Category Archives: Inspiration / Positive News and Features

From grocery store work to CM’s Sarvonnatha medal

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Constable now a key person in developing apps for State police

Thirty years ago, he worked in a grocery store in two shifts to meet the expenses for his intermediate studies.

Today, 46-year-old police constable P. Ramulu is winner of Mukhyamantri Sarvonnatha police medal 2018, the highest medal given to police personnel by the State Government on the eve of State Formation Day. From a Telugu-medium student in a government school to become a key person in developing applications for the police department, his has been an arduous yet fascinating journey.

Eldest of three sons of a labourer couple from Amangal of unified Mahbubnagar district, Ramulu came to Hyderabad for intermediate education. “I worked in a grocery store at Lakdikapul in morning and evening shifts and attended classes at Kachiguda Government Junior College,” he recalled.

Continuing his struggle, he joined B.Com course and got selected as a constable in 1991 after writing the first year exam. In his first posting at Santoshnagar, Ramulu created a record of sorts by executing hundreds of warrants pending for over four years in less than two months.

Noticing his writing skills, the officers shifted him as Assistant Station Writer, one who prepares case diaries, charge-sheets and investigation reports.

In 2001, the Government selected nearly 400 constables from Hyderabad police to work for e-Cop project, the first step towards computerisation of police department. After one-week training, 10 were selected out of the 400. Ramulu topped the ranking when four were selected from those 10. “With the help of other three colleagues, I installed 260 computer systems in all police stations of Hyderabad and other important offices,” the constable said with a sparkle in his eyes. Recognising the services of the self-motivated constable, senior officers sent him for additional training in Database System Administration, hardware and networking. In one training module lasting a year, he used to work at the institute from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., come back to office and work till late in the night. “Those long hours of work taught me a lot of new techniques and subjects. This helped me design latest applications of Hyderabad police like HAWKEYE and HYDCOP,” he said.

Balancing his training, work and family life, Ramulu completed his graduation which he had discontinued after joining the department. To hone his IT skills, he secured admission into M.Sc. (Information Technology) from Sikkim Manipal university and successfully completed it.

“The department has given to me so many opportunities, and I want to give my best,” he said, expressing joy over being selected for the prestigious medal.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Marri Ramu / Hyderabad – June 07th, 2018

ICRISAT releases bio-fortified pearl millet varieties

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology
The bio-fortified variety of pearl millet being grown at ICRISAT at Patancheru in Sangareddy district.

Iron and zinc levels increased using conventional breeding methods: scientist

Consuming supplementary nutrients for better health has become common. Making it more convenient, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has promoted project to include the micro-nutrients in millets.

The ICAR has set minimum levels of iron and zinc that have to be bred into the varieties of pearl millet (Bajra) available across the country. The scientists at a national-level workshop, part of the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet, early this year decided a minimum of 4.2 milligrams of iron per 100 grams and zinc 3.2 milligrams per 100 grams. Any variety or hybrids to be sold to farmers by public or private seed producers should follow this micro-nutrient standards apart from giving a higher yield.

Dhanashakti — the first bio-fortified pearl millet variety released in 2014 — has been a grand success and is currently being cultivated in 65,000 hectares across the country and the seed is largely being supplied by Nirmal Seeds, Maharashtra State Seed Corporation and Karnataka State Seed Corporation. The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) here has recently developed four bio-fortified pearl millet hybrids with iron and zinc — the most deficient nutrients in current diets.

The hybrids are — AHB 1200 Fe, HHB 299, RHB 233 and HHB 311 — officially released in collaboration with agricultural universities of Maharashtra (VNMKV), Haryana (CCSHAU), Rajasthan (SKNAU).

These bio-fortified varieties and hybrids will contain 7.5 to 8.0 milligrams of iron per 100 grams and 3.5 to 4.5 milligrams of zinc per 100 grams of millet.

So, consumption of 200 g/day bio-fortified bajra-based foods will provide almost 70% of daily iron and zinc requirement in men and women, and 130 gram will give 100% requirement for children.

“It took more than five years to develop these varieties with active support of ICAR and State agricultural universities. These varieties of pearl millet will offer nutrient rich food to the consumers. Minimum nutrient level has been standardized after examining as many as 120 varieties bajra across the country, ICRISAT Senior Scientist Mahalingam Govindaraj told The Hindu.

Key vitamins

“Bio-fortification is conventional crop breeding to increase micro-nutrient levels. It helps to address preventable deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc and vitamin A. This project was supported by HarvestPlus Challenge program of CGIAR,” he explained.

“Since the seeds have been developed in conventional breeding method there is no need to worry. This is an excellent move in the background of malnutrition levels in India – with over 58 % of children and 50 % of pregnant women being anaemic in India, further, 38 % of children under five are stunted,” he explained.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by R. Avadhani Pattancheru (Sangareddy Dt.) / June 05th, 2018

Indian American wins Spelling Bee contest

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Karthik Nemmani (14), from McKinney, Texas, holds the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship Trophy with Scripps President and Chief Executive Officer Adam Symson after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP

Nemmani also continued a longtime trend by becoming the 14th champion or co-champion of South Asian descent the bee has had in 11 consecutive years.

Indian-American Karthik Nemmani, was declared champion of the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee, winning on the word “koinonia” and surviving what was arguably the most intense competition in the contest’s 93-year history.

In doing so, the 14-year-old on Thursday night emerged the top speller from a record-shattering 515 contestants at the national bee, compared with 291 last year, after organizers expanded eligibility with a new wild-card programme, reports The Washington Post.

Along the way, he had to outlast a field of 16 finalists who vanquished words such as “Praxitelean”, “ispaghul” and “telyn” in a breathtaking show of spelling skill broadcast live on ESPN.

But Nemmani, who was competing at his first national bee, displayed the poise of a veteran, seeming to sail through his words: “condottiere” (knight or roving soldier available for hire), “miarolitic” (of igneous rock), “cendre” (a moderate blue), “ankyloglossia” (limited normal movement of the tongue), “grognard,” “passus,” “shamir” (tiny worm capable of splitting the hardest stone) and “jaguey” (an East Indian tree).

When it was down to two contestants, him and 12-year-old Naysa Modi, Nemmani remained calm as Modi misspelled “Bewusstseinslage”.

He then knocked out “haecceitas” (the status of being an individual) before receiving the word that would clinch his win: “koinonia”, meaning the Christian fellowship or body of believers.

“I’m just really happy,” he said moments after his victory.

“This has just been a dream come true.”

Nemmani also continued a longtime trend by becoming the 14th champion or co-champion of South Asian descent the bee has had in 11 consecutive years, The Washington Post reported.

The 16 spellers took the stage at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre in Maryland to battle it out for the title of champion.

In the first round, nearly half of the finalists misspelled their words, including several crowd favourites such as Tara Singh, a 13-year-old from Kentucky who was competing at her fifth and final national bee.

The 16 finalists ranged in age from 11 to 14 and include nine girls and seven boys.

The winner of the bee receives $40,000 and a trophy from the Scripps Bee, a $2,500 cash prize (and a complete reference library) from Merriam-Webster, trips to New York and Hollywood as part of a media tour, and a pizza party for their school.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> International / by IANS / Washington – June 01st, 2018

Farmer awarded, gives Governor a gift that grows

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Tuber Man’s ‘seed pen’ germinates into tree after pen is disposed of

Shaji N.M., a farmer who was conferred the Biodiversity Award under special mention category by the National Biodiversity Authority, attracted many eyeballs during the award ceremony on Tuesday.

After receiving the award, he presented seed pens as return gift to the dignitaries, including Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan from whom he received the prize. “It is made of paper. You can use it as a normal disposable pen, and when the ink is exhausted, you can just throw it away. It contains a seed, which will give birth to a tree in future,” he explained.

Making seed pens is more like a hobby for Mr. Shaji, whose major occupation is conserving tuber species.

Started 20 years ago as a response to the drought conditions in Wayanad district where he lives, his passion has taken him places across the country, in search of newer tuber species. “I have a collection of 200 edible tuber species, including the rarest ones, besides herbs and medicinal plants on my four-acre land,” he says proudly.

He has shared the germplasm of the tubers with institutions such as Central Tuber Crop Research Institute and Kerala University.

Recipient of many awards, including National Plant Genome Saviour Award, Mr. Shaji’s conservation efforts are not limited to tubers; they extend to rice. He grows 17 traditional varieties of rice on the meagre plot, besides dabbling in fish farming, bee keeping and horticulture.

There were nine winners and 13 special mentions in total at the biodiversity award ceremony, among whom two were from Telangana.

Sangham Women Farmers Group from Medak won the award for ‘Sustainable use of Biological Resources’ for its efforts in traditional and organic methods of seed processing.

The Biodiversity Management Committee of Modi (Jheri) village of Kerameri mandal in Asifabad district won under special mention category, for conserving 26 native varieties of pulses and cereals. Among them, two varieties ‘Erra Machala Kandulu’ (a variety of pigeon pea) and ‘Vayunowka Jonna’ (a variety of sorghum) have been registered with the Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Authority of India, while the recognition of another variety, ‘Balintha Pesalu’, is under way.

Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve Management Committee from West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh won the award for protecting the community reserve, while Lemsachenlok Organization ( Y.NukuluPhom), Longleng, Nagaland, received it in the Institutions category.

Awards were also given under Special Mention category to corporates such as Godrej & Boyce, Mumbai, and Coromandel International, Kakinada. Coringa BMC of East Godavari too won under this category.

There were five categories of awards — conservation of wild species, conservation of domesticated species, sustainable use of biological resources, replicable mechanisms for access and benefit sharing, and best biodiversity management committees.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swathi Vadlamudi / Hyderabad – May 24th, 2018

This woman found her calling in servicing auto parts

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Vidya Nambirajan is ready to break all gender barriers to pursue the career she enjoys

Paramount Auto Bay Services in Secunderabad, Telengana looks like any other four-wheeler auto service outlet, but for the fact that it is owned and managed by its CEO Vidya Nambirajan. A 30-year-old business that was handed down to her from her father turned into her passion when she took over it in 2001, and became the first woman in the city to own an automobile service outlet.

As someone who was initiated into the business with no knowledge of auto parts servicing (she worked in marketing before), what kept her going? When she had to manage the garage due to her father’s illness, surprisingly, the same friendly staff who worked with her dad didn’t respond well to her because they didn’t want to report to a woman in a male-driven set-up. That was when her resolve to learn the job strengthened. “I wanted to prove that I could do it much better, and that drove me,” says Vidya.

As for the customers, “I found that if my mechanic, a male colleague, said some part needed replacement, the customer would readily agree without a question. But a series of whys and hows would be shot at me if I had to deal with the same customer,” she says, of the earlier years. Even today, almost 18 years later, it’s not always business as usual: “People look at me with either apprehension or in awe,” she says.

Paramount Auto Bay Services, Secunderabad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Over the years, she has hired both men and women, and finds that the difference is that women are more process-oriented and committed, because they don’t take the job for granted. “It’s easier to train women, but more difficult to retain them, as they lack family support,” she says. She herself is process-oriented, and has ensured that her garage is ISO-certified.

She has also set up a Skill Development and Placement Centre, a service that she extends free of cost to women. Her students are placed in India and abroad as automotive service technicians. In a first, she has tied up with DUALpro, Germany, in conjunction with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC). A three-month on-the-job German Certification Course equips technicians to work anywhere in the world. She has also ensured the institute is DAkkS-certified, a German certification for quality management.

Affiliation to the Automotive Skills Development Council, another first in Telangana, qualifies her trainees as Automotive Service Technicians, assisting them to advance in their career. Vidya has also tied up with major on-road assistance services like MyTVS, India Assistance, and Allianz. She has plans to expand her business all over South India.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Motoring / by Girija K / May 22nd, 2018

Excellence awards given to 43 civil servants

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Focus needed on result-oriented administration: CS

Telangana Excellence Awards for 2017 and 2018, instituted by the State government, were presented to 43 civil servants for innovation, general and flagship schemes under individual, group and organisation categories here on Monday.

Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari said civil servants would be doing complete justice to their coveted positions only when they were proactive in understanding problems of the people and put their best foot forward in finding enduring solutions. He complimented their contribution towards outstanding success of such innovative interventions such as reorganisation of districts, purification of land records, welfare of farmers, nutritious food for poor students and development of all sections of society. Mr. Srihari said swift decision making was the need of the hour in order to measure up to the rising expectations of people. Minister for Industries K. Taraka Rama Rao underlined the importance of 3D mantra to enrich the quality of governance – decentralisation of administration, extensive use of information and communication technology in service delivery and democratic style of functioning.

“TS-iPASS has resulted in a number of beneficial outcomes including issuance of about 66,000 permissions to industries in an expeditious manner resulting in inflow of investment to the tune of over US$20 billion besides creation of about 3 lakh jobs”, he said.

He stated that similar initiatives were in the pipeline for issuing time-bound permission for building plans. He suggested that the pursuit of excellence by civil servants should continue unabated but cautioned them receiving the Awards should not lead to a sense of complacency.

Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi said while process-oriented administration was important in its own right, equal focus should be laid on result-oriented administration. He underlined the need for overhauling all manuals and re-engineering of all processes in order to improve the quality of governance.

Director General of Dr. Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute B.P. Acharya said there were multiple avenues of recognition in the uniformed services but similar opportunities in the civil services leave much to be desired. “In this scenario, presenting these Awards, is a step in the right direction”, he noted.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 22nd, 2018

Award for hospital founder

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Continental Hospitals founder and Director Guru N. Reddy was conferred the ‘UK & Asia Inspirational Business Leaders award 2018’ in London by Ambassador and Deputy High Commissioner of UK Dinesh K. Patnaik, Lord Swaraj Paul and Lord Karan Billimoria on May 17.

Dr. Reddy was chosen from among 200 leaders by a distinguished jury of ibrands 360 and editorial team of Leaders Asia Magazine.

Other recipients of this award in the past include Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Biocon chairperson and MD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata, a release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 19th, 2018

TTWREIS students excel at karate championship

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Students of TTWREIS who bagged gold and silver medals at the International Karate Championship held in Dubai.

Five tribal students bring home four gold and six silver medals

Five tribal students of Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Society (TTWREIS) schools clinched four gold and six silver medals in various categories at the International Karate Championship held in Dubai on May 10 and May 11, in which contestants from 49 countries had participated.

Sridivya bagged a gold medal in Kata category and silver medal in Kumite category (Under 14 years), Pavanika won silver medals in Kata category and Kumite categories (Under 16), B. Ganesh got gold in Kata and silver in Kumite categories (Under 16), P. Harshith received the gold medal in Kata category and silver in Kumite category (Under 16) and B. Ramesh was awarded the gold medal in Kata and silver medal in Kumite categories (Under 16).

An elated Sridivya said, “Winning the medals is a huge morale booster as I am preparing for major international championships like the Tokyo Olympics. I am excited and humbled.” Another student Pavanika, an orphan at the Kothaguda school in Mahabubabad, said, “I never even dreamt I would cross the Indian borders and go to Dubai to participate in an International Karate Championship considering my background.”

Secretary R.S. Praveen Kumar, speaking during the felicitation function on Monday, said the institutions were encouraging and training thousands of girl students in martial arts to defend themselves in challenging times. He expressed happiness that tribal boys and girls have been breaking the barriers by excelling in IIT, NEET, mountaineering and now karate competitions.

He said these achievements were possible because of support from CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Tribal Welfare Minister A. Chandulal and the State govt. for providing quality English medium education and a world of new opportunities to the marginalised children.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 14th, 2018

Stoves that are not just poor-friendly, but fuel-efficient

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The stoves created by environmental chemist Sai Bhaskar N. Reddy.

Hyderabad-based chemist creates over 50 designs that help in reducing smoke

More than 50 designs, painted in hues of blue and red that adorn the walls of a one-room museum located amid wilderness in Jangaon, were created for a single purpose – to efficiently burn.

The stoves of Sai Bhaskar N. Reddy, a city-based environmental chemist, are a result of years of travel, discovery experimentation with biomass and material to produce designs that are replicable, cheap and can improve fuel efficiency by reducing smoke.

“In 2005 at a village in Mahabubnagar, I found people cooking on three-stone stoves, but could send their children to convent schools and had dish connectivity. The biogas stoves subsidised by the government were not functional. I sought the government’s assistance to intervene, but nothing happened,” he said explaining his resolve to make biomass stoves. Dr. Reddy’s designs have been uploaded on the Internet for free use. Every design, he says, is an improvement over the previous one, to achieve improved burning of multiple types of biomass fuels. Though a large number of rural households now use LPG, a stove that burns biomass, often wood, is also used in rural homes, mainly for heating water.

The WHO estimates that nearly four million people are killed worldwide annually due to indoor pollution caused by inefficient combustion. Stoves at Dr. Reddy’s museum at Peddamadduru in Jangaon are made from low-cost aluminium boxes in which cooking oil is conventionally sold or cast iron. The gasifier variety of stoves is fitted with small fans used as exhaust in computers.

“This, I would say, is the most iconic design,” he says pointing to a stove that looks more like a traditional grill. “The 3G stove allows inflow of air at various levels during combustion. It also helps easy loading of biomass and allows for production of biochar.” Biochar, a charcoal produced from plant material, has found in use many applications, including those of environmental decontamination to agriculture. Dr. Reddy’s stoves have been used by the homeless in Mumbai, in the villages of Mahabubnagar and even possibly by refugees in Europe. “After October 2015, traffic from European nations, including Germany, to my website where I have uploaded designs has surged,” Dr. Reddy says adding that cooking apart, his stoves could also be used for heating.

A proponent of open source knowledge, Dr. Reddy says he does not monetise his designs. He believes that low-cost solutions made available online free of cost for other purposes like treating water, sanitation and makeshift houses could greatly help the poor, refugees and the homeless and help achieve the goals of development that govt.s have been striving to achieve.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rohit P.S. / Hyderabad – May 13th, 2018

HUDCO awards: two in Telangana’s kitty

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Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Chitra Ramachandran receiving the HUDCO award from Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on behalf of the Telangana State Housing Corporation Ltd.

2BHK scheme and use of GIS in land mapping clinched it

Telangana government’s innovative initiatives in the housing sector and the Municipal Administration wing has been recognised at the national level, with the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, giving away awards to the best performing departments on the occasion of HUDCO’s 48th foundation day celebrations in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The Housing Department has bagged two awards, one for its housing designs and layouts, – it had to compete with the private sector and was the only government wing across the country to have got the recognition – which comes with a cash award of ₹one lakh, and the second award for the novel steps taken to give a filip to the two-bedroom scheme.

Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Chitra Ramachandran along with Chief Engineer Satyamurthy and GHMC Additional Commissioner Bharati H took the HUDCO award on behalf of the Telangana State Housing Corporation Ltd. for its outstanding contribution to the 2-bedroom housing scheme.

Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration T.K. Sreedevi received the HUDCO Award for Best Practices for ‘Use of GIS technology and Land Property Mapping for Revenue Improvement’. Ms. Sreedevi received the award from the HUDCO chairman and managing director M. Ravi Kanth.

Both the awards come with a cash prize of IRs. 1 lakh each, along with the citation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 26th, 2018