Monthly Archives: October 2017
Embassy flat sells for Rs 50 crore, highest ever in Bengaluru
HIGHLIGHTS
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Bengaluru :
The Embassy Group has sold an apartment for Rs 50 crore to Ajit Prabhu, chairman and chief executive of engineering outsourcing company Quest Global, making it the biggest residential deal in Bengaluru, according to people familiar with the matter.
Prabhu has bought the 16,000-sqft apartment in Embassy One, near Hebbal, which houses a 230-room Four Seasons luxury hotel, 110 Four Seasons-branded residences, 150,000 sqft of office space and 60,000 sqft of retail space. The per-sqft rate for the apartment works out to about Rs 31,000. Last year, Flipkart’s Binny Bansal acquired a 10,000-sqft home in Koramangala III Block -a coveted neighborhood of self-made billionaires -for Rs 32 crore.
Prabhu, who grew up in Hubballi, divides his time between Singapore and India. He will own the yet-to-be customized apartment on the top of the South Tower, and it’s the 30th floor. The first 21 floors will be dedicated to the Four Seasons hotel, and the rest will be serviced residences. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and some of the Infosys co-founders were among the first to invest in these branded residences. Embassy confirmed the deal, but declined to confirm the buyer. Prabhu could not be immediately reached for comment. “Sales like this bring a great sense of confidence in the market,” Reeza Sebastian, head of Embassy residential marketing and sales, told TOI.
The 1-million-sqft project, previously called City View, was originally owned by Goldman Sachs (73%) and Dayanand Pai’s Century Real Estate Holdings (26%). The investment bank entered into a conditional agreement to sell it to RMZ a few years ago, but failed following opposition from its minority shareholder.
Embassy, led by its flamboyant billionaire promoter Jitu Virwani, stepped in and bought the entire project for Rs 605 crore. During this period of uncertainty, the project was hobbled by delays and ran the risk of being classified as a nonperforming asset by the State Bank of India (SBI).
Prabhu, who has made 75% of the payment, is expected to move in once the apartment is ready by the middle of 2018. Sebastian said the company has sold about 52% of the apartments. The residences will have concierge services, 24 hour valet parking, and residents will enjoy the hotel’s paid services such as room service, limousines and apartment-cleaning.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Avik Das / TNN / October 11th, 2017
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Seeking to keep memory of Esur struggle alive, 75 years on
In 1943, the British hanged five residents of this village for declaring independence and forming their own government
The name of Esur village in Shivamogga district is etched in the annals of Indian history for the uprising by its residents 75 years ago against the British.
But the alleged negligence by the State government to commemorate the event is being rued now by those who had participated in the Esur struggle.
In 1942, a series of programmes were held in Esur village of Shikaripur taluk as part of the Quit India Movement. Farmers in the village had suffered loss that year due to natural calamity and refused to pay tax.
The intimidation tactics by the British administration to collect tax didn’t yield result and the farmers barred the entry of government officials to the village.
On September 29, 1942, the residents hoisted the tricolour on Veerabhadreshwara temple and declared that the village was liberated from British rule.
A meeting of villagers that was convened immediately formed its own government.
Upon hearing this, the British government sent the police to arrest those who had hoisted the flag.
A clash ensued and a policeman and a revenue officer were killed.
The additional troops sent by the British allegedly looted and plundered the village, following which the residents fled and took refuge in a nearby forest.
More than 200 people who had participated in freedom struggle in Esur were arrested, of which five, Gurappa, Jinahalli Mallappa, Suryanarayanachar, Badakalli Halappa and Gowdru Shankarappa, were hanged to death on March 8, 1943.
Anusuyamma, a freedom fighter from Esur, told The Hindu that as part of the Quit India Movement the entire village used to take part in bhajan programmes on a daily basis.
Dramas on the theme of patriotism were staged in the village regularly. “The same patriotic fervour and spirit should be recreated in the village by organising special programmes to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Esur struggle,” she said.
N.S. Huchrayappa, a freedom fighter who was jailed for four years, told The Hindu that a pillar, erected on the outskirts of the village with names of those hanged engraved on it, is covered with weeds and the place is cleaned only during national festivals.
The Huthatmara Smaraka Bhavan, a building constructed in the memory of martyrs that was converted into an anganwadi centre later, has now become dilapidated.
In Vidurashwatha village in Gauribidanur taluk known as Jallianwallah Bagh of South India, a Veera Soudha that hosts a photo gallery and a library has been constructed to commemorate the freedom struggle. In addition to this, the Vidurashwatha also has an open air theatre and a park.
Mr. Huchrayappa has pressed the State government to develop Esur village on a similar model.
“Esur should be developed in such a way that, the spirit of patriotism should be rekindled among those who visit it,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Veerendra P M / Shivamogga – October 08th, 2017
New coach duo have task cut out
Head coach P V Shashikanth and his assistant G K Anil Kumar look to revive Karnataka’s glory days
When Karnataka begin their campaign in this edition of the Ranji Trophy against Assam in Mysuru on Saturday, P V Shashikanth and G K Anil Kumar will have massive shoes to fill.
After they failed to win a single title for two straight seasons, Karnataka saw a change in the coaching set-up. The popular coach duo of JAK and MAK — J Arun Kumar (head coach) and Mansoor Àli Khan (his assistant) — were removed from their respective posts. The combination, which guided Karnataka to six titles between 2013-15, made way for Shashikanth and Anil.
For a team brimming with equal amount of talent and experience, the eight-time champions have flattered to deceive in the last two editions and the newly-appointed coaches will have their tasks cut out. There exists an air of curiosity as to how the pair will go about its business. Shashikanth says he is aware of the expectations.
“There is no doubt that JAK and MAK did a fantastic job. We have worked hard ever since we joined the team. I see our role as facilitators. I think we need to create a good atmosphere around the team to gain the desired results. There were certain things which were going awry and we believe we have set it right,” the former Karnataka batsman offered.
The fact that the duo holds good amount of coaching experience augurs well for them. Shashikanth and Anil have in the past helmed various age-group sides of Karnataka and together they were instrumental in putting the Karnataka U-23 team into the Elite group from Plate Division last year. Anil is confident of carrying forward the good work to the senior side.
“Shashikanth sir has been the State captain and has led legendary cricketers. He has the experience of handling teams. I have worked with the India U-19 team and we both have coached the Karnataka ‘A’ teams. We believe in working with a disciplined and meticulous approach,” explains Anil.
The duo perhaps also has an added advantage of nurturing the current set of senior players right through their junior days. “We have been working with these guys for a long time now. Almost 80 percent of the players were 13-14 years old when we started our coaching stint. They have been nurtured well and we have a good connect with them. We know them inside out, how they react to situations and how they are useful in different situations in a game. So it is like a journey of ten years. This will be really important for us to bind the team this year and it is a big plus point,” says Anil.
JAK and MAK did wonders for the Karnataka side with their enviable chemistry. The team achieved unprecedented success and players like K L Rahul, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair realised their goal of playing for the country.
Echoing Anil’s thoughts, Shashikanth says he shares a great rapport with his colleague. “We start with an advantage. We have an edge because we have worked with the players during their under-23 and under-19 times. Of course there are differences. Now they are no longer boys. They are men. It’s about man managing them. That’s where our role lies. As far our chemistry is concerned, we know each other from a long time. It’s like running between the wickets. I need not ask him anything. I just have to look at him and he is ready to respond. We have been working hard to serve Karnataka cricket.”
While there were standout individual performances, it was evident that Karnataka failed to click as a unit in the last couple of seasons. Their inability to fire as a group saw them fall short in crunch games.
Shashikanth asserts that regrouping the side was their main challenge. “We are trying to regroup the team and keep them motivated. Karnataka has got a rich history in cricket. Whenever players get selected for the State side, they dream of playing for the country. We need to get everyone together for a common goal and that’s the only way we can win the Ranji Trophy. When we won the title in 1995, around eight of them went on to play for the country. Similarly, following the stellar show between 2013 and 2015, many players got breaks. Thus the players must now once again perform well and try to win matches for Karnataka.”
Regaining the past glory will not be easy for Karnataka. There is no denying that they start one of the favourites and but R Vinay Kumar’s men will certainly be tested in their quest to win their ninth title. Both the coaches see this as an exciting challenge. “For a team that has won six titles in two years, for the kind of experience it brings in, the kind of depth we have, the season is certainly interesting and exciting. But we are looking at one match at a time. If we realise our potential and do the basics day in and day out then we can do wonders,” expresses Anil.
Shashinakth believes senior members of the team will have a crucial role to play.
“We have enough firepower and the senior members in the side will be of great help. They will make our job easier. Take Vinay for example. He has been around for ten years now. Our pacers share close to 800 first-class wickets between them. The senior campaigners will look to keep the team together and make them be on the same page,” concludes Shashikanth.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Sportscene / by Vivek MV / DH News Service, Bengaluru / October 08th, 2017
Renovated house of Karanth to be dedicated on his birth anniversary
Mangaluru :
Jnanpith awardee Kota Shivaram Karanth’s original house in Puttur, which is renovated, will be inaugurated on the birth anniversary of the celebrated writer on October 10.
The renovation of Balavana in Puttur is almost over and finishing touches are being given.
The writer, who built the house in 1930, was living there till 1973. A team of conservation architects of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) led by Pankaj Modi have taken up the restoration of the poet’s house.
All the old materials of the including stones, tiles, rafters, door frames and windows have been restored. Only the damaged things are replaced with the new ones to give the house an original look.
The state government has given Rs 29 lakh for the restoration of the house. Another Rs 1 crore was sanctioned in the 2015 budget for other development works to be taken up in a phased manner.
Puttur assistant commissioner Raghunandan Murthy told TOI that Kannada and culture minister Umashree will dedicate the house. “We have plans to hold programmes for children as well as cultural and literary events at the house on a regular basis,” he added.
Puttur MLA Shakunthala Shetty said the second phase of the restoration work on other buildings the writer had built 80 years ago is being taken up through a committee set up in 2016. The MLA is also a member of the committee that comprises secretary of Kannada and culture department, scholar Vivek Rai, writer’s daughter Kshama Rau and son Ullas Karanth.
“Various literary and cultural programmes will be organized to mark the inauguration of the house on October 10,” she added.
District minister Ramanath Rai inagurate the function. Chikkaballapur MP M Veerappa Moily will dedicate the museum, where books, manuscripts and other belongings of Karantha will be kept, Shakunthala Shetty said.
Literary, Cultural programmes
A workshop on Karanth’s literary work will be held after the inauguration of the house. Vivekananda College retired principal H Madhava Bhat will chair the workshop organized for students. Sadhana Sangeetha Shale, Kombettu and Saraswathi Sangeetha Vidyalaya, Nehru Nagara, will present a musical concert. Yakshagana Kalakendra, Udupi, will present ‘Chakravyooha’, a Yakshagana bayalata.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Bangalore News / by Times News Network / October 07th, 2017
Nobel boost to Bengaluru’s link to LIGO
City scientists play significant role in project pioneered by this year’s Nobel laureates
As Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne take the stage later this year to accept the Nobel Prize for Physics, they will be standing on the shoulders of hundreds of collaborators from across the world, who collectively made it possible to sense gravitational waves that “shook the world” in 2016.
Of these, more than 35 scientists from India, including a team of seven from Bengaluru-based International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), played a significant role in understanding and deciphering the data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), an international collaboration pioneered by the three Nobel laureates.
At Hessarghatta, the seven-member team — led by Parameswaran Ajith from ICTS — works on modelling the sources of gravitational waves, among others; their LIGO Tier-3 grid computing centre tests Einstein’s famous Theory of Relativity with the data thrown up by the detectors in the U.S. and Europe. “The laureates associate themselves with the LIGO/Virgo collaboration rather than their individual academic institutions. They have even said the award would be received on behalf of the collaborators. It’s heartening to see this,” says Dr. Ajith.
The team, after all, finds a place amongst the thousand authors, including the three laureates, of the paper ‘Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger’, which announced the experimental proof of gravitational waves in 2016.
India and LIGO
Indian scientists have a long, often unacknowledged presence in the fledgling field. For instance, the works of C. V. Vishveshwara, who died in the city earlier this year, in the 1970s continues to remain highly relevant.
And, it is perhaps these initial forays that has seen India do better in this field of research than others. “A few decades ago, it was just two of us in gravitational waves,” says Bala Iyer, chairperson of IndIGO (Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations) consortium and also associated with ICTS. “Now, there is a community of over 200 and we are struggling to keep up with the interest.”
With the ₹1,500-crore Indian LIGO detector expected to be operational by 2024, India is expected to play a key role in utilising the discovery that many scientists say is bigger than X-ray or microwave radiation that gave unparalleled views of the universe.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Mohit M. Rao / Bengaluru – October 05th, 2017
Gauri Lankesh honoured with Anna Politkovskaya Award
Journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by unknown assailants on September 5, has been posthumously accorded with the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award, instituted by Reach All Women (RAW) in War.
RAW, in a statement, said that it was honoured to award the annual Anna Politkovskaya Award for women human rights defenders from war and conflict zones jointly to Gauri Lankesh posthumously, and to a brave Pakistani activist Gulalai Ismaial, who similarly is fighting against Islamic extremism. Ms. Ismail has faced the death threats for speaking out against the Taliban in north-west Pakistan.
Gauri is the 12th woman to receive this prestigious award. Nominations Committee members have observed that they were deeply moved by Gauri and Gulalai’s bravery and dedication to peace and human rights. The citation reads: Gauri Lankesh was a major figure in India, critic of right-wing Hindu extremism, campaigner for women’s rights, fiercely opposed to the caste system, campaigning for rights of Dalits and so on.
With mixed feelings, Kavitha Lankesh, Gauri’s sister, told media persons here on Thursday that the Anna Politkovskaya Award was a morale booster for people who want to write and continue to fight against injustice. It was an honour not only for the members of Gauri’s family, but also to “huge family” that loved Gauri for her commitment to the cause of secular ideals, justice, equality and women rights. “In fact, the award honours what Gauri stood for throughout her life… that ‘you cannot silence me’,” said a teary-eyed Ms. Kavitha.
The announcement of the award was an emotional one, as Gauri’s brother Indrajit Lankesh, mother Indira Lankesh and close friend M.S. Ashadevi struggled to find words to express their feelings on RAW honouring Gauri with this international award.
Gauri was awarded with Periyar Award posthumously by the Thinkers Forum on September 17 in Bengaluru.
Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist was killed in 2006 in Moscow for her courage to speak out on behalf of the suffering of the civilians in the war in Chechnya. “It is not by coincidence that Gauri’s work, her personality and the way she was killed for her work reminded us so much of the way Anna lived and died for the truth,” said members of nominations committee.
To mark the anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya’s murder on October 7, 2006 and to honour Anna and the women like in the world, RAW in War annually presents the award to a female human rights defender from conflict zone.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – October 05th, 2017