Akshita Srinivasan, a student of University of Hyderabad (UoH), has been selected for the prestigious Ph. D programme at Harvard and is one of the 15 students who have been accepted from around the world.
Akshita, who did her Integrated Master’s in Health Psychology at the UoH. will be working in the area of Developmental Psychology with Dr. Elizabeth Spelke.
Her lab in general focuses on uniquely human cognitive capacities like our understanding of objects, actions, people, places, number, and geometry. It gets at this using behavioural research with infants and children.
The work that Akshita will be doing during her Ph. D is related to children’s understanding of number.
Children who sell fruits and vegetables in Indian markets are so good and quick at arithmetic, but the same children do not do well when tested in school-based arithmetic.
Akshita’s research tries to examine this discrepancy and aims at creating interventions that can be used to help improve mathematics education, a press release said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 06th, 2018
Columbia Journalism School announced on Monday that Raju Narisetti, a leading digital media executive and editor, will join the faculty as Professor of Professional Practice and also serve as the new director of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism.
Mr. Narisetti is from Hyderabad and did his B.A. (Economics) from Osmania University and an MBA from IRMA in India. He also holds an M.A. from Indiana University, lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Kim Barrington Narisetti, and daughters Leila and Zola.
“I am delighted to join the journalism faculty and also lead the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship program at Columbia University,” he said in a release. He recently served as chief executive of Gizmodo Media Group and earlier, was News Corp’s senior vice president of strategy. He also spent 14 years at The Wall Street Journal, starting as a summer intern in 1991 and becoming an Editor too.
He also served as the managing editor for digital and new products at The Washington Post, has been Founder-Editor of Mint. He began his business journalism career at The Economic Times in New Delhi, and his U.S. journalism career at The Dayton Daily News.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – June 06th, 2018
Rohan Purohit, son of a city-based cardiologist, has secured the all-India second rank in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-2018). Another city boy, Muppidi Varun secured the sixth rank while A. Anirudh Babu from Vijayawada was ranked eighth, bringing laurels to the Telugu states.
All the three are from open category and are students of Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions. Purohit missed the coveted all-India first position by just one mark, but emerged top ranker in South India.
At a press conference here, Sri Chaitanya chairman B.S. Rao and director Sushma said it was a matter of pride that 18 Telugu students bagged ranks within top-100 list and of them, 17 belong to their institutions. It was an achievement par excellence and perhaps the best in the country for any single institution, Mr. Rao said.
Other top rankers from the institutions are O.V.S.H. Reddy (14th) Menda Jaideep (16th), Koduru Sriharsha (19th) Siddarth Ravi (25th), Varada Ravi Kiran (36th) and Lokesh P.M. (37th). Mr. Rao announced ₹ 25 lakh scholarship for Rohan Purohit and ₹10 lakh for Muppidi Varun. Parents of the successful students attributed the results to the teachers’ dedication.
Ms. Sushma said the students were made to practice through 134 tests in a year. In fact, 179 questions out of 180 in NEET were from Sri Chaitanya syllabus, she claimed.
An analysis of the results revealed that students of both Telugu states bagged 16% of the top 50 ranks and Delhi was the only state with a similar share. The Telugu states stood at 5th place registering 70.8% pass rate with 66,644 out of 94,130 candidates clearing the exam. The number of candidates from the ‘top 4’ States — Rajashtan, Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh — were far lesser than those from Telugu states.
Narayana’s feat
Narayana Institutions, in a statement, claimed that their students have bagged 11 ranks in top-10 in the open and reserved categories put together.
P. Sharani Narayana and P. Sindhura Narayana, directors of Narayana Group, said their students secured open category ranks of 3rd, 5th, 9th and 10th. They explained that the success of their students lay in the unique educational programme and innovative teaching methodologies designed for medical aspirants.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by R Ravikanth Reddy / Hyderabad – June 04th, 2018
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
First from China to pursue course at College of Defence Management
An army officer from China, for the first time, will be part of the 44-week Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) that started at the College of Defence Management (CDM) in Secunderabad on Tuesday.
He is among the 154 select officers in the rank of Colonel and their equivalent in the Navy, Air Force and Paramilitary Forces, including 10 officers from friendly foreign countries including Bhutan, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Nigeria, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Vietnam.
Lt. General Cherish Mathson, Army Commander, South Western Command, delivered the inaugural address and discussed the importance that the course has in empowering every future leader. The international and tri-service flavour of the course allows varied and unique learning experience for the participating officers.
The course curriculum covers various management subjects related to Behavioural Sciences, Decision Sciences, Resource Management and Research Methodology. The course is pitched at the directional and conceptual level with focus on application of management tools and techniques in operational management. It also includes visit to the field formations in Forward Area, a ‘management education tour’ of private and public sector establishments and an international strategic management tour to understand nuances of geopolitics.
Participants also need to carry out ‘project studies’ to find solutions to challenges faced by the Armed Forces. They are awarded degree of Master of Management Studies (MMS) by Osmania University and a Certificate of Advance Course in Management by All India Management Association (AIMA) on completion of the course.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 29th, 2018
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
He is presently posted as Assistant Commissioner in city
Durishetty Anudeep, a native of Chittapur village near Metpally town in Jagtial district of Telangana, has emerged topper in the Civil Services examination this year. The results were declared on Friday.
Anudeep is presently in the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) and is posted as Assistant Commissioner, Central, GST, in Hyderabad. This is his fourth attempt at Civils. He worked with Google in Hyderabad before he got into IRS and he is still a bachelor.
An engineer from BITS Pilani in Rajashtan in 2011, he had his schooling from Suryodaya High School in Metpally. Anudeep’s father is an Assistant Engineer with the TS Transco, while his mother is a home-maker.
The topper’s optional subject was anthropology though he is an engineer. Speaking to The Hindu, Anudeep said he was not expecting the first rank. “It is a tough exam and so many deserving candidates with brilliant minds attempt. So you can never expect a top rank,” he said with all humility. Anudeep prepared without assistance of any coaching institution. Meanwhile, R.C. Reddy IAS Study Circle said that he appeared for mock interview at their centre.
A sports buff, Anudeep has obsession for Roger Federer and Lionel Messi. In one of his Facebook posts, he praised Messi, saying the game of football is not really beautiful, it’s brutal but Messi has an artistic, symphonic beauty to his play that makes the brutal look beautiful.
Expressing his love for sports, he posted, “So I asked myself what do I value more – sports, movies, books or music? Movies are good, books are great and music is soothing. But my life wouldn’t be half as joyful or interesting if it were not for the time I spend watching and playing sports.”
Several Telugu students bagged good ranks in the examination. Sai Praneeth, son of former Additional DG of Maharashtra, V. Lakshminarayana, bagged the 196th rank. Other successful Telugu candidates are Sheelam Sai (43), Narapureddy Maurya (100), G. Madhuri (144), Yedavalli Akshay Kumar (624), Vivek Jhonson (195) and Bhargav Shekar (816).
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by R. Ravikanth Reddy / Hyderabad – April 27th, 2018
13th century inscription deciphered in Sayampeta Haveli
A Telugu calender year by name Nandidhata Samvatsara, which was celebrated by Telugu speaking people during the Kakatiya dynasty Rudra Deva’s reign (AD 1158 – 1195) was recently discovered by Archaeological Survey of India.
Archaeologists managed to decipher an inscription found on a slab fixed to a wall in a temple at Sayampeta Haveli in Geesukonda mandal of Warangal district.
D. Kanna Babu, superintending archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai, said in inscription, quite surprisingly, they found the name of an ancient Telugu cyclic year Nandidhata Samvatsara. He said people are unaware of this year, either in the traditional list of 60 Telugu calendar years or in lithic records of historical times. “Somehow, the name is missing from the list of traditional years of Telugu calender. We are examining if it matches with another name in the present calender with the help of astronomical texts,” he said.
As part of the Temple Survey Project, the ASI officials visited the ancient Panchalaraya Swamy temple, which was constructed in the Kakatiya era and discovered the damaged inscription on the rear wall of sanctum sanctorum, he said. Elucidating further details, Mr. Babu said that the inscription spanned six lines and was probably written in 13th century Telugu script.
Badly damaged
“For the past few decades, the the temple is annually treated with thick coating of lime wash in an effort to beautify it. We stumbled upon this piece without knowing its historical importance and ultimately, caused damage to the epigraph,” he said.
Mr. Babu said the epigraph states that Rudra Deva provided a perpetual lamp, along with other gifts, to the presiding deity in this temple on Mangalavara (Tuesday), the twelfth day of Bhadrapada masa during the year Saka 1116, equivalent to Nandidhata Samvatsara, (corresponding to AD 1194) in memory of his father Prolaraju.
The archaeologist added that another inscription was discovered at Trikuta temple in Jangaon recently, which also pertained to Rudra Deva.
A total of 19 epigraphs of Rudra Deva have been discovered so far.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Abhinay Deshpande / Hyderabad – April 19th, 2018
A 7-year-old boy from Hyderabad scaled the highest peak in Africa, Uhuru peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Samanyu Pothuraju, along with his coach, unfurled the Tricolor at a height of 5,895 meters above the sea level on April 2.
Speaking with ANI, the boy said, “The day was rainy and the road was full of stones. I got afraid, I had leg pains, but I took rest and completed it. I like snow a lot and that is the reason I went to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pawan Kalyan is my favourite hero, my mom promised me that she will make me meet him if I try the world record, now am eagerly waiting to meet him. I will go to Australia peak in next month ending and want to make a record.”
Pothuraju was accompanied by his mother Lavanya, coach Thammineni Bharath, a fellow mountaineer Shangabandi Srujana, and another woman, all hailed from Hyderabad. A local doctor from Tanzania also accompanied them.
Pothuraju’s mother said “I am really very happy as my son tried to achieve a world record. After reaching there, I stopped in my halfway because of my health condition but my son didn’t quit unless until he reaches the destination. I was very much tensed and worried as there were different climate conditions. Our next target is Australia, 10 peaks in May ending and that will also be the record of my son.”
The trek began on March 29 when the team started from the base point. It took about five days for the team to reach the peak.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / ANI / April 16th, 2018
His mother is a vegetable cutter in the same mess he eats but that didn’t stop him from securing the second highest marks in MPC in Telangana this year.
Student of Narayana College, Hayatnagar, Venkata Sai Chandra with 991 marks is certainly an inspiration for those who come from underprivileged backgrounds to achieve against all odds. A student of Narayana College, Hayathnagar, he said seeing his mother working in the college mess was a big inspiration to study better rather than a let down, which many youngsters consider.
College principal Rama Rao said Sai Chandra was given free education and he proved his worth. Hailing from Mothe mandal near Suryapet, he is now waiting for IIT results and is confident of making it.
Narayana Educational Institutions have recorded highest pass percentage in both junior and senior Intermediate exams with as many as 8 students scoring the State highest mark of 467 in first year and 67 students securing 466 marks in the MPC stream.
In a statement here, director of the group Sharani Narayana said that in the second year exams 3 students scored 992 out of 1000 marks, six scored 991 while 20 students scored 990 marks. In the BPC stream 991 was the highest mark and 13 students scored marks above 988, she said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 13th, 2018
