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Dancing his way to a record
Rahul Shetty scripts history by choreographing the largest number of roller skaters in Belagavi.
Bengaluru :
Choreographing a dance routine for 270 roller skaters with just 10-12 days of planning for a 14-minute song is no easy feat. But on Thursday, Rahul Shetty, a Mumbai-based choreographer, was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records for accomplishing this feat.
The event itself took place in 2015, at the Shiv Ganga Roller Skating Club in Belagavi and also bagged a record in Guinness Book of World Records that year. When he was putting the event together five years ago, the thought of a world record hadn’t crossed his mind. “I never expected this. When I was in school, my parents had got me this big fat Guinness Book of World Records which had fancy illustrations and real pictures of record holders. I always used to wonder if I could ever have my name in that book,” says the Street Dance 3D choreographer.
Although he was born in Mumbai, his roots are in Mangaluru. Dance shows that a young Shetty put together for the Bunt community, to which he belongs, served as a launch pad for his journey in dance. He recalls that his father, who is from Mulki (25km from Mangaluru), used to encourage him to serve Karnataka, the land of his cultural roots. “My parents are proud that I have been able to contribute laurels to my motherland. This, after a bag of opportunities presented itself in B-town and exposed me to some of the finest choreographers and actors in Mumbai,” says the 30-year-old.
Shetty had to overcome multiple challenges to make the 2015 show a success. “We had to get to the fundamentals of dance moves. Moreover, we had to train participants of varying age groups. From hand movements to body posturing, a lot of things had to be in sync for all 270 roller skaters. I also collaborated with Sandeep Kinekar, a local choreographer, and Nikhil Chandaka, a skater who helped in orchestrating the show,” says Shetty. When the pandemic crisis eases and Covid restrictions are relaxed in Maharashtra, Shetty will begin work on projects he has signed up for.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / May 03rd, 2021
Math maker of Bengaluru uses out-of-the-box methods
Mahesha M, who quit his corporate career to teach maths, makes the subject easy for young students with his innovative pedagogical methods.
“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics,” said the mathematician Paul Halmos. Mahesha M of Prajna Mathematics at Hebbal in Bengaluru lets his students do this, but with his out-of-the-box methodologies.
Whether it is the touch-and-feel method for teaching geometry or origami to drive home the concepts of algebra or even ancient folklore to make students get a grip on numbers, Mahesha is always on the look-out for innovative teaching methods.
“I have come across books published way back in 1882 that explain the basics of algebra and its application in real life in a wonderful way. The methods I use today is the result of years of research, experimentation and developing my own materials based on these learnings,” adds the 46-year-old.
In fact, Mahesha has a sack full of tamarind seeds at his centre (marbles are hardly available these days, he says) for younger children to count in order to develop a knack for numbers. “I just ask them to pick out, say, 200 seeds in a given time; it is up to them to find out the fastest method,” quips Mahesha, who also studies how mathematical concepts are taught in schools across Europe and America.
He has bought several such materials which he either modifies or improvises on to suit the needs of his students. This is particularly useful while teaching concepts like fractions, Mahesha says. From mathematical games like the Rubik’s cube to models like the tower of Hanoi and techniques like mental and Vedic maths, Mahesha uses a combination of multiple tools to make maths fun for children.
As a result, he says, his students are easily able to recite tables up to 100 using simple methods like splitting and distributive property. “I developed a love for the subject with Mahesha Sir when I was struggling in school. With his coaching, I completed my MSc in maths and became a maths lecturer. Now I plan to enrol for a PhD in the subject,” says his student Shalini, who now lives in Germany.
Being physically challenged since he was an infant, Mahesha spent his formative years confined indoors. Playing with marbles and counting them in groups of 2,5,10 etc. made him develop a liking for numbers. But it was not until high school that he developed a true love for maths.
Mahesha went on to finish his engineering in computer science and worked for over 15 years in the corporate sector. Teaching, however, remained his first love. “Teaching is something that I truly enjoy. I want students to be aware, think and ask questions,” says Mahesha who has been a full-time teacher since 2017.
With two batches a day, close to 60 students from Class III to X and four other teachers, Mahesha has his hands full. The morning batch of 30 high school students from Hebbal Government School are coached free of cost.
Crippled at the age of two by polio, Mahesha faced issues of mobility and poverty. Therefore, he helps many people struggling with these issues too. “Mahesha’s story is one that needs to be told and his contribution in the academic success of several students, including my son, is invaluable,” says Anitha, a teacher with an international school, and whose son Parikshit is a student of Prajna.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Rashmi Gopal Rao / Express News Service / May 02nd, 2021
TiE pitchfest held, start-up gets Rs 1 lakh prize
Sapientury, a start-up, co-founded by S L Kushal and Komala Channa from Bengaluru-based RV College of Engineering, will receive a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh in May, during the TiE Global University Pitchfest, from the Mysuru chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).
TiE Mysuru chapter president Ajith Pai said, “TiE University Pitchfest – 2021 was conducted for university students and more than 48 teams from 26 institutions across Karnataka participated. As part of the competition, the teams pitched their ideas to a panel of experts, that included successful entrepreneurs, academicians and professionals.”
He said, “K-tech Innovation Hub of IKP, partnered with TiE Mysuru, on this project, and offered three months free incubation and mentorship support to the top four finalists. A series of free workshops and mentoring sessions were organised by TiE for the benefit of the teams. All the teams were mentored and guided by TiE Mysuru chapter, its members and partners.”
Pai said, “TiE Mysuru strives to provide an enabling ecosystem to students, to nurture them into quality entrepreneurs. Mahesh Rao, charter member and head of TiE-University Mysuru and other members contributed for the success of the event.”
The four teams that made it to the final round are: Sapientury, Drona Automations, InfinityX Innovations and Broomstick.
Sapientury, co-founded by Kushal S L and Komala Channa, is an IIMB-incubated, EdTech start-up that has developed a DIY Kit, coupled with online micro-courses for engineering students, to become industry-ready, by learning beyond the syllabus.
Drona Automations, founded by Suraj Wodeyar from VIAT Muddenahalli, has developed an innovative Horizontal Sewer Pipes Cleaning Robot, to provide controlled cleaning of pipes.
InfinityX Innovations, founded by Satyam Raj of Cambridge Institute of Technology, is working on accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in India, with their automatic battery swapping stations, through an innovative battery pack and swapping and cable setup.
Broomstick, a Mysuru-based startup, is developing an innovative device for commercial floor cleaning for the Indian market. Broomstick was co-founded by Mehul Jain and K G Yogindra from The National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru.
The panel of judges included Craig Abbott, managing partner, CWA Advisors, and board member, TiE New York, USA; Hemaltha Annamalai, former CEO and MD, Ampere Vehicles, and past president TiE Coimbatore chapter; and Viiveck Verma, founder of UpSurge Enterprise Solutions and board member, TiE Hyderabad chapter. They evaluated the pitches on parameters like, innovation, scalability, market opportunity, commercialisation and business model.
The cash prize of Rs 1 lakh of TiE Mysuru chapter includes Rs 50,000 sponsored by D Sudhanva, CEO of Excelsoft. All teams will receive $1,000 Amazon Web Service (AWS) credits along with one-year TiE Mysuru Student Membership and participation certificates.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by T R Sathish Kumar, Mysuru / April 29th, 2021
Japan to confer Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays decoration to Bengaluru teacher
Bengaluru teacher Shyamala Ganesh, the former director of the Japanese Language School, will be conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.
In a press release, Consulate-General of Japan, Bengaluru highlighted Ms. Ganesh’s contribution to the spread of the Japanese language and culture in Karnataka.
The decision to confer the decoration is the first of its kind since the establishment of the Consulate-General of Japan in Bengaluru, the release stated.
Ms. Ganesh is also former President of the Bengaluru Chapter of Ohara-ryu Ikebana, and helped popularise not just the language but also other cultural traditions such as Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangements, and hosting exchange events.
As the Director of the Japanese Language School, Ms. Ganesh contributed to the spread of the language and trained candidates for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test course.
As an administrative executive of the “Lotus and Chrysanthemum Trust” whose establishment she has contributed to, Ms. Ganesh contributed enormously to the promotion of understanding and mutual understanding of both Japanese and Indian cultures, stated the release.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – April 30th, 2021
LCA Tejas adds 5th gen air-to-air missile to its weapons capability
Test firing validated performance under extremely challenging scenarios, says DRDO
Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LAC) Tejas added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) to its air-to-air weapons capability after successful trials, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Wednesday.
“Trials were also aimed to validate enhanced capability of already integrated Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM on Tejas. The test firing at Goa completed a series of missile trials to validate its performance under extremely challenging scenarios,” a DRDO statement said.
Derby missile achieved direct hit on a high speed manoeuvring aerial target and the Python missiles also achieved 100% hits, thereby validating their complete capability, it said. “The trials met all their planned objectives.”
Missile carriage flight tests
Prior to these trials, extensive missile carriage flight tests were conducted at Bengaluru to assess integration of the missile with aircraft systems on board the Tejas, like avionics, fire-control radar, missile weapon delivery system and the flight control system. At Goa, after successful separation trials, live launch of the missile was carried out on Tuesday.
“Python-5 missile live firing was conducted to validate target engagement from all aspects as well as beyond visual ranges. In all the live firings, missile hit the aerial target.” The missiles were fired from Tejas aircraft of the Aeronautical Development Agency flown by the IAF test pilots from the national flight test centre.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Special Correspondent / New Delhi – April 28th, 2021
DRDO to aid hospitals generate oxygen on site
Technology developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will help them generate oxygen on site, to be given to needy patients.
Bengaluru :
Hospitals may soon no longer have to wait for medical oxygen to be transported from long distances. Technology developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will help them generate oxygen on site, to be given to needy patients.
The Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) technology, developed by DRDO for on-board oxygen generation in the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas by DRDO’s Bengaluru-based Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), will now be employed in the fight against the current crisis of oxygen for Covid-19 patients. The same technology generates oxygen for fighter pilots flying the Tejas at high altitudes.
The oxygen plant is designed for a capacity of 1,000 litres per minute (LPM). It can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 LPM and refill 195 cylinders per day. The technology has already been transferred to Bengaluru-based Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Coimbatore-based Trident Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd, which will be producing a total of 380 plants of 1,000 LPM capacity for installation across various hospitals in India. Another 120 oxygen plants of 500 LPM capacity will be produced by industries working with Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, coming under the CSIR, according to a Ministry of Defence release.
With DRDO tech, hospitals can make O2 in cost-effective way
The MOP technology is capable of generating oxygen with 93±3 per cent concentration which can directly be supplied to hospital beds or used to fill medical oxygen cylinders. It utilizes Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technique and Molecular Sieve (Zeolite) technology to generate oxygen directly from atmospheric air. With the plants at their disposal, hospitals will be able to generate on-site medical oxygen in a cost-effective manner, rather than depend on suppliers from other places.
Apart from the Light Combat Aairaft fighter pilots, this oxygen plant has already proven its worth in preventing adverse health effects among jawans and officers of the Indian Army due to scarcity of oxygen in high altitude regions where they are posted in inaccessible and remote areas in the northern region. The MOP has already been installed at some of the Army sites in the North-East and Leh- Ladakh regions.
The plant complies with international standards like ISO 1008, European, US and Indian Pharmacopeia. Site preparation for five plants to be installed in Delhi/NCR region has al ready be e n initiated. The Defence Research and Development Organisation has initiated fabrication of 380 medical oxygen plants with release of supply orders for 332 units to Tata Advanced Systems and 48 to Trident Pneumatics Pvt. with a target of producing 125 plants per month under PM-CARES Fund. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman, Defence Research and Developpment Organisation, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, has assured the support of DRDO for use of the technology by hospitals and other health agencies.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 29th, 2021