First of its kind

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Foreign students in a celebratory mood. / Photo: V. V Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
Foreign students in a celebratory mood. / Photo: V. V Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

A sports meet was organised for foreign students in Hyderabad

A few days after Makara Sankranthi, a festive mood still lingered at the Nizam College Grounds though for a different reason: it was to host the first-ever sports meet for foreign students studying in and around Hyderabad, organised by the Sports Coaching Foundation (SCB), Masab Tank.

Conceived and conceptualised by K. Sai Baba, general secretary of SCF, the whole idea was to not only let the foreign students showcase their skills,(most of them are regular footballers at the floodlit SCF) but also to gently remind city students of the need to engage in some sport.

Not surprisingly, foreign students latched on to the opportunity and enjoyed the ambience.

With S. Rajesh Kumar of Athletics Association, and V. Satyanarayana, Director of Physical Education, OU, taking care of the technical conduct of the meet, there were little hiccups.

It was an onerous task for the organisers as about 1500 students participated in the three-day sports meet which was marked fby the camaraderie and true sportsman spirit during competitions in cricket, basketball, volleyball, football and some select events in athletics.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Teams from Iraq dominated team events like basketball, football and volleyball while students from the war-hit Afghanistan showed great spirit to clinch key events in athletics.

In individual events, Ruby Babak of Afghanistan cornered glory with a ‘double’ winning the women’s 100 m and the 200 m events in style.

S. Venkata Chalam, vice-chairman of Telangana State Council for Higher Education, gave away the prizes at the valedictory function where well-known broadcaster G. K. Marar, an alumnus of Nizam College which was celebrating 150th year of its inception was also felicitated.

Important results

Track & field: 100 m: Women: 1. Ruby Babak (Afghanistan) 19.5 sec, 2. Nizala (Afghanistan), 3. Arjoo (Iraq).

200 m: 1. Ruby Babak (Afghanistan) 45.60 sec, 2. Nizala (Iran), 3.Khalida (Iran).

Team events

Men: Iraq beat Nigeria 21-19.

Volleyball: Iraq beat South Sudan 2-1.

Football: Iraq beat South Sudan 2-1.

Cricket: Afghanistan beat Rest of Africa.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / January 28th, 2015

5 City Students Selected for Global Business Competition

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Five high school students from Hyderabad got a unique chance to compete in the TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TyE) global business plan competition for their innovative project ‘TICH’, which will provide online services even to those who don’t have access to the Internet.

Keshav, Rishi Reddy, Neha Acharya, Yagna Agarwal and Zayaan will compete in the global competition where the winners will be awarded a cash prize of $10,000. The best project will also receive funding from top corporate companies, according to Safir Adeni, president of TiE Hyderabad. The children earned this rare opportunity for developing a professional business plan for an innovative idea to provide online services through a call centre.

According to the plan, a call centre will be set up where customers can call and seek various services. This will process the requests of the customers and send the results to them. The services include online shopping, ticket booking and applying for jobs and admissions.

This project was developed by the children as part of the TYE Hyderabad business plan competition where the best team was selected to be sent for the global competition.

Other participants in the Hyderabad competition have also come up with innovative business ideas which included app-based services to manage booking of playgrounds in the city and a techno-glass which is similar to the Google glass. Around 25 children, who participated in the competition in Hyderabad, were mentored by experts from prestigious institutes like Indian School of Business (ISB) and International Institute for Information Technology and some experts from industry. During the 16-week course they were trained in several business-related topics such as conducting market research.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / February 02nd, 2015

Birla Centre Library Open to Public on Membership Basis

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

BM Birla Science Centre throws open its library for the general public on Friday.

Built on the historic Naubat Pahad next to the BM Birla Science Centre, the library has books borrowed from the personal collection of Nirmala Birla, wife of GP Birla. The library, titled GP Birla Library, boasts of as many as 10,000 books ranging from art, archaeology, architecture to lesser known concepts such as iconography, numismatics, museology etc.

“The uniqueness of the library is that it caters to the interests of readers of all age groups from students to research scholars and retired scholars,’’ BG Sidharth, director, BM Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad, said. ‘’Some of the books present here are so rare that they will be beneficial to civil aspirants. These books are no longer available in the market,’’ Sidharth added.

Owing to the rarity of certain books, the management has decided to make it in an in house library, where the reading is restricted only on the premises of the library and the members are not allowed to borrow the books home.

‘’We cannot afford to lend the books to people because they are no longer available and once we lose them, they are gone forever,’’ he expressed.

The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is open six days a week. The membership is `500 on monthly basis, `2,000 on half- yearly basis and `3,000 on annual basis.

Physics and Astronomy Meet: A physics and astronomy Meet is being organised by BM Birla Science Centre on February 4. Papers on various topics such as astronomy, gravitation and cosmology, high energy physics etc will be presented at the symposium.

The keynote address will be delivered by Prof Larisa Laperashvili, leading researcher of theoretical department of the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics and National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Moscow. For further details contact these numbers 23235081/ 9391516839 or write to birlasc@gmail.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / January 31st, 2015

At 60, they ran 7 half-marathons, across 7 continents, in 7 days!

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Adventure enthusiasts Krishna Prasad Chigurupati and Uma Chigurupati ran 148 km and spent 59 hours flying 38,000 km for the competition.– Photo: Nagara Gopal
Adventure enthusiasts Krishna Prasad Chigurupati and Uma Chigurupati ran 148 km and spent 59 hours flying 38,000 km for the competition.– Photo: Nagara Gopal

Hyderabadi couple Chigurupati Krishna Prasad and Uma are the world’s first to have successfully completed the World Marathon Challenge 2015

At 60, an average Indian might fancy the idea of running after their grandchildren, not sprinting across Antarctica and Australia in a week! That is just what Hyderabadi Chigurupati Krishna Prasad, a successful entrepreneur, and his wife Uma did.

The couple are the world’s first to have successfully completed the World Marathon Challenge 2015, where participants have to cover seven half-marathons across seven continents in seven days. Uma is also the first female to have achieved the milestone.

The duo ran 148 km and spent 59 hours flying 38,000 km for the competition, which began on January 17 in Antarctica and covered Chile in South America, Miami in North America, Madrid in Europe, Morocco in Africa, Dubai in Asia and finally Sydney on January 24. More commendable is the fact that the average age of the participants in the competition was around 35.

From running faster in the glaciers of Antarctica, where temperatures recorded – 20°C, to escaping frost bites, to braving winds of 55 kmph the very next day in Chile, the couple have adventurous tales aplenty to share. “We had to run through tracks, woods and then a harbour in Australia. I lost my way in the woods and was clueless, but managed to complete the race,” said Uma at a felicitation programme organised for the couple on Saturday.

“It was a physically and mentally exhausting challen-ge, running from airports to run sites and back to airports. In all, we slept only two nigh-ts on proper beds,” she added.

While Uma wants to encourage running, Mr. Prasad’s has another aim. “I had signed up for Richard Branson’s space mission and hope to be on the spacecraft soon.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rahul Devulapalli / Hyderabad – February 01st, 2015

Gubba Group launches Germplasm Bank

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

First such bank in the private sector to help preserve seeds

A Germplasm Bank for use by seed companies, farmers, scientists and research institutions is the latest business venture of Gubba, a Hyderabad-based Group specialising in cold storage services.

Announcing the launch of the bank established with an investment outlay of Rs. 4 crore, senior members of the management team led by the Group CEO, Gubba Kiran, on Wednesday said it was the first such facility in the private sector in India. It has two vaults that together offer 107 lockers in which Germplasm will be stored for five to 40 years under minus 20 degree Celsius. Explaining the process, Gubba Prashanth, Research and Technical Head, said on receiving the Germplasm seeds, it is sent to the laboratory to record the details and create a database. This is followed by x-ray analysis, cold drying, packing and preservation. The stored material will be subjected to quality checks periodically.

In tune with its role of custodian of the seeds, for which it will charge monthly rentals in the Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 25,000 band per locker, the company, he said, assures high levels of confidentiality of the database. Unless permitted by the customer, the information would not be shared, he added. A few lockers will be provided free of cost to individuals and NGOs working in the area of seed preservation. The facility over time is expected to generate and provide new scientific knowledge and information on ecosystems, species and genes.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent/ Hyderabad – January 29th, 2015

Antique cannon recovered

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

The city police recovered a 17th century antique cannon at an under construction site at Nayapool on Wednesday. The contractor, Lateef, found the cannon while digging for laying pillars.

“The State Archaeological department officials told us that the cannon might have been used during the siege of Golconda Fort by the forces of Aurangzeb. They surmise that it is one of the most advanced cannons of that period,” Inspector Task Force (East) team, Ch Sridhar said.

The cannon is 6.5 ft long with a diameter of 4 inches and weighs 800 kg.

Animal oil

extraction unit

The Commissioner’s Task Force (East) team on Thursday raided a godown at Chaderghat where oil was being extracted from animal fat illegally.

The police seized 24 barrels of oil, 50 kg of body parts of animals and a DCM vehicle.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Task Force, N. Koti Reddy, said that the owner of the unit, Salar Qureshi, 62, procured organs of cattle and converted it into fat in big cauldrons. He claimed that the produce was supplied to soap manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Two persons held

Two persons who allegedly bought 1.5 kg of gold from a gang of chain snatchers were arrested by the West Zone police on Thursday.

The accused persons, Mohd Irfan of Bandlaguda and Shyam Sunder Sugand of Gulzar Houz, procured gold chains from a gang of chain snatchers, who were arrested by the police in December.

The gang members, including Lamba Hussain, Mirza Azmath Ali and Mohd Akheeluddin, were involved in 230 chain snatching cases reported in the city.

VRO arrested

Anti-Corruption Bureau officials on Thursday arrested Yakapur Shivakumar, Village Revenue Officer of Rompally in Bantwaram mandal of Ranga Reddy district on charge of accepting Rs. 3,000 bribe from a person. The VRO received the sum from a villager to change names in revenue records, according to a press release.

He will be presented before a local court.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – January 30th, 2015

Awards Given Away to RTC Bus Drivers for Saving Fuel

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Travel
Transport minister P Mahender Reddy presenting the first best KMPL award to Khammam depot driver Ch Papi Reddy at RTC Kala Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday | EXPRESS Photo
Transport minister P Mahender Reddy presenting the first best KMPL award to Khammam depot driver Ch Papi Reddy at RTC Kala Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday | EXPRESS Photo

Hyderabad :

‘’We will carve Telangana State Road Transport Corporation in such a way that its model will be followed by the rest of the transport departments in the country,’’ transport minister P Mahender Reddy has said.

APSRTC, in collaboration with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation gave away awards to the best HSD (High Speed Diesel) KMPL drivers, Protective Journey Driving Instructors (PJDIs), Safety Driving Instructors (SDIs) and mechanics of Telangana at APSRTC Kala Bhavan here on Wednesday.

The awards were given to 97 drivers, instructors and mechanics from the state for using the fuel efficiently and maintaining a noteworthy KMPL. The highest KMPL of 7.92 this year was recorded by Ch Appi Reddy of Khammam district, who thereby saved 4,418 litres of HSD.

Speaking on the occasion, the transport minister urged all the drivers to try their best to conserve fuel. ‘’Today, we spend as much as `1,150 crore per annum on diesel alone. Hence, conserving fuel and using it carefully should be a regular practice,’’ he said. He lauded the efforts of the award winners and also encouraged the fellow drivers to be pro active in fuel conservation.

‘’To make the road transport service accessible to every nook and corner of the state, the chief minister has allotted ` 500 crore for improving roads in the districts,’’ he said.

Among those present at the event include N Sambasiva Rao, vice-chairman and managing director, APSRTC, Ramana Rao, joint managing director, TSRTC.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / January 29th, 2015

Mithali Raj, P.V. Sindhu on cloud nine

Records, All, Sports

It was a Super Sunday for two of Hyderabad’s best sportspersons – Indian women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj and one of the world’s best badminton talents Pusarla Venkata Sindhu – when they were named among the list of Padma Shri awardees by the Government of India on Sunday evening.

Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj

“This is a huge surprise, and being clubbed with someone like Virat Kohli makes the announcement all the more special,” said a smiling Mithali, who is arguably the finest women’s cricketer from India.

The 32-year-old star performer pointed out that she was not really thinking about it since women’s cricket was not all that popular in India.

P.V. Sindhu
P.V. Sindhu

Nineteen-year-old Sindhu was also equally elated.

“This is a great day for my entire family, especially for my parents (Arjuna awardee P.V. Ramana and P. Vijaya – both former international volleyball players). I was not expecting this

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – January 26th, 2015

‘Kosambi broke with the past, pioneered a new methodology’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Historian Uma Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic

Eminent historian Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi made path-breaking contributions to historical analysis through his methodology, noted well-known feminist historian and civil liberties activist Uma Chakravarti.

During her talk on Kosambi’s Approach to History here on Monday, Prof. Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic. This was stated in an introduction to a Telugu translation of D.D. Kosambi’s An Introduction to the Study of Indian History by N. Venugopal.

Though emerging as an antidote to the colonial narrative, the problem with nationalist history was that it constantly evoked a “glorious past”, and its reluctance to look at caste and gender meant disengagement with the present, Prof. Chakravarti noted.

Indologists who narrowed down their tools to texts have typically left the history before 1200 AD to the realm of mythology, which offered nothing in terms of caste and gender.

In contrast, Kosambi, a mathematician by profession, was incredibly eclectic and used all tools at his disposal, including numismatics, statistical derivatives and archaeology to study ethnography, and brought out a set of questions that had not been seriously considered before 1956.

The observation that India did not need slavery thanks to its caste system and debt bondage, and that the Indus Valley could have been a static civilisation as its script remained unchanged for 800 years, were remarkable examples of his historical understanding. His study of Buddhism and State formation were brilliant, Prof. Chakravarti remarked.

“I don’t think Kosambi should be treated as God. The method he followed made him open to analysis…Nobody has adopted his methodology, but just want to follow the line he gave,” she pointed out.

She also noted that Kosambi made a gendered analysis of history in Myth and Reality , even though gender was a dimension much ignored.

I don’t think Kosambi should be treated as God. The method he followed made him open to analysis…Nobody has adopted his methodology, but just want to follow the line he gave

Prof. Uma Chakravarti

Historian

Historian Uma Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – January 27th, 2015

Indian Police Medal Awarded to 10 National Police Academy Officers

Records, All
National Police Academy director Aruna M Bahuguna presenting a medal to deputy director NRK Reddy in Hyderabad on Monday | EXPRESS PHOTO
National Police Academy director Aruna M Bahuguna presenting a medal to deputy director NRK Reddy in Hyderabad on Monday | EXPRESS PHOTO

Hyderabad :

Three IPS officers are among the 10 officials of the National Police Academy (NPA) who have bagged the Indian Police Medal.

NPA director Aruna M Bahuguna led the 66th Republic Day celebrations on the academy premises at Shivarampally, near here, on Monday. She unfurled the national flag and addressed the IPS trainees. She complimented the trainees for achieving high standards within a short period of five weeks.

After presenting meritorious awards to police officers, Bahuguna called upon trainee officers to be honest while discharging duties and to serve people and try to redress their problems.

She said that the Union government announced Indian Police Medal for meritorious service on the occasion of the Republic Day to NPA deputy directors Hari Kishore Kusumakar and Goduguluri Srinivasa Rao, assistant director Vipul Kumar, inspectors E Srinivasa Rao and Rajesh Kumar, sub-inspectors Penukonda Suresh Kumar, Budhinath Sharma and Kulwant Singh, head constable Challa Bhaskar Reddy, and constable Saji Kumar S.

The director also presented meritorious awards to 28 police personnel of the academy.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / January 27th, 2015