Clinical trials of cochlear implant to begin soon

Science & Technology

CochlearTELANGANA18sept2014

The indigenously-designed and developed low-cost implant is expected to be ready for commercial production in a year. A host of DRDO labs are involved in the project-NSTL, NMRL, Anurag, RCI and DIPAS, besides the Armed Forces Medical College and Andhra University.

An indigenously-designed and developed low-cost cochlear implant is expected to be ready for commercial production in a year with clinical trials set to begin in the next few months.

An application seeking permission for clinical trials has already been filed with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on behalf of the Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) and clearance is expected in a couple of months, said V. Bhujanga Rao, Director-General (Naval Systems & Materials), Defence Research and Development Organisation.

A host of DRDO labs are involved in the project-NSTL, NMRL, Anurag, RCI and DIPAS, besides the Armed Forces Medical College and Andhra University.

Talking to The Hindu here on Wednesday, Dr. Bhujanga Rao, who is the chief designer and principal investigator of the project, said the cost of the indigenous implant named ‘Sravan’ would be between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1.5 lakh as against an imported device that could be between Rs.7 lakh and Rs.8 lakh.

Cochlear implant, also called ‘bionic ear’, provides hearing perception to people suffering from profound hearing loss.

Bio-compatibility tests completed
With successful completion of bio-compatibility tests, he said multi-centric clinical trials across the country would be conducted for about six months to one year after receiving the nod from DCGI.

They include Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Army Hospital Research and Referral Centre, Delhi, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institution, Chennai and Apollo Hospital, Bengaluru. He said some private practitioners from Delhi and Bengaluru would also be involved in the trials.

He said the implant developed in India would be the world’s cheapest, without compromising on quality.

After the successful completion of clinical trials, the technology would be transferred to an Indore-based company for series production.

Technology can be shared
In case the volume becomes high, the technology could be given to more companies. He said nearly one million people in the country suffered from profound hearing loss, while every year 10,000 infants are born with the same problem.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Y. Mallikarjun / Hyderabad – September 17th, 2014

Hyderabad student is ‘World Topper in Mathematics’

Education, Records, All, World Opinion

Rishikesh Reddy Kayathi of Oakridge International School has been declared a ‘World Topper in Mathematics’, in the Grade X International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Examinations conducted by Cambridge University.

Toppers in IGCSE exam: report from Bangalore

Three Class X students of a private school in Bangalore have topped the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examination held in June 2014 in three subjects at the national level. While Ami Mehta has secured the first rank in English, Uma Shekhawat topped in Entrepreneurship and Mahesh Bhide has stood first in Chemistry. They are students of Indus International School.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Education Plus / September 04th, 2014

Service and society

Amazing Feats, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All
IN HONOUR Shobha Gosa receives the Sadguru Gnananda Fellowship.
IN HONOUR Shobha Gosa receives the Sadguru Gnananda Fellowship.


Honour for social entrepreneurs for their contribution to society

Why would Management professionals abandon promising careers or a wheel chair-bound individual serve the disabled through setting up their own NGOs? If heart did not rule head, social entrepreneurs would seldom be born. Fortunately, three such champions of change were identified by the Manava Seva Dharma Samvardhani (MSDS) and awarded the Sadguru Gnanananda Fellowship Program in the city last week.

Having met with a road accident Dilip Patro a software professional suddenly found himself wheel chair bound. This could hardly curtail his passion for reaching out to help others and in 2007 he set up The Ability People (TAP) an NGO that educates and supports rehabilitation of spinal cord injured persons (SCIP) at Vizag.

IN HONOUR Dilip Patro receives the Sadguru Gnananda Fellowship
IN HONOUR Dilip Patro receives the Sadguru Gnananda Fellowship

Appointed as a representative under the National Trust, TAP provides mobility aids and appliances for various disabilities besides working with the police for road safety and promoting Right to Emergency Care in the critical ‘golden hour’ (the first one hour of an accident). The TAP website provides an All India Helpline and a toll free number within the state for easy access to citizens.

With a similar motive to serve the masses, Shobha Gosa, Founder, Young People for Life India based at Hyderabad was chosen for empowering youth from disadvantaged backgrounds with communication skills and behavioural management.

Her years as a Business Coach inspired her to focus on education and training of teenage girls gifting them leadership skills, cross cultural engagement, human rights etc.

The third awardee, Akshai Abraham an MBA from Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal founded Project KHEL in 2012 at Lucknow merging his interest in social work and sports in order to positively impact the lives of underprivileged children. KHEL being the acronym for Kids Holistic Education & Life skills his NGO playfully develops confidence, leadership, team work, trust and addresses important issues of health and sanitation through games. “Across the world sport is being applied to address development issues such as creating health awareness, promoting peace and gender equity,” said Abraham.

MSDS, is a registered Public Charitable Trust that initiates social consciousness amongst people.

The Fellowship constitutes monthly monetary support for a period of one year, extendable on impact.

Their learning Centres for Social Initiative & Management are located at Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Coimbatore.

It’s the helping hand that truly serves the world and the world comes to those that serve selflessly!

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Padmini B. Patell / Hyderabad – September 15th, 2014

Honour and loyalty are this soldier’s hallmark

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Rasool Khan. / -PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH / The Hindu
Rasool Khan. / -PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH / The Hindu

This former Sepoy of the Royal Indian Service Corps, did not join Netaji’s Army as he had taken an oath to be loyal to the outfit he served

Honour and loyalty are known to be the mark of a perfect soldier. And World War II veteran, Rasool Khan, a resident of Chanchalguda in Hyderabad, fits the bill notwithstanding his age at over 90 years.

This former Sepoy of the Royal Indian Service Corps, a British Army unit active in the Burmese front during WW II, had even denied himself the chance to enrol in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army as he had taken an oath to be loyal to the outfit he served.

“We were excited when we got an offer to join Netaji’s force but were bound by our oath,” says the ex-soldier, referring to the days when feelers were sent to Indian personnel in the British Army in Burma to desert their units. “We came out of the War with honour,” he adds as he throws light on the crucial period in World history.

The veteran was talking to The Hindu after being honoured at the ex-servicemen rally, which he came to attend in Adilabad, on Sunday. However, he observes, “The uncertainty of those times was quite an experience.”

Born on September 9 1923, Rasool Khan had enrolled in the British outfit in Secunderabad in 1939 at the tender age of 16. He was trained in a military training facility in Allahabad before being shifted to the Burmese front in an anti-aircraft gunnery unit.

“We never got a chance to use the anti-aircraft guns during all the six years I served on the front. Life in the trenches and open jungles, however, taught me to be tough,” says the nonagenarian ex-solider, who has remained single.

The fast paced events associated with the country’s independence made people forget about WW II and its veterans, which had Rasool Khan live a life of virtual seclusion. “Humku koi bhi nai puchte the,” he says in a typical Hyderabadi accent as he talks about the condition of WW II veterans in the wake of independence.

Later in life nevertheless, the ex-soldier was given employment in the Army Supply Corps (Maintenance and Transport) at Ramagundam. He is thankful for the support given by the Army.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by S. Harpal Singh / Adilabad – September 15th, 2014

‘Balotsav’ in Kothagudem from November 7 to 9

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Balotsav children festival convener Vasireddy Ramesh Babu releasing the brochure at Kothagudem club in Khammam on Sunday | EXPRESS PHOTO
Balotsav children festival convener Vasireddy Ramesh Babu releasing the brochure at Kothagudem club in Khammam on Sunday | EXPRESS PHOTO

Khammam :

‘Balotsav’ children festival convener Vasireddy Ramesh Babu said that preparations have begun to conduct ‘Balotsav’ at a national level in Kothagudem from November 7 to 9.

He released the Balotsav brochure at Kothagudem club here on Sunday. He said that around 5,000 children are expected to participate in the festival during which competitions on 24 cultural events will be held .

Former minister Koneru Nageswara Rao and school children were also present at the event.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / September 15th, 2014

Enrich Energy to set up 60 MW solar power project in Telangana

Science & Technology

The solar park will be set up under open offer to supply power to meet the state’s renewable power obligations

Enrich Energy, a Pune-based renewable energy firm, has announced setting up a 60 MW solar power plant in Telangana.

“The company has got the approval for setting up 60 MW solar power project under ‘Solar Park Concept’ in the newly formed state of Telangana,” Enrich Energy said in a statement.

The solar park will be set up under open offer to supply power to meet the state’s renewable power obligations.

“APTRANSCO (Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh) has issued a ‘Letter of Intent’ for setting up a 60 MW capacity solar park to Enrich Energy under the power purchase agreement at preferential tariff of Rs 6.49 per kWh (kilo-watt hour) as per the open offer,” the company said.

“We at Enrich Energy are committed towards developing the renewable energy sector in India and are happy to partner with the government of Telangana in their clean energy initiative,” Kanchal, Director, Enrich Energy said in the statement.

Enrich Energy has developed and commissioned the first turnkey private solar park of India in Maharashtra at a single location with an installed capacity of 40 MW.

The company has two ongoing projects of 25 MW and 50 MW in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The company also provides innovative solutions for small retail investors for setting up private projects with the smallest 1 MW capacity.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / Press Trust of India / New Delhi – August 28th, 2014

UoH Assistant Professor Gets Harvard Fellowship

Education, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Assistant professor at the University of Hyderabad Dr Amit Kumar was awarded a fellowship by the Weatherhead Initiative on Global History (WIGH), Harvard University.

The fellowship gives Kumar an opportunity to be a part of the curriculum towards teaching and research on global history. “I will contribute on the theme — Global Migration,” he said.

The assistant professor at the UGC Centre for Study of Indian Diaspora (CSID) at the UoH will spend the 2014-115 academic year at Harvard.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / August 28th, 2014

Event industry body formed in Telangana

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

With the newly-formed Telangana state trying to give an impetus to the events industry, a new industry body Telangana Chamber of Events Industry (TCEI) has been floated today to tap the potential.

TCEI, a non-profit private body, comprises six industry sub-sectors, namely, events, sound, light and video, facilitators, event caterers, event venue and entertainers.

TCEI was formally launched by Telangana IT and Panchayat Minister K T Rama Rao, according to a release from the organisers.

The release quoted Rama Rao as having welcomed the formation of the new professional body.

“This makes easy for government to interact with the industry. For any industry to grow, you need an industrial body. I am happy TCEI is formed. It is the first of its kind of a body in India. It is a wonderful initiative,” he said.

The state government is keen to see many global events happening in Hyderabad, he added.

The events industry in Telangana is estimated to be around Rs 300 crore, the release said, adding that the industry’s request for a single-window clearance for their events is being accepted.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Hyderabad – August 27th, 2014

Why should shopping online be solo? Hyderabad-based VioletStreet aids in matching your outfits

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

For many, shopping for clothes is an emotional experience. Usually people take someone along with them when they shop to solicit third party opinion because not everyone believes in what they see inside the trial room mirror. People want to look their best in front of other people. But it is quite a task to purchase the right outfits.

In the quest to become India’s fashion discovery platform, VioletStreet, based in Hyderabad, wants to aid shoppers with matching decisions.

VioletStreet-HyderabadTELANAGANA13sept2014

How VioletStreet works

The site saves you from going through thousands of products and inventory to find the right match.

VioletStreet aggregates fashion products from all the online stores in one place. The core offering is finding relevant matching products for every product viewed and real-time shopping with friends which no other player in this space offers.

VioletStreet’s algorithm is all about mixing and matching fashion products and enabling users to express their fashion ideas using simple drag and drop process. When a user views a particular product, VioletStreet recommends which other products would pair best with it, which no other platform provides. It is the first platform in India to launch real-time shopping with friends which reduces the pain of sharing products via links/mails.

The inspiration came, “while observing the behavior of shoppers at a shopping mall in Hyderabad. People generally came along with friends or family, tried products, showed it to their friends, picked matching products and made the purchase. Why is online shopping such a lonely process? How close can we bring it to offline shopping?” says Nayan Kumar, Co-founder of VioletStreet.

He adds, “Online fashion sales have crossed $559 million in India last year. There are too many fashion e-commerce sites, but none engage the user socially. There is a huge need for relevant data and a collaborative shopping experience, especially in fashion.”


The team behind VioletStreet.com

Ankur Gupta is the CEO of VioletStreet and he also heads its technology. He is a graduate in Computer Science Engineering from NIT, Allahabad. Ankur has worked in Microsoft R & D for three years until he quit his job in 2013 to start his own venture.

Nayan Kumar heads UI/UX, Sales, and Digital Marketing. He is a graduate of Chemical Engineering and Economics from BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad. Before co-founding VioletStreet, he worked in the service industry.

Divya Sisodia is the fashion expert in the team. Graduated in Textile Design from NIFT Hyderabad, Divya handles all aspects related to fashion and creative content for VioletStreet.

Ankur and Nayan are Startup Leadership Programme (SLP) fellows and that is where they met first.

Creating 100 looks every day

Users can follow each other to chat and share products instantaneously.

Users can also interact with their Facebook network – friends who have already signed up for VioletStreet will be automatically added to the user’s chat list.

The startup claims that about 100 looks are created every day which is increasing at 100% month-on-month and the site receives more than 20,000 unique visitors every month. On average, the user spends 04:31 minutes on the site, according to external sources.

Their current business model is generating revenue through affiliate sales and advertising. They make money from the traffic that they send to e-commerce sites (Jabong, Myntra, StalkBuyLove, Koov, Pretty Secrets and the likes). VioletStreet didn’t disclose the size of their revenue but they plan to break even in one-and-half years. So far they have raised Rs.10 lakhs investment at TiE Smashup TechStocks.

VioletStreet wants to include men’s fashion and lifestyle products, and establish a pan India presence in the first two years before going global.

Limeroad , Voonik, Roposo. and fashupp.com are some of the players in the space in the domestic market. In the global market, Polyvore, Wanelo, Fancy, Lyst operate in a similar model.

source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory.com / Home / by Emmanuel Amberber / September 13th, 2014

Sania’s gesture to young talent

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Sports

Former National tennis champion Shaikh Jafreen (in the hearing impaired category) was in for a pleasant surprise at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy in Hyderabad on Friday morning when the three-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza walked across to present a cheque of Rs. 5 lakhs to the former to help her prepare for the major events lined up over the next few months.

The 17-year-old Jafreen shifted her base to Hyderabad at the initiative of Sania Mirza and joined the SMTA last year. Ever since, she has been given free coaching and also being mentored personally by the star tennis player.

Only on Thursday, Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao presented a cheque of Rs. 1 crore to Sania, who is brand ambassador of the State Government, as incentive for winning the US Open mixed doubles title.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Miscellaneous> Others / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – September 13th, 2014