Daily Archives: April 5, 2015

Telangana govt to fund Old City woman’s pilot training

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

The Telangana government is all set to give wings to a girl from the Old City. Poised for flight, Salwa Fatima, who is the first pilot from purana shahar, will be given Rs 35.5 lakh so as to enable her to soar the skies, this time, in a multi-engine aircraft.

Highly placed sources told STOI on Saturday that the chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has sanctioned the funds. A government order (GO) will be issued to the effect next week.

“Taking a keen interest, the CM has treated the case of Salwa Fatima as a “special case,” said Syed Omar Jaleel , special secretary, minorities welfare department. Describing Salwa as a “young girl who shows immense promise”, he added, “The funds will be released in two instalments. They will be given directly to the aviation school where Salwa will be studying. The GO will be released soon.” There exists a precedent of the government granting aid to an individual – to a boy from the SC community, Jaleel observed.

Thanks to the large heartedness of philanthropists, family and her own unbending resolve, Salwa, who already has a commercial pilot license to fly a single engine aircraft, has already clocked over 200 hours of flying. And as a logical conclusion, she wants to upgrade her flying skills to multi-engine aircraft. “In order to do this, I will have to take two courses: the multiengine rating and a specialisation course called type rating. For the former, I will need to have 15 hours of flying in a multiengine aircraft and 10 hours of simulation. The latter will enable me to fly an airbus,” she says. She is still unaware of the CM giving his assent to the release of funds.

The girl, who is a healthy blend of the traditional and the modern, says that she has shortlisted the GMR Aviation Academy and the Telangana State Aviation Academy as her preferred flying schools. “Both courses put together will entail expenses of around Rs 35 lakh,” she says.

Positive about support from her in-laws, she continues, “My husband and in-laws are in fact supportive of my aspirations. There is a tradition of women working here. In fact, my parents wanted me to go to a family which encourages me to work.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Mohammed, TNN / March 22nd, 2015

This Love has no Boundary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

DrGuravaTELANGANA05apr20145

What began as a meeting between the two turned into a love story after years. She was famous, daughter of then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Bhavanam Venkatram, whereas he comes from a middle-class background.

But the couple believed they are destined to love each other forever and Dr Gurava Reddy smiles and sings, “Chalo Ek Bar Phir Se, Ajnabee Ban Jaye Ham Dono…”

DrGurava02TELANGANA05apr20145


The beginning of true love story

“I remember the day I first saw her at her house, when I came to Hyderabad from Bapatla to receive my scholarship. It feels like just yesterday. It was in 1975. When I came to Hyderabad again in 1979, that is when my sister-in-law coveyed her feelings for me. It was love. Initially, I was scared, because there is a lot of disparity between us. But looking at her simplicity and her down-to-earth attitude, I also started liking her,” says the orthopaedic and chief joint replacement surgeon Dr Gurava Reddy.
Staying apart

For couples, who get along very well and love one another, everything conspires so that they cannot stay away from one another for long. These two doctors too truly could not bear to be apart. During their courtship period, Dr Gurava wrote countless letters to Bhavani. “We dated for almost seven years before marriage. That time we didn’t have telephone for communication. So, I wrote a letter every day for almost a year when I was in Delhi,” recalls Gurava Reddy.


Support from family

Luckily for them, their families were very supportive. “I loved him, I was sure of that then. I wanted to marry him and live happily ever after. I wrote a letter to my father and explained to him. And since we were relatives (my aunt and his uncle were married), our families accepted us and got us married,” shares Bhavani.

Poles apart

There’s no denying it: all couples fight. “We do fight but it is very minimal now. We are more mature. We do agree that arguments and fights are going to happen considering we are two different personalities but its important how we deal with it. If she is angry, it shows on her face. And I take the initiative to pacify her. We can’t be not talking to each other for more than 24 hours,” says Gurava Reddy adding, “I love to be in the company of 100 people and for her even two is a crowd.”

Partners, who work in similar jobs are more likely to work long hours and be more committed to their profession, but in case of Gurava Reddy and Bhavani, they think that working together can enhance mutual understanding of working conditions and bring a balance in their work-life. “She is my soul and being in the same professions its makes our work easier. She understands and can empathise with me. It is attractive to come home to someone who is the head of the household. I fail to understand, how on earth can someone live alone,” he says.

Keeping the flame alive

Does love lose its intensity with time? “I don’t think it does, or at least it doesn’t have to. We have been married for 30 years, and we still love each other intensely. It is more exciting, passionate and fulfilling all the time,” feels Gurava.

The couple believes the secret to their long married life is kindness, love and tolerance. “It is a beautiful feeling and we still feel for each other. Marriage is not an event, it is an institution, a process, and we need to nurture it on a regular basis to keep the fire alive. For instance, Bhavani knows that I love piano and for a very long time I was trying to learn but could not due to my busy schedule. So, this Valentine’s Day she got me a tutor. These small things make a lot of difference in relationship,” he says. Adding to this Bhavani says, “We are very romantic. We have had some wonderful holidays. Dr Gurava would often surprise me. For instance, the time when he gifted me an exclusive tennis court. I would love to fall in love with the same person again.”

Meaning of marriage

The couple have two children — 27 year-old son Adarsh, an orthopaedic surgeon and 23-year-old Kavaya. They have been happily married to each other for the last 30 years.

“Today, after so many year of togetherness I can tell you that he is the most romantic person in the world,” she says adding, “If either of us ever reach home early, we feel lonely and start enquiring about the other. Filling the loneliness, completing each other – that is what means to be husband and wife for us.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swati Sharma / April 04th, 2015