Antony Prince Panengadan, new Adilabad Bishop

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders
Antony Prince Panengadan
Antony Prince Panengadan

Hyderabad:

Father Antony Prince Panengadan was appointed the bishop of the Adilabad Diocese and consecrated at the Bishop House on Thursday.

The appointment was announced by Pope Francis on August 6 at the Vatican and simultaneously by the Major Archbishop George Cardinal Alencherry at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia, Mount St. Thomas, at the Bishop’s House, Adilabad.

Bishop Joseph Kunnath presented the newly appointed Bishop with the sash, Pectoral Cross and the ring.

Bishop Panengadan was born on May, 13, 1976, at St. Antony’s Parish, Arimpoor in the Archeparchy of Trichur-Kerala. Having done his initial seminary formation in the CMI Congregation, he joined the mission eparchy of Adilabad. He had his philosophical and theological formation at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore and Ruhalaya Seminary, Ujjain.

He was ordained as a priest on April, 25, 2007, having served at the Adilabad Cathedral Church as assistant parish priest and at Saligaon Parish as its priest. He holds a doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Urbanian University, Rome.

At the time of his appointment, he was serving the eparchy as its Proto-Syncellus and the Cathedral Vicar. Adilabad is one of the 13 Telugu Catholic dioceses and belongs to the Syro Malabar Church. The diocese is active in the areas of education, social, medical, services like hospitals, dispensaries, Balavikasa and tribal hostels.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle – August 07th, 2015

The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology plans science park

Education, Science & Technology
Representational image
Representational image

Hyderabad:

The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology plans to set up a Science Park on its premises in Narayanguda to showcase technology developed by the 37 CSIR institutes across the country.

It is also meant to popularise science research among school and college students. The IICT said it has developed 150 technologies in organic chemistry which are in commercial production.

The Science Park will function from the IICT premises near Melkote children’s park in Vittalwadi.

Key projects of IICT to be showcased are membrane technology for pure drinking water in fluorosis affected areas, “Samadhan Kendra” a rural IT centre for the benefit of the rural populace and farmers, pheromones as alternatives to pesticides and generation of energy (biogas) from kitchen waste and from poultry litter.

Under Swachh Bharat, IICT will also provide safe drinking water to flouride affected areas.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle / August 06th, 2015

Gussadi dance gets Baahubali boost

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
A file photograph of Adivasis performing Gussadi dance.
A file photograph of Adivasis performing Gussadi dance.

Adilabad:

The well-known dance Gussadi of the Adivasis has got recognition in the blockbuster movie Baahubali directed by S.S. Rajamouli. The Gussadi dance has been filmed for the first time. Adivasis perform the Gussadi dance wearing hats made of peacock feathers during Diwali and it is synonymous with the culture of Adivasis.

Adivasis are thrilled at the prominence given to the dance in the film. The Gussadi dance was depicted as one of the few dances being performed in a cultural programme on the sidelines while installing the gigantic statue of Ballala Deva, ruler of the Mahishmati kingdom in the movie.

The Gussadi dance was shown along with another Adivasi popular dance called Bison Dance wearing the headgear of bison horns. However, it is said that the Gussadi dance was irrelevant to the situation and not connected to the story. Adivasis considered the Gussadi dance as sacred as it connected to the Diwali festival.

Adivasis men, especially youth and middle-aged men are called Gussadis and wear typical attire carrying a jhola and rokala, with various bright colours smeared on the body and a hat made of peacock feathers.

A senior Adivasi leader who was also a cinema artist and folk singer of Gondi, observed that it looks unpleasant seeing the Gussadi dance as the situation did not demand it. It would have been appropriate if it was shown as being performed on Diwali day highlighting its sanctity.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle, by Pillalamarri Srinivas / August 02nd, 2015

First cadaver liver transplant at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences

Records, All, Science & Technology
P. Abhijeet, liver donor
P. Abhijeet, liver donor

Hyderabad:

Nims doctors on Saturday conducted their first cadaver liver transplantation under the Jeevandan scheme. The liver from a brain dead youth, engineering student P. Abhijeet, 20, was transplanted to a 60-year-old man who had liver cancer and cirrhosis.

The transplant was carried out by surgical gastroenterology head Dr Bheerappa and liver transplantation surgeon Dr Tom Cherian. Abhijeet, a student of Manipal University, had come home to West Maredpally on a holiday.

He died following a car accident on July 30. His parents and sister agreed to donate his heart, liver, two kidney’s and eyes.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle / August 02nd, 2015

Karimnagar: Guru Purnima celebrated

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Girls offer abhisekam with milk to Saibaba at Tapovanam temple on the occasion of Guru Purnima in Anantapur on Friday. (Photo: DC)
Girls offer abhisekam with milk to Saibaba at Tapovanam temple on the occasion of Guru Purnima in Anantapur on Friday. (Photo: DC)

Karimnagar/Warangal:

Guru Purnima was celebrated with religious fervor across the district on Friday. People, in a large numbers, thronged temples of Sri Sai Baba to mark the occasion. Special prayers were held in the temples. Guru Purnima is a sacred day to commemorate ancient sages and spiritual teachers of Hindu religion such as Vyas who edited four scriptures and authored 18 epics, Maha Bharath and Srimadbhagavatham. Feeding poor programmes were also organised on this auspicious occasion.

People from all walks of life made beeline to nearby temples of Sri Sai Baba from early morning and performed prayers.Thousands of devotees visited Sai Baba temple in Sainagar of the city. Special programmes were held on the premises of government and private educational institutions as part of the celebrations. Students greeted their teachers and sought blessings.

Similar celebrations were conducted across the district. Devotees flocked the Sai Baba temple in Hanamkonda in large numbers. Temple authorities performed special prayers and conducted annadanam to over 5,000 people. Temple trusty Srinivas said the special prayers began with harathi early in the morning and then mangala snanam was conducted. Devotees formed beelines for darshan of Sai Baba.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle / August 01st, 2015

Paints soon that can generate electricity

Science & Technology
Representational image
Representational image

Hyderabad:

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, have developed a smart coating technology that is self-healing, hydrophobic and hydrophilic, eco-friendly, resists corrosion and more. Surfaces requiring these properties need only be coated by the polymers and their hybrids.

Scientists at the Polymers and Functional Materials Division of the IICT said projects on different types of coating materials were underway and could be altered as per the requirements of the user.

Smart coating polymers are under development around the world which respond to an external stimulus. “Self-healing property can be invoked with a small amount of heating. If there is a scratch, it can be removed just by applying heat from a hair dryer,” said Dr Ramanuj Narayan, senior scientist, Polymers and Fun-ctional Materials Division, IICT said.

Another kind of material being developed is transparent and hydrophobic which repels water so there is no wetting or blurring of the surface. Researchers have also developed an eco-friendly polymer paint with anti-microbial properties that is devoid of additives. Paint and coating uses many additives which may contain toxins and could even emit them apart from odours. “Additives also go away after some time, degrading the quality of the paint coat. But there is no degradation in our eco-friendly paint,” said Dr K.V.S.N. Raju, head of the Polymers and Functional Materials Division of IICT.

IICT researchers have also developed a self-recoverable polymer coating that can recover its original shape on slight heating. “Scientists were working on the development of composite materials but observed a self-recoverable behaviour. It will regain its original shape like rubber. We are thinking what kind of applications it can have,” Dr Narayan explained.

IICT is also working on developing a solar paint and ink that will completely do away with the need for solar panels and will directly generate electricity from the coated walls.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle by Amar Tejaswi /July 30th, 2015

Festive Air as Women Throng Secunderabad Bonalu Fest

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

An air of festivity swept through the streets of Secunderabad as thousands of devotees thronged the streets to celebrate Bonalu at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple. Devotees prayed and offered bonams at other Mahankali temples in the city on the occasion of Secunderabad Mahankali Bonalu Jatara, popularly known as Lashkar Bonalu.

The ‘Rangam’ (forecasting the future) will be made by a young unmarried woman at 8.30 a.m. on Monday.

The colourful Bonalu festival started from early hours of Sunday with a large number of devotees, especially women and young girls gaily dressed in traditional attire carrying ‘Bonam’ (pot containing rice, turmeric powder, jaggery and curd covered with neem leaves with a lamp placed on it) on their heads to offer Goddess Mahankali. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with his family members offered ‘pattu vastralu’ (silk clothes) and other items to Goddess Mahankali. Ministers T Srinivas Yadav, T Padma Rao, Nayini Narasimha Reddy, A Indrakaran Reddy, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, senior Government officials and others also offered prayers at the temple.

It is expected that over five lakh devotees would participate in Bonalu till Monday evening.

TRS MP Kavitha carrying a ‘Bonalu’ to Ujjaini Mahakali Temple on the occasion of Bonalu festival in Secunderabad on Sunday | A Radhakrishna
TRS MP Kavitha carrying a ‘Bonalu’ to Ujjaini Mahakali Temple on the occasion of Bonalu festival in Secunderabad on Sunday | A Radhakrishna

Central Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Bandaru Dattatreya also visited the temple and performed puja, while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offered prayers at Ujjaini Mahankali Temple on Saturday.
The lanes of Secunderabad were filled with procession of devotees carrying ghatams. Whip weilding ‘potharajus’ with ‘ghatams’ followed by ‘teen maar’ drumbeat reverberated in the lanes and bylanes of Secunderabad.

The Mahankali Temple was beautifully decked up for the festival with illumination, flower arrangements, buntings and festoons.

Apart from devotees of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, devotees from surrounding districts including Rangareddy, Medak and Nalgonda too thronged the temple and offered prayers. Separate queues were made for the convenience of devotees carrying bonalu, and handicapped and aged persons. The devotees also visited Mahankali temples located in Pan Bazar, Regimental Bazar, Ramgopalpet, Mettuguda, Bhoiguda, RP Road, Marredpally, Paradise, Ranigunj, YMCA, SD Road, Seethaphalmandi, Chilkaguda and other temples.

Several devotees offered a ‘thottela’ (a small colourful, paper structure supported by sticks). Police made elaborate security arrangements for smooth conduct of the festival.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / August 03rd, 2015

Techwave Consulting to open second centre in Hyderabad

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

US headquartered Techwave Consulting Inc. is opening its second office in Hyderabad, a key component of the firm’s global expansion plans that also involves a multi-fold increase in the headcount in the city.

“We have 300 people at our existing global delivery centre in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Around 500 are to be added at the new facility [in Madhapur],” CEO Damodar Rao Gummadapu told The Hindu over phone on Thursday.

Global system integrator Techwave Consulting, specialising in ERP, Business Analytics, including Big Data, Cloud and mobility space, is acquiring a Hyderabad-based IT firm that has operations in Europe. The acquisition, expected to be closed by August-end, would bring on board 170 staffers from that firm. “Our goal is to increase the employee base in Hyderabad to 1,000 and globally 1,500 in December 2016,” he said, adding that the company is also looking at two more acquisitions. While one of the firms is in the US, the other is in Bengaluru. With the process in a nascent stage, he did not wish to elaborate on any details.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 31st, 2015

Ignored earlier, skater hopes to get Arjuna Award this year

Sports
Anup Kumar Yama has started a campaign on social networking sites to propagate his cause.– PHOTO: By Arrangement
Anup Kumar Yama has started a campaign on social networking sites to propagate his cause.– PHOTO: By Arrangement

Thanks to an RTI sports enthusiast, Asian Games bronze medallist in roller-skating Anup Kumar Yama is now brimming with confidence of getting the prestigious Arjuna Award for this year.

To Hyderabadi’s delight, it became evident that Anup missed it out last year because of miscalculations with regard to deciding the eventual awardees.

For someone who happens to be the only medallist ever from India in a World Championship (he won a gold in Taipei-Taiwan in 2013), he had applied the previous four years for the Arjuna Award and was really optimistic in 2014, especially given his World Championship gold and also because of major changes in the selection criteria for the awards.

According to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, a point system was formulated to calculate an athlete’s medal achievements in the previous four years in international meets. It was also announced that 90 per cent weightage will be given to international meets and 10 per cent to the marks given by the selection committee for the assessment of the sports person, keeping in view factors like profile and standard of the discipline.

Ironically, this champion skater from the city topped the charts with the highest points last year and could have been a clear winner for the award as he won medals in the World, Asiad, Asian Championships to name a few.

“I was shocked to know that I got the highest points among all the sportspersons, but despite winning the world number one and the first-ever gold in world championship, I was ignored,” said Anup.

So, what are the options now? “Well, since it was a clear violation of the Ministry’s guidelines to deny me the award, I am applying again through the Sports Authority of Telangana and my National Federation this year with the hope of getting justice this time,” says Anup, as he embarked on a campaign on the social networking sites too to propagate his cause.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V.Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – July 26th, 2015

Youngest CA in country authored books at 10

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Hyderabad :

While other children at the age of 10 were busy brushing up their mathematical skills, Hyderabad’s child prodigy authored books on the subject and became the youngest income tax payer for the royalty he received from developing the math laboratory.

Meet Nischal Narayanam, 19, who last week became the country’s youngest chartered accountant, capping an already long list of achievements. Not only did he display his talent by completing five classes, class 8 to 12, in one academic year, securing the top rank in the International General Certificate of Secondary Education board in Cambridge University in 2010, he also is a double Guinness world record holder in the category of memory. He made the record first at the age of 11. He is also the recipient of the National Gold Medal for exceptional achievement in 2008, presented by the then central government.

A prodigy from the start, Nischal’s skills were honed by 40 tutors from across the world, who taught him almost all the Math methodologies. “I have been taught almost all Math methodologies such as Abacus (China), Trachtenberg system (Germany), Napier Bones (Scotland), Vedic Math (India), among many others. These mental methodologies are the foundation of my success,” said Nischal.

In fact, Nischal designed the Math laboratory at the age of 10. Manufactured by Nischal Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd., the Math lab includes various tools and equipment to explain various mathematical concepts. “The Math lab teaches basic concepts such as multiplication of six digit numbers, algorithms, structures etc. with a wide choice of problem solving skills. Through these portable labs, teachers can teach several concepts which cannot be taught only through textbooks,” said Nischal.

No wonder then that the Math lab is technically empanelled by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). It is already being used in almost 2 lakh schools across the country and will be introduced in the schools run by the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments from this academic year.

In the meantime, Nischal, who plans to study further in the field of finance and statistics, is relaxing with movies and travelling. “I watch movies almost twice a week. I don’t isolate myself from social life and attend almost all family functions,” said Nischal, who had already been to 18 countries so far.

National Geographic Channel has recently named Nishal among “7 brilliant brains of the world”. Deloitte International audit firm, recognizing his amazing abilities, had invited him as a special invitee and speaker at their global conference in Shanghai. The conference was attended by delegates from 190 countries. At Deloitte, Nischal is the youngest amongst their two lakh members, globally. Nischal’s passion for mathematics was spotted by his parents at an early age of nine and since then they have encouraged him for all his achievements.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / July 24th, 2015