Bridging the gap

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

How a hole in a boat led to the emergence of Bridge Man of India.

Gudaari in Odisha

Mangaluru :

For him, it was not a bridge too far. Though a mechanical engineer, he learnt — that too by chance —   that one can transform lives by building bridges. In the last three decades, he has built over 130 such structures, the latest one being built in Telangana.

Girish Bharadwaj (70), fondly called the Bridge Man, is seen as a messiah by many villages. His journey started with a hole in the bottom of a boat. For decades, the poor people of Aramburu, a remote village in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada, were dependent on a country boat to cross the Payaswini river to reach the mainland for all their work.

Kanive in Kodagu, Karnataka

But whenever the only boat developed a hole in the bottom, the village used to come to a standstill until it was fixed or a new boat was built. Fed up, in 1989, the villagers decided to find a permanent solution to their perennial problem and approached Girish Bharadwaj, a young graduate in mechanical engineering who was running a fabrication unit, with a request to construct a footbridge to tide over the crisis.

Initially, Bharadwaj laughed at the villagers’ innocent belief that all engineers can build bridges. But he finally decided to give it a shot after the villagers refused to believe that a mechanical engineer can’t build bridges and also seeing their pathetic situation. With the help of engineering friends from other streams and referring to books on bridges, he designed a plan for a low-cost hanging bridge. It was a crowd-pooling project with some villagers even offering  ‘shramdaan’.

 Apart from other labour costs and sponsored construction materials, the project cost less than Rs 2 lakh. The villagers were immensely happy as the bridge ushered in a new life. Months later, the economical bridge caught the attention of a senior government official who had flown to Mangaluru from Bengaluru on some work and he called him.

After going through the bridge design, the official requested Bharadwaj to join hands with the government in providing connectivity to several isolated villages in Malnad and the coastal region.  The journey thus started took him to various parts of Karnataka and even Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha where he built more than 130 bridges in over 30 years and became popular as the Bridge Man of India. His contribution to the rural empowerment was recognised by the government and he was bestowed with the Padma Shri in 2017.

Fern Hill in Ooty, Tamil Nadu

Bharadwaj said he adopted the technology of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo, both suspension bridges and considered marvels of modern engineering, and simplified it to suit the local needs. His suspension bridges are cost-effective compared to conventional ones. Though they are built as a matter of temporary solution to last for 10-20 years, many of them have stood in good condition even after the estimated life. Also, the bridges saw advancements in designs over the years.

With his work, Bharadwaj has also built bridges in the hearts of several villagers as they consider him as a messiah who lifted them from their miseries. In most of the work sites, he and his team of 30-40 workers pitch camp till the work that takes 3-6 months, is completed. While a majority of bridges are government-sponsored, there are a few, constructed with funds pooled by the villagers. For such projects, he offers his services for free. In some cases, when the project could not be completed due to lack of funds, Bharadwaj has spent from his pocket to complete it.

Bharadwaj was delighted when he received an individual letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his support for Swachch Bharat in which he recognised his ‘Sethu Bandhu’ work to have empowered poor villagers and has connected them to the world of opportunities. Bharadwaj says the demand for footbridges is almost nil now as people with four-wheelers prefer big RCC structures. Now, Bharadwaj’s son Pathanjali Bharadwaj, who is an M.Tech graduate, is continuing the work.

FABRICATION WORKS
After completing his engineering from PES College, Mandya in mid 1970s, Bharadwaj had dreamt of becoming an MD of some factory. But his father who was an agriculturist, encouraged him to aspire to become an employer and provide jobs to others rather than being just an employee under someone. Thus, he set up Rational Engineering Works in Sullia which carried out general fabrication works and manufactured farm machinery

IN NUMBERS  

Bharadwaj has built 

95 bridges in seven districts of Karnataka

32   in Kerala

05 in Telangana

03 in Odisha

One more in Telangana is under progress now

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Vincent D’Souza / Express News Service / November 15th, 2020

 

Noted journalist Ravi Belagere dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Editor of Hai Bengaluru, Ravi Belagere   | Photo Credit:  The Hindu Photo Library

Noted journalist and Kannada writer Ravi Belagere, 62, died of a cardiac arrest in the wee hours of Friday.

Owner and editor of a Kannada tabloid Hai Bangalore, Ravi Belagere was also a novelist and translator. He also started Prarthana, a noted school in South Bengaluru.

Ravi Belagere’s tabloid was widely read for its extensive coverage of the underworld. His columns such as Love Lavike, Khaas Baat and Paapigala Lokadalli were popular. Many of them were brought out as books. Hailing from the border district of Ballari, he also translated several Telugu works.

Ravi Belagere authored over 70 books in all, many if which were best sellers.

Constantly finding himself in the middle of controversies, he was pulled up in 2017 by the Karnataka Assembly for his “defamatory writings” against Congress MLA B.M. Nagaraj and BJP MLA S.R. Viswanath. He eventually got relief by the Karnataka High Court in the case. He was also imprisoned in connection with the attempt to killing of a journalist Sunil Heggaravalli.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – November 13th, 2020

New agricultural technologies on display at Krishi Mela in Bengaluru

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology
A view of the Krishi Mela in Bengaluru on Wednesday.   | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

The three-day Krishi Mela 2020, organised by the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore (UAS-B), began here on Wednesday. This year, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mela is low-key with limited number of people physically participating and limited number of stalls.

M. Byre Gowda of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) said 17 new agricultural technologies and three new varieties of crops, including groundnut, had been released this year for the benefit of farmers.

Demonstrations and information about the new agricultural technologies and three new varieties of crops were made during the the Mela.

Inaugurating the Mela, A.K. Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) Division, (Extension) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, said the UAS has been continuously supporting farmers in the use of technologies.

“The Government of India and the ICAR have developed State-specific documents as to what has to be done in each State and how agriculture universities and ICAR institutes and farmers should work together so that the technologies that are required for doubling farmers’ income could directly go the farmers,” he said and added that they were working in 2,000 villages across the country to develop a model for doubling farmers’ income.

“ICAR has recently developed around 70 bio-fortified varieties which have micronutrients. Hence, there is great scope for bio-fortified research and practice in the country,” he said.

V. Venkatasubramanian of ICAR said that they were focusing on increasing the productivity of the crop and livestock, as also the cropping intensity.

“Around 33 Krishi Vigyan Kendras in Karnataka are working to strengthen the quality and quantity of the produce and continuity of the produce based in the market demand and consumer preferences. We are apprising the farmers on generating resources on their own farm to reduce the cost of cultivation,” he said. Such efforts would yield better results in the future, he said.

Awards were given to progressive farmers at taluk level, district level and State levels at the Mela. Around 25 stalls on new technologies, including drone technology for farming, drew attention of farmers.

Those who are not able to physically attend the mela can watch it online on the website, YouTube, and social media.

Around 200 farmers were allowed at a time, and all anti-COVID-19 precautions, like face masks and social distancing, were in place. Only those in the age group of 18 to 60 are being allowed to physically attend the Mela.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / November 12th, 2020

Subbanna Ambesangi passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Writer Subbanna Ambesangi (70) died in Eklaspur in Bidar district on Monday.

He retired as a college lecturer.

Apart from creative works, he produced scholarly thesis on the problems of Kannada-speaking population in the border districts.

His poetry collections, Kadinalli Hidida Grahana, Aralu, Chetana and Balliya Hoo, have won awards.

He was also a recipient of the district level Rajyotsava award.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Belagavi – November 09th, 2020

Two inscriptions dating back to 14th and 18th centuries discovered in Rajanukunte

About Bangalore(Bengaluru) / Karnataka, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All, Travel
The team of history buffs with the inscription, dating back to the 14th century, found at Kadatanamale, near Rajanukunte, Doddaballapura.   | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail

Both pertain to land grants in the erstwhile ‘Yelahanka Nadu’

A team of history buffs, which includes a BMTC bus driver and a retired Kannada professor, has discovered two inscriptions, one dating back to the Hoysala kingdom during the 14th century and the other to the Wodeyar rule in the 18th century, near Rajanukunte, Doddaballapura.

Both inscriptions pertain to land grants in the erstwhile ‘Yelahanka Nadu’. The local villagers have initiated steps to conserve them.

K. Dhanapal, a driver and tour guide on BMTC’s Bengaluru Darshana, has been an epigraphy enthusiast who has discovered and helped conserve several inscriptions in the erstwhile Yelahanka Nadu, including a rare 9th century inscription discovered in Jakkur. He came across the two inscriptions in October.

“I got information about an inscription stone at a temple in Kadatanamale village,” he told The Hindu.

Prof. K.R. Narasimhan, a passionate epigraphist who led the study team, said the inscription was actually found around five years ago. The villagers had put it on display for the public, half buried in concrete.

“Last week, we led an effort to unearth the inscription and read it. It’s dated 1310 AD, during the reign of Hoysala king Veera Ballala III. The inscription is written in 14th century Kannada, easily understood even today, and has 18 lines. It says Kameya Dandanayaka, son of Ponnanna Dandanayaka, the prime minister of Veera Ballala III, ruling over Elahakka Nadu, has donated all the land of Kadatanamale for the welfare of the people of the village,” he explained.

The inscription stone was found in the Kambada Anjaneya temple in which the sanctum sanctorum has a pillar on which there is an engraving of Anjaneya.

“The pillar is a Garuda kamba, usually placed outside a large temple. Now, only a portion of the pillar remains, which has become a temple in itself. This site probably had a large temple in the 14th century,” Prof. Narasimhan speculates.

The inscription refers to Yelahanka as Elahakka Nadu. “Over 50 inscriptions have been found in this region that date back to the Hoysala period, especially to the reign of Veera Ballala III. When studied together, they show this particular king had taken keen interest in the development of this region,” Prof. Narasimhan said. “Earlier inscriptions dating back to the Chola period refer to this region as Ilaippakka Nadu.”

While the team was at Kadatanamale, they were tipped off about a similar inscription near a sweet water well in Arakere, a neighbouring village.

Mr. Dhanapal said, “That inscription too was half-buried next to a well, and the water had erased many lines. As we unearthed the inscription, we realised it was probably cut in two, and this was only one part of it. Despite an extensive search, we could not find the other half.”

Prof. Narasimhan said, “The second inscription dates back to 1750 AD, to the time of Wodeyar rule. It is also a land grant, but since the inscription is incomplete, we do not have the details.”

Villagers at Kadatanamale and Arakere have come together to conserve these inscription stones.

“The government and the villagers need to preserve these inscriptions in these villages, with a plaque educating visitors of their contents and significance,” Mr. Dhanapal said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj / November 10th, 2020

Wipro’s Azim Premji emerges as most generous Indian in FY20

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Premji pipped HCL Technologies’ Shiv Nadar, who had earlier topped the list collated by Hurun Report India and Edelgive Foundation, by a wide margin.

Wipro Chairman Azim Premji (File Photo | PTI)

Mumbai :

IT major Wipro’s Azim Premji donated Rs 22 crore a day or Rs 7,904 crore in a year to emerge as the most generous Indian in FY20 and top a list of philanthropy.

Premji pipped HCL Technologies’ Shiv Nadar, who had earlier topped the list collated by Hurun Report India and Edelgive Foundation, by a wide margin.

Nadar’s donations stood at Rs 795 crore for FY20 as against Rs 826 crore in the year-ago period.

Premji had donated Rs 426 crore in the previous fiscal.

Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries retained the third spot among the list of givers by donating Rs 458 crore as against Rs 402 crore a year ago, it said.

The raging pandemic had the corporate honchos repurposing their donations to fight the COVID infections, and the top giver on this turned out to be Tata Sons with a Rs 1,500- crore commitment, followed by Premji at Rs 1,125 crore and Ambani’s Rs 510 crore.

A bulk of the corporate commitments seemed to be given to the PM-CARES Fund, with Reliance Industries committing Rs 500 crore, and Aditya Birla Group donating Rs 400 crore, the report said.

It can be noted that Tatas’ commitment also includes a Rs 500 crore donation to the newly created fund.

Premji’s generosity pulled the total donations up by 175 per cent to Rs 12,050 crore in FY20, the list said.

Azim Premji Endowment Fund owns 13.6 per cent of the promoter’s shareholding in Wipro and has the right to receive all money earned from promoter shares, the report said.

The number of individuals who have donated more than Rs 10 crore increased marginally to 78 from the year-ago period’s 72, the report said.

With a donation of Rs 27 crore, Amit Chandra and Archana Chandra of ATE Chandra foundation are the first and only professional managers to ever enter the list.

The list has three of Infosys’ co-founders with Nandan Nilekani (Rs 159 crore), S Gopalkrishnan (Rs 50 crore) and S D Shibulal (Rs 32 crore).

The list of 109 individuals who have donated over Rs 5 crore has seven women, led by Rohini Nilekani’s Rs 47 crore.

Education is the highest beneficiary sector with 90 philanthropists, led by Premji and Nadar, donating Rs 9,324 crore, the report said, adding healthcare came second with 84 donors and was followed by disaster relief and rehabilitation with 41 donors.

The financial capital led by donor count at 36, followed by New Delhi at 20 and Bengaluru at 10.

E-commerce firm Flipkart’s co-founder Binny Bansal was the youngest donor at 37 with a commitment of Rs 5.3 crore and the average age of the donors on the list was 66 years, it said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business / by PTI / November 10th, 2020

India’s first game designer to be inducted into Women in Games Hall of Fame, talks about her journey

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Poornima Seetharaman

Poornima Seetharaman did not set out to be a game designer. After her engineering, she landed her first job at a South Korean mobile game development company in Mumbai. She was given a month’s time to come up with the design for a 2D mobile game along the lines of Neverwinter Nights. “Back then, there were barely any resources available. I found Chris Crawford’s Game Design Document template. The company also provided me with Dungeon and Dragons (D&D) manuals which are considered the Bible for role-playing games,” she says. It was enough to get her hooked on.

Today she has become the first Indian game designer to be inducted into the Women in Games, Global Hall of Fame. The Bengaluru-based designer has managed to break into a strictly male bastion. “On one hand, there is the struggle of breaking the invisible glass ceiling and on the other hand you do get some opportunities because you are a woman in gaming. At times, it is a struggle to be taken seriously or to be considered an equal or better. I’m here because I refuse to give up and I’ve a support system that treats me on equal footing,” says Seetharaman, who is currently part of the Zynga family as their Lead Game Designer.

Screen grabsof the games she designed

In her almost 15-year-long career, Seetharaman considers Bioshock 3D Mobile—a remake of the original BioShock game for the BREW platform—the major turning point. Fitting a sprawling game into a feature phone with all sorts of restrictions was a huge achievement for her team and was one of the most rewarding experiences for her. It helped her grow as a professional, believes the designer, who is also visiting faculty, project consultant and curriculum committee member at the National Institute of Design, Bengaluru.

When not designing, Seetharaman likes to play Age of Empires II and Warcraft III, which according to her are “the reasons why I’m in game development today”. Quiz her about her dream project and she replies without hesitation, “Madhuram (sweetness), an infusion of Carnatic music with games, to take the player on a journey of Navarasa (nine emotions). The idea—inspired by my late aunt, Guru TR Balamani who devoted her entire life to teaching Carnatic music even as she sacrificed her concert career—has been brewing for almost six years now.

It shall hopefully see light of the day soon.” India is slowly edging towards becoming a gaming hub. But the prime focus is the mobile market that assures funding for companies that run fantasy sports, real money gaming, educational games ,etc. “The PC/Console game and generally the indie scene in India could use some more love. We have the talent and the skills. I’m setting up a community for women and marginalised genders in games,” says Seetharaman, who believes in using the power of gaming to create a meaningful and impactful change in thinking.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Medha Dutta Yadav / November 08th, 2020

Belagavi man elected to Michigan legislature

Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion
Shrinivas Thanedar  

The elections in the U.S. have a Belagavi connection. Shrinivas Thanedar, who goes by the name of Shri Thanedar and has been elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in the U.S., has roots in Belagavi Old City.

A member of the Democratic Party, he unsuccessfully contested the elections to the Governor’s office in Michigan in 2018.

“My life has seen ups and downs. I came from a low income family to build a multi-million dollar business empire. I have suffered losses in business and recovered,’’ he wrote on his website, www.shriformi.com.

The 65-year-old multi-millionaire pharmacology industrialist began his life in the U.S. as an emigrant student of chemistry in 1979.

He left Belagavi five years before that. He studied in the Chintamanrao School in Belagavi. His father, a government employee, died when the children were young and his mother, Sulochana, worked hard to raise her six children. Dr. Thanedar worked as a clerk in the State Bank of India and studied for his B.Sc and M.Sc while in service.

He left for the U.S. after he cleared his post-graduation from Mumbai University with good grades. He completed his research in polymers and received a doctorate from the University of Akron and and continued his post-doctoral work in the University of Michigan. He also worked for a few years as a Polymer Synthesis Chemist and Project Leader at the Petrolite Corporation in St. Louis, in the late 1980s.

He has declared on his website that he has been elected to the House of Representatives in Michigan with 93 % votes. He raised over U.S. $ 4.3 lakh for his campaign in the primaries. He began his campaign in late 2018, with slogans like “Shri for We” . He spoke of his humble beginnings and the American dream that let a constrained emigrant student achieve success as an industrialist. He spoke of his “comeback story” several times in his speeches.

He bought Chemir, a small company in the U.S., in 1990 and turned it around. It went from U.S. $ 1.5 lakh in annual sales to over U.S $ 60 million and from three employees to 400 employees.

He wrote and published “Hi Shrichi Ichcha”, a book in Marathi about his life’s challenges.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Belagavi – November 06th, 2020