Nine months after two novel compounds or drug candidates for Ebola from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) were shortlisted among 20 globally by the Public Health England (PHE), one of them has made it to the final three.
And having realised the potential, PHE, which built and commissioned the first bio-safety level (BSL)4 facilities in the world (1976), designed the world’s first Class III safety cabinets, and used them to co-discover and characterise the Ebola virus, has signed a memorandum of understanding with JNCASR to co-develop the drug.
This contribution to the world from Dr Jayanta Haldar and two of his students–Chandra Dhish Ghosh and Mohini Mohan Konai–will be the first serious one from a developing nation.
The two drugs which were shortlisted, codenamed NCK-8 and D-LANA-14, were lead candidates from two classes of peptide mimics (a molecule global researchers have created to fight the virus) with high activity against a range of multi-drug resistant bacteria and malarial parasites, including clinical isolates.
TOI was the first to break the story in its December 20, 2014 edition under the title “Drugs for Ebola likely to have an Indian connection”.
Speaking TOI on Tuesday, Haldar said: “After extensive trials, one of them along with another from PHE proved to be very active in in-vivo (guinea pig) tests, which has prompted PHE to sign the MoU. From here on we will be working together and we hope to bring out a drug soon.”
Haldar while refusing to still disclose the exact materials used in NCK-8 and D-LANA, reiterated that they are made in three steps with easily available and inexpensive starting materials which do not require any difficult conditions for synthesis.
Dr Seshadri Vasan of PHE had said in December that PHE has a track record of scientific innovation and development, and the funding from Wellcome Trust will allow it to utilise our experience and expertise to assist in the fight against Ebola.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home>City> Bengaluru / by Chethan Kumar, TNN / September 08th, 2015
20 craftsmen took three years to create the 900-kg sculpture
by S. Kenneth Shishir
City artisans, who are also recipients of State Awards, have sculpted a five feet tall elephant from a single block of rosewood.
Artisans Khalil ur Rahman Khan alias Parveez Khan, Fazlur Rahman Khan alias Touseef Khan, Hafeez ur Rahman Khan alias Tanveer Khan and Habeeb ur Rahman alias Asif Khan, sons of late A. Majeed Khan, a recipient of Karnataka State Award in 1985 and National Award in 1991, have sculpted this wooden elephant at their workplace Majeed Fine Arts on Anegundi Road in Mandi Mohalla in city.
Khalil ur Rahman, the eldest among the four brothers, speaking to SOM, said that Mysuru is the birth place for inlay work and is famous for rosewood inlay craft all over the world.
He said that to promote rosewood inlay work and to keep the tradition alive, his father late A. Majeed Khan, established Majeed Fine Arts in city in the year 1972 and since then many artisans have been trained in the inlay work by his father, who have made big names now.
Khalil further said that the Karnataka Government recognising the outstanding and excellent inlay works made by his late father awarded him with a State Award in 1985 and a National Award in 1991.
He said that his brother Fazlur Rahman Khan is a recipient of Karnataka State Award in 1995 and a National Award in 1997 while another brother Hafeez ur Rahman is a recipient of Karnataka State Award in 2003.
Khalil said that his younger brother Habeeb ur Rahman is also a recipient of the State Award in the year 2003 with himself being a recipient of the State Award for the year 2004-05.
When asked why did he and his brothers choose to sculpt an elephant when they could have sculpted anything, Khalil said that getting a single piece of rosewood was very rare and added that he procured the rosewood at an auction in Kushalnagar about three years ago. He further said that he and his brothers decided to sculpt a big elephant from the single piece of rosewood as Mysuru is famous for the world famous Dasara in which elephants play an important role especially during the Jumboo Savari.
When asked whether it was he and his brothers alone sculpted the elephant? Khalil said that they took the help of 20 craftsmen to complete their dream project and sculpted the elephant from a single solid block of rosewood.
He said that to decorate the sculpture they used inlay work. While 60% of the inlay work has been done using ‘Mother of Pearls,’ the remaining 40% work was done using natural wood colours for further decoration of the wooden elephant.
He said that to represent Karnataka, we have used the logo of the State along with our National Emblem on the side and a Gandaberunda on the forehead of the elephant besides birds, animals, flowers, etc.
When asked about the procedure of sculpting the elephant, Khalil said that as the first step, we made a design and drew an outline image and patterns on the solid rosewood block. Then the rosewood was carved into proper shape and cut into three parts (Head, body and tail) to give proper shape. The motifs that had to be inlaid were hand-cut and the area where the motifs had to be inlaid were carefully scooped out and the motifs were inlaid and fixed, he said and added that the sculpture was then smoothened using sandpaper and polished to give a bright look and joined together.
Khalil said that after the elephant was sculpted, it was 5 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide, 6.6 ft. in length and weighed about 900 kgs. The wooden sculpture has been shifted to Cauvery Emporium on Sayyaji Rao Road where it is kept on display now.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> Feature Articles / Wednesday – September 09th, 2015
The Strike team which won the regional round of Seedstars World competition.
Wins Swiss-based Seedstars World regional competition
Strike, a start-up which helps people do research inside their Gmail App, has won the regional round of Seedstars World, a global start-up competition.
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded by Alisee de Tonnac and Pierre-Alain Masson, the competition is supported by the venture builder Seedstars. It promotes, connects and invests up to $1.5 million (Rs 9.9 crore) in start-ups in emerging markets, ranging from Shanghai to Cairo.
The Strike team will now travel to Geneva in March 2016 and win up to $500,000 (Rs. 3.3 crore) in equity investment. It will compete with regional winners from 55 countries as part of the Seedstars World final event in front of top investors and an international jury.
“We have developed a global product in India. Seedstars’ network will help us to target almost every market in the world,” said Aishwarya Jain, 25, chief executive at Strike. “It is rare to find product start-ups getting funded by venture capitalists in India.”
Mr. Jain cofounded Strike last September along with Akshay Katyal, his former colleague at tech company HackerEarth. The start-up has developed a technology that provides insights to users about people while checking mails on mobile. For example, how they look like, where they work, their social profiles and public updates. The start-up aims to provide all the public information about anyone through its app.
Ten start-ups from different parts of the country pitched their ideas to an audience of angel investors and industry experts at the one-day event held in Bengaluru on Saturday.
“Strike, by its unique idea of giving an outlook of personalities of people with one tap on your phone, has won the chance to represent India,” said Mahesh Bhalla, president at gift card tech firm QwikCilver. Mr.Bhalla was one of the jury members at the event.
EventsHigh, a local event discovery platform that brings all the events and things to do in a city, was placed second in the competition. The firm was founded by former WalmartLabs engineers Nikesh Garera, Arvind Batra and Parag Sarda last year. Another start-up, SayPay Technologies, co-founded by Ramsyam Missula was placed third in the competition. The firm enables users to make bill payments and online purchases on their mobile device by using their voice.
Last year, Scandid, a Pune-based shopping technology start-up, won the regional round of Seedstars World. The venture enables shoppers do price comparison by scanning the product barcodes with their mobile phones.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Peerzada Abrar / Bengaluru – September 08th, 2015
Work is my God: Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai worked tirelessly and did not lose hope till his end Photos: courtesy family album
For six long decades Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai kept his movement alive – Kasargod had to become part of Karnataka. RAHMAT TARIKERE writes that the meaning of all the writings of this writer who passed away recently is to be found in his social activism
My meeting with Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai was an accident. There was a programme at the Kannada Sahitya Parishath in Bangalore. Kinhanna means little brother, but our Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai was a strapping six and a quarter feet, well-built man. Dressed in his trade mark white khadi kurta and dhoti, he was sitting all by himself in the last row. With the sweet memories of his poem I had learnt in school Neenanagiddare Naaninage, which unfolds as a dialogue between a horse and a donkey, I walked up to him and greeted him. Holding my hand he ushered me to the chair beside, pulled out a four page resume from his bag and gave it to me. In that resume the list of his non-literary activities outnumbered his literary activities. For instance, his participation in Quit India Movement, submission of a memorandum to the Unification committee urging that Kasargod should be absorbed into Karnataka, winning the Best Teacher national award, his administration for 15 years as the chairman of Badiyadka village panchayat, the two schools and community hospital he built, the Swadeshabhimani newspaper of which he was editor, president of Weaving and Weavers Khadi Co-operative society… so on and so forth. It felt unusual that the resume of a Kannada writer read like this. Everything in it said that Kaiyyara Kinhanna was more a political activist than a writer. Once I had finished reading it, Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai started speaking about Kasaragodu. Now, even the programme had begun. He was speaking softly, just for me, but his gravelly voice overpowered the speaker’s voice and was audible to everyone in the auditorium. Some of the audience members turned back impatiently and gave us dirty stares. I didn’t know how to stop this senior writer, nor was I in a state to listen to him – I was getting restless. By this time, the writer Boluvar Mohammad Kunhi walking straight up to us, in a brusqueness that is unique to Coastal people, said: “If you want to talk, please go outside.” I fled from there. That was my first and last meeting with Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai.
***
Between 1930-40, Coastal Karnataka was tense with three major movements. Foremost of them was to free the country from the clutches of the British. Second was to unify the regions that shared a common language but had been distributed among various presidencies, the Unification movement. Third was the communist movement that was fighting against the ruthless zamindars who had the support of the colonial rulers, and then there were other social movements like untouchability, caste system etc. For Karnad Sadashiv Rao the country’s freedom was most important. For someone like Kudmal Rangarao who had been ostracised by the Brahmin community, building a free hostel and school for the Dalits was of utmost importance. For B.V. Kakkilaya and Niranjana, labour movement was important. B.M. Shrikantaiah, Kuvempu, Alur Venkatarao and others felt that Unification was more important than Independence. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai had twin obsessions – freedom and Unification. After Independence in 1947, his only mission was Unification. When Potti Sriramulu fasted for three weeks and gave up his life, the Nehru government, unwillingly constituted a committee for the linguistic reformation of States. The committee recommended that Kasargod, Dakshina Kannada and Bellary which were a part of Madras presidency, should henceforth become a part of the Mysore presidency. What eventually happened was however different – they included Kasaragod in Kerala. The Kannadigas of Kasargod were heartbroken. It was at this juncture that Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai began his movement for Kasargod’s absorption into Karnataka. This became a question of life and death for him. A full-time preoccupation, he discussed this with all and sundry, and in every place. But death has terminated his relentless struggle of a lifetime. His dream remains unfulfilled.
***
It is a matter of surprise that Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai kept this spark burning in him for six long decades. His commemorative volume, in fact, is called Kasaragodina Kidi. There is a story behind calling it a spark. When he realised that Kasargod did not become a part of Karnataka, in anger and sorrow he wrote a poem, Manege. He tried to ignite everyone else with the fire that had caught him. In every public forum this was what Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai spoke. Once, chief minister Gundu Rao was present at the function. “We, two and a half lakh Kannadigas, have been orphaned. Our language and culture is getting erased. The water that flows in Payaswini is our tears,” Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai had cried in public. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai belonged to that generation which dedicated its entire life to a cause it believed. The question is however, why could he not realise his dream? To get absorbed into Karnataka, or to get separate statehood is perhaps a political dream, and it can bear fruit only when it becomes the dream of the community.
If the dream does not have economic and political dimensions, and is merely an emotional one, it is even more difficult to keep it alive. For the new generation of Kannadigas in Kasargod, Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s dream must have seemed unrealistic. When there are more important questions than Unification, the poor or the locals will not make this a significant issue of their lives. Also, Kerala tops the country for its administration, education and other vital issues; it may have therefore appeared to them that they do not want to be a part of Karnataka. There was no political outfit like MES in Belgaum to fight the case of Kasargod. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai therefore became lonely in his struggle. That he could keep this Unification dream alive in him for six long decades became his achievement.
***
Born in Peradala in Kasargod (1915-2015), Kaiyyara was a school teacher. Writing was his hobby, though not a very powerful writer. The other important writers from this area are Govinda Pai, Parvatisubba, and K.V. Tirumalesh. His best writings are his poems for children. His other poems tended to be verbose and heavy with idealism — it lacked creative energy. One has to recognise this as the limitation of a Kannada school teacher. Gourish Kaikini is among the few teachers who could transcend this limitation. Even his autobiography that contains many intense and intimate experiences of his life is bland.
Yet, his writing has a historic importance. It becomes important because of its dynamic social and political consciousness. And this was shaped by Gandhianism. Gandhi’s visit to Mangalore filled youngsters with new ideals. By refusing to enter the Udupi temple that denied entry for the Dalits, Gandhi had stirred up the consciousness of the society. By then, Kudmal Rangarao had already been ostracised. Narayana Guru had launched his temple agitation against the upper class. People had laid down their lives in the communist movement in this part of Karnataka. Shivarama Karanth’s Chomana Dudi had been written. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s social writing was an extension of this. He, however, was not critical of the society, but instead glorified the tolerance of Dalits who put up with these social evils.
***
Truly Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s contribution should not be sought in his writing. It has to be seen in his social activism. This trait could also be found in B.M. Idinabba. We can see it in H.N. Doreswamy too. In fact, the title of his autobiography Work is my God suggests this.
At a time when governments have absolved themselves of community responsibility, a corporatized education that is available only to those who have money, the hospital, and school Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai built as panchayat chairman is important. Freedom fighter, social activist, journalist, poet Kaiyyara is no more. With him, we have lost the link to a generation that dedicated its life for a cause.
Translated by Deepa Ganesh
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Rahmat Tarikere / Bengaluru – August 27th, 2015
Mysuru’s V. Ambika was dominant in the girls’ under-16 shot put event. Photo: C.V.Subrahmanyam
Mysore’s V. Ambika heaved the iron ball to a distance of 11.98 metres to win the gold medal in the under-16 girls’ shot put event in the three-day Shriram Properties National inter-district junior athletics meet (NIDJAM), at the Port Diamond Jubilee Stadium, here on Saturday.
Mumbai’s Poorna Rao Rane (11.94) and Chennai girl S.V. Visruti (11.08) settled for silver and bronze respectively.
In the four other finals held on the inaugural day, Tripura’s Afsana Aktar threw the javelin to a distance of 33.37m to take the top honours in the under-16 girls’ event.
Varanasi’s Versha Verma (32.18) and Cuttack’s Priyanka Toppa (30.95) took the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Mohit of Rewari (16.64m) was away ahead of his rivals in under-14 shot put. Thane’s Abhijit Nair (15.93m) and Panipat’s Sourabh (15.76m) were the other podium finishers.
Ranga Reddy’s Manan Venkatesh, with his impressive second leap (6.11m), bagged the coveted yellow metal. Delhi’s Sumit Rohila and Ernakulam’s Aadhinath took home silver and bronze respectively.
AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu gave away the medals to the winners.
In the morning the event was inaugurated by a host of ministers and Athletic Federation of India officials including president Adille Sumariwala and Olympian Anju Bobby George.
Suma Jeevannavar isn’t your textbook entrepreneur. From being a restless but diffident homemaker worried about letting her BSc education go to waste to rescuing women in financial distress, the 54-year-old’s journey of self-discovery and social entrepreneurship is, nevertheless, inspirational. In just a few years since the launch of her startup – Elukoti Traders, manufacturer of low-cost detergent powder – Jeevannavar has taken under her wing 30 hard-up women and has been helping them rebuild their lives.
Jeevannavar was moved by the struggles of women from poor families who consulted her husband, a general physician with a modest practice of his own in the city. These served as lessons in self-reliance. She cobbled up an investment of Rs 50,000, bought a mixer and began manufacturing detergent powder at home in 2001. No sooner had she set foot in the world of entrepreneurship than she was stonewalled: She incurred heavy losses as few people were keen on buying an unbranded, homemade detergent powder. Jeevannavar, though, was relentless. She kept supplying her products to hotels and lodges in the city for two years.
Business was slow; yet she summoned the courage to branch out into the manufacture of detergent soaps.
Her husband’s patients were the ones who helped turn the tide. “They began buying the detergent soaps and liked them,” she explains. Marketing began by word of mouth. “Since we don’t spend on advertising, middlemen or expensive packaging, the price of the soap is low – Rs 2.50 per bar – against the cost of others in the market – Rs 5. But, we make no compromise on quality or quantity,” she clarifies.
For someone who started off with a staff of just two women, Jeevannavar has come a long way. Today, she sells soaps to over 100 households in a month in Hubballi-Dharwad, has 30 women employees on the rolls and the startup earns Rs 5 lakh a month.
The entrepreneur’s husband was her pillar of strength through the tough times. Government aid, too, improved the chances of her startup’s survival. “Prior to introducing Ganga Detergent Bar, I was trained by the Small Scale Industries Association. I also got a subsidy of Rs 40,000 from the industries and commerce department,” she says.
For Kasturavva, who has been working at the company for the last 10 years, Elukoti Traders is her second home. “Working here helped my family and I overcome our financial crisis,” she says.
Mangala Patrot, a resident of Anand Nagar who, too, is an employee, says her salary has become a steady source of income for her family. “My husband used to be a bootlegger, and was often arrested. After alcoholism took a toll on his health, we started selling these soaps. Now, I earn Rs 300 a day.”
Rayappa Mishrikoti, a senior citizen in Ravi Nagar who, too, goes door-to-door to sell the soaps, says Jeevannavar’s startup has given him a new lease of life.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Huibballi / TNN / September 06th, 2015
Dr. Dhwani Sharma, National Secretary of BJP, is seen inaugurating the workshop on ‘Agnihotra Therapy’ at Rajendra Kalamandira on Ramanuja Road in city yesterday as others look on. Picture right shows a section of the participants.
Mysuru :
A day-long workshop on ‘Agnihotra Therapy,’ organised by the city-based Anantha Bharatha Charitable Trust (ABCT), in association with GSS Foundation and Asha Kirana, began at Rajendra Kalamandirs on Ramanuja Road in city yesterday.
Dr. Dhwani Sharma, National Secretary of BJP, inaugurated the event.
ABCT Founder and former Minister, S.A. Ramdas, speaking on the occasion, said that the workshop has been organised in order to spread the significance of Agnihotra Therapy, which is a process of purifying the atmosphere through a specially prepared fire and added that the Therapy helps to increase immunity among HIV positive children.
Stating that there were 27 lakh HIV-affected people in the country, with 1.5 lakh among them being children, Ramdas said that out of the 18,786 affected children living in Karnataka, 8,626 have lost their parents.
Ramdas said that he started ABCT a year ago with a mission for ‘Virus-free India’ after his mother asked him to do something for these children.
Pointing out that the Therapy was widely used in ancient India for preventing all kinds of diseases, the former Minister said that the benefits of the Therapy have been explored by scientists and experts. The objective behind the workshop is to reach the needy, he added.
Muthappa Rai, Founder-President of Jaya Karnataka organisation, who spoke after releasing ‘Agnihotra Kit,’ said that he was inspired by Ramdas on Agnihotra Therapy. Stating that he practised the Therapy in his home following Ramdas’s advice, Rai highlighted the health benefits he got by practising the Agnihotra Therapy.
Actress Nabha Natesh released Agnihotra CD on the occasion. Agnihotra scientists Balendu Prakash, Arun Anand and Germany’s Kareen Heschelle were felicitated on the occasion.
Maharaja Sanskrit College Principal and Vijayanagar Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple Founder, Prof. Bhashyam Swamiji, graced the occasion. MP Pratap Simha presided.
Praja TV Director Gururanjan Shetty, Karnataka Pradesh Hotel Owners’ Association President M. Rajendra, GSS Foundation Trustee Sri Hari, Vijaya vittala Educational Institutions Hon. Secretary R. Vasudev Bhat, Industrialist Sundar Menon and others were present. Hundreds of HIV+ve children, auto drivers, pourakarmikas and others took part. Today, demo on Agnihotra Farming was held at Mahajana College.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Saturday – September 06th, 2015
Until six years ago, Rajan Srinivasan, the 47-year-old vice-president of British Telecom, didn’t know how to swim. On Wednesday evening, as he stood at the White Cliffs of Dover, he felt a deep sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t without reason. Srinivasan was part of a team from Bengaluru that crossed the English Channel.
The Swimlife Seagulls, an eight-member team led by coach M Satish Kumar, crossed the 63km distance (they took the longer route because of high tide) in 14 hours and six minutes. What sets the team apart from other swimmers is the diversity. Homemaker Suman Singhi was the lone woman in the team, entrepreneur Tejas M Sati was the youngest at 34 and 67-year-old Mohan Sawkar, a lawyer practising at the Karnataka High Court, was the oldest.
It was Srikaanth Viswanathan, an engineer, who mooted the idea in July last year. And the team began its training soon.
Preparations took them to Kodi Beach in Kundapur and Calangute in Goa. In March this year, they did a trial swim, crossing the 40-km stretch from Khanderi to Gateway of India, Mumbai. The team, which landed in Dover on August 28, initially planned to cross the Channel on September 11, but when the window to accomplish their mission came up on Wednesday, they took up the challenge after three days of practice. They began their arduous journey at 2 am.
“It’s a great feeling to have crossed the Channel,” Satish told TOI from Dover. “It’s special because most of the members initially started swimming for health reasons and to overcome their fears. But through the past year, our goal was crossing the English Channel. We had to overcome many challenges, sea sickness being the biggest. We were not used to the temperature, 14 degrees Celsius. Each of us feels we have accomplished something.”
While the actual distance is 32km, the Seagulls had to cover 63km because of high tide. Each person swam for an hour at a stretch before the next one took over. “It is an over-the-moon feeling,” said an elated Suman. “I began to swim to battle high blood sugar and cholesterol. I never thought I would conquer the Channel and my ailments.”
Still in celebratory mode, the team is game for the challenge one more time.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bengaluru / by Manuja Veerappa, TNN / September 04th, 2015
Sri Bhuvanendra College will be organising a UGC-sponsored national-level workshop on ‘Operation and maintenance of analytical instruments’ at Karkala in Udupi district from September 7 to 11.
In a press release issued here on Thursday, P. Venkataramana Gowda, college principal, said that the workshop would be held with the technical support from Western Regional Instrumentation Centre (WRIC), University of Mumbai.
The objective of the workshop was to train the teachers and technicians of Chemistry and Life Sciences departments of degree colleges about the operation, maintenance and repair of electric/electronic laboratory equipment, including refractometer, conductivity meter, potentiometer, colorimeter, centrifuge, laminar air flow, autoclave, microscopes, electric oven, incubator, heating mantle, and magnetic stirrer.
Practical training on glass blowing will also arranged to teach the technique of joining/repairing broken glasswares.
The participants were advised to bring the faulty equipment and broken glasswares from their laboratories so that they can learn to repair it during the workshop.
The training programme will be inaugurated by B.L. Jadhav, Director of WRIC.
Each college can depute two faculty members and one lab technician for the three-day training from the Chemistry Department and for the two-day training from the Life Sciences Departments. For details, call: K. Narayana Poojary on 9480231161 or email: knpoojary_61@yahoo.com
Teachers from Chemistry and Life Sciences departments of degree colleges to be trained on maintenance of laboratory equipment
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Ganesh Prabhu / Udupi – September 04th, 2015
Rtn. R. Guru, Chairman, Ranga Rao & Sons, is seen felicitating Dr. S. Kavyashree, a visual impaired Ph.D awardee, at a programme organised by Rotary Mysore Mid-Town at Rotary Centre on JLB Road in city last evening. Others seen are (from left) Rotary Mid-Town President Rtn. K. Umesh, Kavyashree’s parents Meenakshi and B. Siddaramu and Rotary Mid-Town Hon. Secretary Rtn. N. Narendra Babu.
Mysuru :
Rotary Mysore Mid-Town felicitated first blind lady Ph.D holder of Mysuru, Dr. S. Kavyashree, at a programme organised at Rotary Centre, opposite MUDA on JLB Road here last evening.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kavyashree said that this unforgettable moment cannot be explained in words. Noting that the society has been kind to her, she said that there are problems in everyone’s life and we need to go ahead getting over them. There was nothing special about her and maybe, she had to strive a little hander, she said while explaining the challenges and problems she faced as a blind student.
Stating that we should never ever forget our teachers, Dr. Kavyashree said she was always grateful to her parents, teachers, friends and all others who whole-heartedly supported her in her endeavours.
Noting that every disability is generally considered as a curse, she said that she, however, considered her visually impairedness as vagaries of nature.
Recalling her schooling days at Ranga Rao Memorial School for the Blind at Metagalli, she said that she always treated the School as her own home and the teachers always remained at her heart. She also expressed her gratitude to the School Founder R. Guru of Ranga Rao & Sons.
Stating that she has attended an interview for Post Doctoral research at Delhi, Dr. Kavyashree said she was very much hopeful of getting into it as she topped the selection list.
Rtn. R. Guru, Chairman, Ranga Rao & Sons, was the chief guest on the occasion. Rotary Midtown President K. Umesh, Hon. Secretary N. Narendra Babu, Dr. Kavyashree’s parents B. Siddaramu and Meenakshi and others were present.
Profile of Dr. Kavyashree: Born blind to Siddaramu, a retired Commercial Tax Inspector and Meenakshi, a homemaker, Dr. Kavyashree did her initial schooling at Ranga Rao Memorial School for the Blind, Metagalli, PUC at Sri Vivekananda Composite Junior College in Jayalakshmipuram, BA at Viswakavi Kuvempu FGC and MA from Mysore University in Kannada medium.
Later for her Ph.D, she mastered English and submitted thesis on ‘Dynamics of Administration in Karnataka with Special Reference to Kengal Hanumanthaiah’s Regime.’
She has also presented papers on ‘Social work ethics and human values’ in Anantapur, AP and on ‘Politico-Administative Relations’ at Sri Venkateswara University,Tirupati.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / September 03rd, 2015
