A Tehsildar-rank officer’s son scored 189th rank in the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination, the results of which was announced on Tuesday. Ravirala Mahesh Kumar, son of Narasaiah, administrative officer at Mahabubnagar district Collectorate, is all set to get into the India Administrative Service, the most coveted post of All India Civil Services.
Dr. Mahesh Kumar (28), who completed his medicine from Siddhardha Medical College, Vijaywada in 2012, cleared the Civil Services Examination in his fourth attempt choosing medical sciences as an optional. Speaking to The Hindu over phone from New Delhi, Dr. Mahesh said he had started his preparation immediately after his medicine in 2011, but could not clear even the prelims in his first attempt. However, he said he took a break for a year and attended coaching in New Delhi before making another attempt in 2013. With well-planned preparation, he cleared the preliminary and mains examination in 2013 and 2014 as well.
He was born and brought up in Nalgonda town. His father Narasiah and mother wife Pushpalatha were elated upon hearing the news of their son’s success. Mr. Narasaiah said grit and determination paid off for his son.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by T. Karnakar Reddy / Nalgonda – May 11th, 2016
A final year student of MA Political Science at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), Garima Goel has been selected as the Baillie Gifford prize fellow for the year 2016-17.
The fellowship is given to only one person in the world and she would be studying MRes in Contemporary India at King’s College, London.
“With the whole digitisation, there is a lot of data that is available as open source and it is kind of exciting. All I want to do is research on Indian politics and be close to the policies. I just don’t want to keep on writing and be of no use. Publishing papers is not my main aim, creating an impact with my work is what I am looking forward to and I intend to explore understudied topics within mainstream political science in India through a career in research and teaching,” Goel said.
When asked what made her took up research work, she said, “Last year, I was among the three students selected from UoH to do a study on transcultural studies at Heidelberg University, Germany. It is there, my interest for research started and now all I want to do is to carry out research work.”
Goel enjoys uncovering and answering questions related to Indian politics using open data and maps, which are increasingly available to researchers today. During her time at King’s, she will work on ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) voting patterns in India’s elections under the supervision of Dr Louise Tillin.
“Politicians do not care much about NOTA as it has no impact on results. However, through my earlier research, I found out that there has been a significant rise in the use of NOTA and as many assume there is a specific pattern and not just ignorance the reason for usage of NOTA. Also, there is no co-relation between NOTA and turnout,” Goel, who has earlier studied NOTA during the Bihar elections, said.
The fellowship, worth up to 30,000 pounds, provides full financial support to one student at King’s India Institute for research-track Masters programme that imparts advanced training to develop a thesis under expert supervision.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / May 06th, 2016
Three school scientists from Telangana will be part of Team India at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) where more than 1,700 school students from over 75 countries will showcase their selected projects. The fair will be held at Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. from May 8 to 14.
The children – P. Meghana, D. Nikitha and D. Vamshi from Paramita School in Karimnagar – representing the Indian team met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who asked them to meet him again and share their experiences once they come back from U.S.
The two students developed the project ‘Reflected Altitude Triangle’ under the guidance of Lalit Mohan Sahu.
The project went through various science fairs, starting from district level to national level. It also made a mark entering into the 102nd India Science Congress 2015 held at University of Mumbai last January.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 05th, 2016
A mathematics model called ‘reflected altitude triangle’ designed by P. Meghana, D. Nikhitha and D. Vamshi, class 10 students of Paramita High School in Karimnagar town, has been selected for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) which would be held in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., from May 8 to 14.
The science project designed by the students under the guidance of teacher Lalith Mohan Sabhu had been on a winning spree at all science fairs – from district-level to national-level.
Recently, it was selected at the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS) at IIT-Delhi.
Only students from State
These students are the only ones from Telangana to showcase their model at the world’s biggest science fair in U.S.A. Paramita Educational Institutes’ chairman E. Prasada Rao congratulated the students for bringing repute to the school as well as the entire State.
The Telangana students’ model has been selected for the ISEF in U.S.A
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Karimnagar – May 02nd, 2016
Reels out facts related to Telangana statehood movement and other developments that took place during that period
The town-based child prodigy, Lakshmi Srija, hogged the limelight by showcasing her memory power and grasp of Telangana statehood movement at the TRS plenary held here on Wednesday.
Srija, a class IV student of a private school in Khammam, had arrived at the plenary to meet TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had earlier presented a cash award of Rs. 10 lakh to her for meeting expenses on her education and pursuing her goal of becoming an IAS officer.
Srija narrated a sequence of events, including the formation of TRS party by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao on April 27, 2001.
Her spontaneity in giving a vivid account of the statehood movement evoked wide applause from participants as well as the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and others on the dais.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Staff Reporter / Khammam – April 28th, 2016
Five years ago when Kiranmai Kondaveeti turned 40, she started thinking about doing something adventurous. She had always wanted to scale a peak, so she packed her bags, trained for two months and climbed the Everest Base Camp.
“I didn’t have to go through any special physical training, just the two-month preparation for the trek. I realised that if I climb the Everest Base Camp, I can do more,” says the Computer Science teacher. The following year in 2012, she summited Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
As Kondaveeti turned 45 this year, she wanted to continue her fitness regime. That was when she started to run long distance.
“Trekking requires one to be consistently fit. I scaled the two peaks, but if I had to keep myself going, I had to take up something to help me maintain my fitness levels. A friend recommended running. I took it as my calling and started training,” she says.
She joined the Hyderabad Runners Club, which has 3,000 member. “Running is not just about persistence. One needs to develop base strength and fitness. It needs to be pursued along with other sports such as cycling, swimming, yoga and going to the gym,” says Kondaveeti.
In August 2012, she completed her first half marathon (21 km) in Hyderabad in two hours and 58 minutes without any special training. “I wanted to test my body’s ability to run a half marathon. The Hyderabad marathon is the toughest in the country because of its altitude. Once you start, it only goes up and up. It starts at Necklace Road and ends at Gachibowli Stadium. It just drains us out,” she says. “We train for 16 weeks to participate in a marathon.”
Kiranmai Kondaveeti | Vinay Madapu
The half marathon’s adrenaline rush spurred Kondaveeti to want more. She finished her first full marathon (42 km) in 2013 at Leh in six hours and 30 minutes. An average runner of her age can complete the same in four-and-a-half hours. “It was the toughest of all the marathons I have run. I thought I would cross the finish line strong and happy, but my body couldn’t completely acclimatise to the weather conditions, though I have trekked in the Himalayas. I finished, but not in the time I thought I would,” she recalls.
Kondaveeti went on to run the Coimbatore, Auroville and Kaveri Trail marathons. She came second in the August 2015 Hyderabad Marathon in the 40-plus category, beating her previous best of five hours and three minutes. She participates in Ultra runs every year.
“It is not enough if we start running. We need to understand how much our body can take and work accordingly. We need to ensure that we don’t get injured, because one injury means you have to lay low for at least a year. The club provides support and experienced runners help newcomers. I train newcomers every Saturday at KBR Park,” she says.
Kondaveeti is also particular about her diet. “It is a balanced diet. I don’t starve myself. I ensure that I have all the right nutrients,” she says.
She was one of the organisers of Pinkathon Hyderabad 2016, an all-women marathon that encourages women to take up fitness. “The idea of Pinkathon is if the woman of the family is fit, the family follows,” says Kondaveeti, whose husband and two daughters are also fitness enthusiasts.
She teaches Computer Science at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Atmakuri Rama Rao School, whose principal allows her to take days off to run marathons in other cities. She is also the race director of her school run.
Kondaveeti, who won the Runner of the Year award by Hyderabad Runners Club this year, is training for the August 26 Hyderabad Marathon.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Rajitha S / April 23rd, 2016
Two days after the University of Hyderabad secured fourth place among the best educational institutions in the country, a student, B Prasuna, brought laurels to the varsity, bagging first rank in the CSIR-NET exam on Wednesday. This is not the first time 21-year-old Prasuna has passed the exam with good rankings. She had bagged the 64th rank when she first took the exam in December 2014.
One might think the young student would have immersed herself neck-deep into books preparing for the exams, but Prasuna said that she spent time engaging in discussions with mathematicians from across the country at the Annual Foundation School in Pune, rather than deciphering a mathematical problem or understanding a formula.
And this, perhaps, is the formula to score the first rank at the national level in the CSIR-NET exam. The result came as a surprise to the integrated Masters student from the UoH.
“I didn’t expect a place among the top ranks, let alone the first rank. But I surely knew that I wrote better than the last time.” She solved the paper to score 158 out of 200.
Prasuna has no secret formula for her success. “I didn’t prepare specifically for the exam.
In fact, around the same time, (December 2015), I was in Pune to attend a programme at the Annual Foundation School. It is a school where students pursuing Mathematics go for advanced training. I was busy there,” recalls Prasuna.
“Those discussions helped me the most. It was more about understanding the subject rather than practice for the exam. That is also what my professors always told me,” she added. Prasuna’s advice to those preparing for the exam is the same. “Don’t study particularly for the exam,” she opined.
Prasuna loves to read fiction, non-fiction and autobiographies. She would pursue PhD at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and hopes to become a professor.
An integrated Masters student from UoH, B Prasuna, scored all India first rank in CSIR-NET exam conducted in December-2015
She bagged 64th rank when she took the exam for the first time in December -2014
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / April 07th, 2016
An Indian-American professor hailing from Mahbubnagar district in Telangana has been selected for the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Roster for his achievements in the field of pharmacy.
Rajender R Aparasu is the first pharmacy faculty member at the University of Houston selected to be the candidate roster of the Fulbright Specialist Programme, which helps US faculty share their academic expertise and develop linkages with non-US institutions on curriculum, assessment, faculty development and research training.
The Fulbright programme, which is funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves to promote international engagement of academic scholarship and build linkages between the US and overseas institutions. “There are very few Fulbright Specialists in pharmacy, I am really honoured to be selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster,” said Aparasu.
This is a great opportunity to offer my expertise in developing professional and graduate pharmacy programmes that involve pharmaceutical health outcomes and policy,” said Aparasu, whose five-year term runs through 2021.
Aparasu completed his school education in Hyderabad, and got his B Pharm degree from Kakatiya University in Warangal. He studied M Pharm at Jadavpur University in Kolkata and obtained Ph D in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Louisiana-Monroe in the USA and joined UHCOP in 2006 after serving as a faculty at the South Dakota State University for more than a decade.
His primary areas of expertise include pharmacoepidemiology, geriatrics, psychopharmacology and evidence-based medicine.
Aparasu’s current research project, supported by an R01 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is evaluating safety profiles of anticholinergic medications in the elderly nursing home residents.“Dr Aparasu’s selection as a Fulbright Specialist validates his professional accomplishments and enhances our the institutional profile. I am glad he now joins such a select group of outstanding US academicians and scholars that will soon engage in collaborative endeavours,” said Jaime Ortiz, UH vice provost for Global Strategies and Studies.
Aparasu has authored or coauthored nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and seven book chapters. He was made Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association (FAPhA) for his exemplary professional achievements and contribution to the pharmacy profession.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / April 03rd, 2016
GITAM University students with the delegates of TEDx in Medak on Thursday.— PHOTO: Mohd Arif
Go North Ventures CEO Sanjay Jesrani appeals to students to make use of opportunities that the start-upswill provide
Go North Ventures CEO and founder Sanjay Jesrani, who is also an active member of Indian Angle Network, said start-ups were the next big thing to happen in the country and it was time to make use of the opportunity that they provide. He was, however, quick to add that only five per cent of the start-ups were surviving.
Delivering a lecture at TEDx held at GITAM University Hyderabad campus here on Thursday, Mr. Sanjay said that investing in start-ups was a risky experiment and suggested students that they start their career by dealing with a problem rather than a solution.
“Do something unique, do it better and do it differently. Form a team of two or three members for a start-up. Do not have any illusion that technology is everything. Its role is only 20 per cent and it is only a facilitator,” he said, adding that at least 10 to 15 years of commitment was required to sustain a new start-up.
He said that investors were ready to invest in start-ups if they were convinced about the growth involved in it. He suggested the students to read ‘failure stories’ of start-ups and understand the reasons why they failed.
Mr. Sanjay quoted the success of Flipkart, which rose with an investment of $10 million in 2008 to $16 Billion in 2015 and Uber taxi service that now stands with a market value of $65 billon.
Venky, a famous photographer from Karimnagar who made a mark in his field at the national level, said only hard work and sincere commitment would yield result and one should be patient enough till he/she reaches the goal. He asked the students to always have Plan B – some alternative to bank on if their experiment fails.
“I could have been a priest like my father if I had failed as a photographer,” he said answering a query from a student.
P.B. Sajan, architect and Joint Director of COSTFORD, said a large number of people were still living in slum areas. “About 17.2 per cent of urban families are living in slums. The number was much higher – 35.6 per cent – in the united Andhra Pradesh,” he said, adding that it was only 1.5 per cent in Kerala.
Ankur Thakuria, business development manager, talked about his travel to various countries and Thushar Lall about his passion for music.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by R. Avadhani / Rudraram (Medak District) / April 01st, 2016
A linguist and a classical vocalist, young Varun Chenichery faces challenges with élan
Being challenged is no drawback. Give them an opportunity and see them fly. Seventeen–year-old Varun Chenichery is slowly making waves. In 2015, he won special recognition at the annual Pt. Jasraj-Rotary Club of Hyderabad Scholarships for Music and Fine arts and had the opportunity to sing before Panditji himself.
Credit for his achievement must go to his parents Madhavi Adimulam and Mohan Chenichery and Hindustani vocalist and Harini Rao. Harini says that singing before Panditji is something all musicians aspire for. “Varun was calm and sang beautifully. It was all the more special for me because this was the same stage and award that I had received years ago and today I was seeing my student receive it. It was overwhelming! All credit goes to my guru Swati Phadke,” remembers Harini.
Pandari Nivasa Sakhya PandurangaVarun has no stage fright and once opened Harini Rao’s concert at a temple and surprised the audience. At his concerts, Varun always sings popular natyageet, Narayana rama ramana
Many studies have proved strong link between music and language learning and this is substantiated in Varun’s case. “Once I came to know about the link and his inclination towards music, I started music therapy and there was no looking back for Varun,” says Madhavi. She says that from the time Varun was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), they started working with him on his communication. “We started with Sign Language and then moved on to Pictures Exchange Communication and then to words/speech, she says.
On initiating him into music, Madhavi says that ever since he was a baby, he loved music. “While he was in kindergarten he would not sit in his class. If any other class, in the school, had a music class, he would insist on attending that music class,” the mother says. Varun’s interest in music arose even though not hailing from a musicians’ family,” says Madhavi.
Madhavi plays as much music as possible for Varun as music is calming for him for all his communication challenges. In music class, Harini makes him explore swaras. “Yes, he does have a lot to improve upon, but the key is to be happy while singing. I constantly appreciate his singing and keep giving him high-fives,” says Harini.
Learning music under Harini for the last three years, Varun is also attending a group class at Swati Phadke’s. Recalling,her association with Varun, Harini says that when she was asked if she could teach Varun, she was hesitant but took it up as a challenge. “It’s the best thing I have ever done as a teacher – to have gone ahead to teach Varun. He’s very intelligent and understands and grasps different taals quickly! His learning ability in patterns of notes is amazing! It is always fun teaching him,” she says.
Quizzed on his plans, his mother says he wants to become a ‘big’ singer. “Let him learn music as much as he wants,” Madhavi says. Proficient in 20 languages, young Varun loves to learn scripts, travel, cook and bake. A big fan of Nigella Lawson, he excitedly watches her cookery programmes on TLC. An amicable child, Varun never gets into conflict with his younger brother Pranav, but likes to be left alone.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Lakshmi Ramakrishna / Hyderabad – April 01st, 2016
