Monthly Archives: October 2015

Telangana Signs MoU for Cooperation With French City

Hyderabad :

The Telangana government on Tuesday signed an MoU with France’s Bordeaux city for strengthening economic links in biotechnology, aeronautical engineering, information technology and urban renewal.

Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma, who is on a visit to France, signed the MoU with Bordeaux Metropolis Vice President Michel Vernejoul.

Sharma also met officials of other institutions including Aero Campus Quitaine and Sabena Techniques in Bordeaux to explore possible areas of cooperation and investment.

This was followed by meeting with number of companies in Sweden including Electrolux and Ericsson and a visit to Almhult, Ikea’s headquarters in Sweden, said an official statement here.

B.V Papa Rao, advisor to the government of Telangana had negotiated the draft framework agreement regarding the MoU during his visit to Bordeaux Metropolis last month.

After the framework agreement, several specific agreements in the areas identified for cooperation will be signed. These areas include urban development, urban mobility, water management and Musi River development.

Agreements will also be signed for cooperation in aeronautic engineering, information technology, biotechnology and wine industry. There will also be agreements covering art, architecture and tourism development.

source: http://ww.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by IANS / October 20th, 2015

Telangana boys, girls win All-India U-19 handball trophies

Telangana boys and girls’ handball teams bagged the championship trophies at 61st national under-19 tournaments that concluded here on Tuesday. The competitions were held at Rangashaipeta Government Junior College in Warangal from October 16.

In girls’ category Delhi team stood at second place while Gujarat and Haryana teams secured third and fourth places. Similarly in boys’ category, Delhi team secured second place while teams from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh stood at third and fourth places respectively.

Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari gave away the trophies at the valedictory. He said that the State Government accords equal importance to studies and sports.

District Collector Vakati Karuna, who was the tournament chairperson, congratulated the winners, runners up and participants for putting up their best and taking part in the even with a sportive spirit.

The event organising secretary Barupati Gopi informed that said a total of 26 teams from 26 states took part in the championship which witnessed presence of about 1,300 players and 110 officials. Warangal District School Games Federation hosted the championship after a gap of 30 years and for the first time in Telangana state.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao / Warangal – October 21st, 2015

Asian Bariatrics opens centre in Hyderabad

Hyderabad :

Ahmedabad-based Asian Bariatrics (AB), which specializes in bariatric surgery, on Saturday, announced the launch of its first centre in Hyderabad. This is AB’s third dedicated centre in India after Ahmedabad and Rajkot, where it has a total capacity of 100 and 20 beds, respectively.

“In Gujarat, we get around 25% patients from south India, a majority of which hail from Hyderabad. Given the high demand, we felt it was important to have a dedicated centre for the city, where treatment for people suffering from morbid obesity could be provided treatment and weight loss surgeries can be performed by experts,” AB chairman Dr Mahendra Narwaria said, adding that the Hyderabad centre, with an initial capacity of 15 beds, has been set up at an investment of Rs 8-10 crore.

He said the number of bariatric surgeries has been increasing in the country rapidly as in 2007 only 400 such surgeries were performed as compared to 18,000 in 2014. AB’s Hyderabad will be the first centre in India, where the EMI option will be extended to patients, he said, adding that the cost of the surgery ranges Rs 2.5-Rs 8 lakh.

On expansion plans, he said they plan to open one centre each in Mumbai and New Delhi by the end of this fiscal with investments of around Rs 15-20 crore and a bed capacity of around 30-35 per centre.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / by Swati Rathor, TNN / October 17th, 2015

LVPEI Gets Equipment for Pre-sculpting Cornea

Hyderabad :

Inspite of rapid advances in healthcare technology in treating eye problems, many people are still falling prey to eye disorders, eye specialists at LV Prasad Eye Institute observed.

‘’There have been rapid advances in healthcare technology in India and today we have the best facilities when compared to any other advanced nation in the world. As a result of these advances and skilled doctors, we are able to treat many eye disorders. But it is always better to prevent a problem than treating the person after being affected,’’ Dr Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli, Consultant, Cornea, Anterior Segments Service and Head of Refractive Surgery and Cataract Service, has said.

He was speaking about the importance of advanced healthcare technology in treating eye disorders, at a programme held for technology transfer from Germany to India for Cornea and Laser Refractive Surgery at LVPEI here on Saturday.

Two high precision automated corneal tissue processing systems to enable preparation of pre-sculpted tissue for corneal transplants in the eye bank and two high precision microkeratomes to assist in flap creating during LASIK surgery, have been donated by Germany-based medical equipment company Gebauer Medizintechnik GmbH to LVPEI. These high precision systems will help in optimising the utilisation of corneas and improving the precision in LASIK surgery.

‘’There are five layers in cornea and we used to implant all the five layers to the receiver to restore eye sight. But eye sight can be restored by even implanting part of layers also. With pre-sculpting technology different layers of cornea can be separated and one cornea can be used for restoring the eyesight of more than one person, thus increasing the utilisation of corneas,’’ Pravin said.

Sometimes corneas get wasted if they have some scars or other minor disturbances, after being donated by the donors in the process of implanting in the receiver. But with this new technology only that part of cornea which is affected by the scar can be removed and the remaining cornea can be implanted thus successfully restoring eye sight.

The availability of these high precision ‘pre-cutting’ donor corneal tissues at LVPEI, makes it the first centre in Asia pacific region to have such a facility. Inspite of these technological strides, rising eye disorders is seen as a disturbing trend. LVPEI is the only institute which has done 20,000 corneal transplants and catered to about 2 crore people in the past two decades.

‘Children Should be Taught about Good and Bad Touch’

Senior consultant psychologist Dr Pragya Rashmi speaks about the importance of teaching kids about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ in the early years itself to protect them from child sexual abuse. In an interview She urges parents to take note of the issue to protect child’s health.

How rampant is child sexual abuse in India?

According to a recently released World Health Organisation (WHO) report, child sexual abuse is on rise in India. Even in states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which are considered conservative, the problem is rising. Child sex abuse is a serious problem from not just societal point of view but even from health point

How does child sexual abuse affect the health of a child?

A child who faces sexual abuse goes through severe mental trauma and faces many issues related to mental health. It may even affect her mental health and development leading to serious consequences.

How a child affected by sexual abuse is treated?

Depending upon the severity of abuse the treatment is planned. Week long or month long psychotherapy sessions are conducted and if needed series of sessions are conducted in severe cases. Even parents are made part of counseling psychotherapy sessions. In some case even medication may also be needed, if child has is hurt physically.

But can a child be completely relieved from the scars of sexual abuse?

Yes, a child can be completely relieved of the scars of abuse, if proper care and counselling is given to him by therapists and parents. It is not just counselor but even parents have to play a crucial role in making a child normal. But rather than focusing on treatment we should focus on preventing the child abuse in the first place.

Can we prevent child sex abuse?

The first thing to be done is to teach children about how to protect themselves from those who abuse them sexually. Children should be taught to distinguish between ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. Deepthi Nandan Reddy / October 18th, 2015

A Bewelled Wonderland

WonderlandTELAN16oct2015

Online designer accessory portal pookaari.com announced the launch of its long term association with jewellery designer, Mrinalini Chandra with a limited edition line created exclusively by the eclectic artisan for the portal.

The muse being Lewis Carroll’s delightful Alice In Wonderland, this line includes seven unique, exquisite pairs of earrings. Drawing their inspiration from nature, the pieces display a whimsical adaption of natural flora and fauna and showcase a playful combination of artistry and design.

Wonderland02TELAN16oct2015

“Pookaari.com was started with a vision to offer the women of today a one stop destination for all accessories. We are very excited about our association with Mrinalini as her creations provide the portal with yet another facet; fun, youthful and vibrant,” stated Srivyashnavi Anush, founder of pookaari.com. The online store showcases collections of designers like Valliyan, Quirbox, Studio Kassa and House of Hula and others.

When asked about her creation for the new association, Mrinilini Chandra stated, “My collection is designed for the metropolitan woman of today. It conveys the symphony of artistic instincts, combining the charisma of a visit to wonderland making them a classic possession. I have adorned the line with delicate flowers, petals and tiny monkeys dancing around and encrusted the pieces with specially hand cut gems stones to resonate beauty in each pair.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / October 15th, 2015

Sinotruk partners Overland Trucking of Hyderabad for India foray

Zhang Houqin, president, marketing and sales for South Asia, Middle East and North Africa Sinotruk unveil 'HOWO' a chinese mime tipper truck in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
Zhang Houqin, president, marketing and sales for South Asia, Middle East and North Africa Sinotruk unveil ‘HOWO’ a chinese mime tipper truck in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

Hyderabad-based firm may set up Chinese truck assembly plant by 2016. It will require 20 acres for setting up the plant/assembly line.

Chinese truck maker Sinotruk has joined hands with Hyderabad firm Overland Trucking Pvt. Ltd. for its India foray, a journey that also envisages setting up of an assembly plant next year.

Though the details, including the different trucks to be assembled are yet to be worked out, Overland Trucking is weighing options primarily between Telangana and Maharashtra for the plant. It is also looking at Tamil Nadu for the facility that is expected to entail an investment of Rs.100 crore to Rs.150 crore.

The final decision will depend on what the governments offer by way of incentives, Overland’s Rajashekar Ailneni said, even while appreciating iPass, a legislation enacted by Telangana to ensure speedy, time-bound clearances for industrial projects.

Mr. Ailneni, who was speaking to presspersons at the launch of Sinotruk’s two trucks for the mining sector on Wednesday, said formal discussions with Telangana Government officials were yet to be initiated, but the plan is to establish the assembly plant by 2016. Twenty acres would be required for the plant.

On the foray, Sinotruk president (Asia-Europe Division) Zhang Houqin said: “Without [presence] in the India market, you cannot be a global player.” Pointing to the huge potential, he said that with more GDP growth and new roads and highways taking shape the demand for the vehicles will only go up. Sinotruk, established in 1960, is a $15 billion firm with a capacity to make 3 lakh trucks, including 40,000 heavy duty trucks.

Mr. Ailneni said that the focus initially was on introducing Sinotruk products to the mining sector in India and followed by cargo trucks. Overland is eyeing sale of 400 units next year.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by N. Ravi Kumar / Hyderabad – October 14th, 2015

It is a Celebration of Being Alive

Nizamabad MP Kavitha preparing Bathukamma at Narsampet in Warangal district on Monday | Express Photo
Nizamabad MP Kavitha preparing Bathukamma at Narsampet in Warangal district on Monday | Express Photo

Hyderabad :

Setting the tone for Dasara festivities, women, dressed in their best, danced to the songs of Bathukamma, from villages to cities across the State on Monday. The floral festival spread the fragrance of a variety of flowers – from tangedu to marigold – bringing in much-needed optimism among every section of the society, including the farming community to some extent. The State government declared a holiday to enable people to participate in the ‘celebration of life’ and released funds for beautification of important installations in the State.

Telangana Jagruthi, headed by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha, spearheaded the festivities. Kicking off the celebrations at Narsampet in Warangal district, Kavitha said it will take some time for the realisation of ‘Bangaru Telangana’ (Golden Telangana) and sought to dispel the pall of gloom that has enveloped the farming community. Notwithstanding her words, the festive air was conspicuous by its absence at villages, where there have been suicides of farmers in the last few months.

In the State capital, family members of ministers participated in the festivities at the ministers’ quarters. All the government departments too joined in on the directions of the government. However, the opposition parties took Telangana Jagruthi to task for monopolising the festival.

“Kavitha is giving the impression that it is she and the TRS, who have brought Bathukamma festival to the state. Bathukamma is an integral part of Telangana,’’ TTDP women’s wing president B Shobha Rani said and questioned the rationale behind the government’s spending spree on Bathukamma at a time when farmers were committing suicide. Congress MLC Akula Lalitha alleged that Kavitha was trying to derive political mileage.

Former Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki Goud said the `10-crore allotted to the fest should have been spent for farmers’ welfare.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / October 13th, 2015