDB is only a facilitator. The board functions through NGOs. The mindset of the people and lack of adequate funding from the government have delayed the implementation of various models. Recommendations from the national conference will be sent to the Government of India for implementation.”

Meanwhile, the KSBDB is striving to increase production of oil seeds in the State by encouraging farmers, especially in the districts of Bijapur, Bagalkot, Davangere, Chitradurga and Tumkur. The board would also seek the help of the Indian Railways.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DHNS / Bangalore – February 19th, 2014

AIRF President Purohit passes away

Business & Economy, Leaders

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Mysore :

Umraomal Purohit, President of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), General Secretary of Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and leader of International Transportworkers’ Federation (ITF) passed away this morning at his residence in Mumbai.

Purohit who joined as a Station Master in 1946 became the General Secretary of Western Railway Employees Union in 1958 and in 1962, he was elected as the Assistant General Secretary of AIRF and was serving as its President since 1980. He played an important role in the implementation of many pay commissions for the Central Government employees.

The members of The South Western Railway Mazdoor Union, Central Railway Workshop, Mysore South Branch, in a press release have condoled the death of Purohit and said that the demise of Purohit is a great loss to the trade union movement in India and to Railwaymen in particular.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / February 28th, 2014