Category Archives: Inspiration /Positive News and Features

Indian-origin aeronautical engineer to fly into space

Sirisha Bandla
Sirisha Bandla

Sirisha Bandla, a 34-year-old aeronautical engineer, is set to become the third Indian-origin woman to head to space when she flies as part of Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed flight test on Sunday.

Ms. Bandla, who was born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and brought up in Houston, Texas, will join Sir Richard Branson, the company’s billionaire founder, and five others on board Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity to make a journey to the edge of space from New Mexico.

“I am so incredibly honoured to be a part of the amazing crew of #Unity22, and to be a part of a company whose mission is to make space available to all,” she tweeted.

Ms. Bandla will be astronaut no 004 and her flight role will be Researcher Experience, according to her profile on Virgin Galactic.

She will become the third Indian-origin woman to fly into space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.

Ms. Bandla started in her role as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations at Virgin Galactic in January 2021.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> International / by PTI / Houston, July 10th, 2021

Memorial for Prakasam Pantulu long overdue

Tanguturi Gopalakrishna paying tributes at the statue of his grandfather Prakasam Pantulu on his birth anniversary, in Ongole on Friday. Ministers B. Srinivasa Reddy and A. Suresh are seen.
Tanguturi Gopalakrishna paying tributes at the statue of his grandfather Prakasam Pantulu on his birth anniversary, in Ongole on Friday. Ministers B. Srinivasa Reddy and A. Suresh are seen.

His island villa in Ongole, house in Vinodarayunipalem and Vijayotsavam Stupa paint a picture of neglect

Statesman Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu’s island villa in Ongole, his house in Vinodarayunipalem and the Salt Satyagraha site near Devarampadu are forgotten for most of the year except on the great man’s birth and death anniversaries.

Little has been done to convert these structures into memorials except for the occassional lip service twice a year on his birth and death anniversaries. His admirers feel that building the memorials would be a fitting tribute to the great freedom fighter and politician who earned the epithet of ‘Andhra Kesari’ for his opposition to British rule.

The ‘Vijayotsavam Stupa’ in Devarampadu village, built in 1935 to mark the launch of Prakasam Pantulu’s Salt Satyagraha and unveiled by Babu Rajendra Prasad, also cries for attention with the road leading to it in an urgent need of repair.

Several times in the past, VIPs had skipped visiting this site on important occasions like Independence Day, Republic Day and Prakasam Pantulu’s birth and death anniversaries. A library which has a good collection of books on the freedom struggle is also in a dilapidated condition, lament villagers.

“We have been pleading successive governments to develop the site into a tourist spot by building a park. But our efforts have not borne fruit so far,” they said.

Assurances

Taking note of the poorly maintained road in the midst of lush green fields, Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who experienced a bumpy ride on Friday, said that the Government would lay a cement road to the historic site so that the youth could draw inspiration from the life of the great man, who had become the Prime Minister of Madras Presidency as well as the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when it was formed in 1953.

The Education Department would soon construct a new building for the library at the site where Prakasam Pantulu had spent his last days in a mango orchard, Education Minister A. Suresh promised.

Vinodarayunipalem, where Prakasam Pantulu was born, too lacked a befitting memorial, as also the island villa in Ongole from where he had led the freedom struggle and ran his ‘Swarajya’ newspaper. Today, a private college occupies most of the space. Even now, a memorial could be built on the vacant land available on the premises, felt Andhra Kesari Prakasam Seva Samiti leader P. Venkateswarlu.

Prakasam Pantulu’s grandson T. Gopalakrishna said the YSRCP government could draw lessons from the way Prakasam Pantalu administered the State and grapple with bifurcation blues.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Ongole – August 24th, 2019

Nellore: NRI imparts knowledge on robotics to ZP students

Programme instill awareness on robotics among rurals

 Niharika educates about robotics to the students of ZP High School at Muthukur.
Niharika educates about robotics to the students of ZP High School at Muthukur.

Nellore : 

In a laudable initiative, an NRI student Niharika has been sharing her knowledge on robotics with Class IX students of ZP High School at Muthukur, 30 km from Nellore.

Incidentally, she is part of the school’s robotics team-The Steel Hawks and is a budding engineer with a big heart.

For the students, it is something like a Cinderella story, straight out of a silver  screen like Sreemanthudu of Mahesh Babu, where the film star, after having graduated from top-notch US Schools, comes down to his native place to give a whiff of fresh breath of AI.

Niharika Kotamreddy is a Class 12 student from Townsend Harris High School in New York and she is part of her school’s robotics team. She took classes on the subject for three weeks in Muthukur High School.

Teachers in the school opined that the AI & robotics programme infused new energy into the students who saw the method of teaching from a different plank altogether which improved their interest in studies but gave them a new direction to look at.

The AI & robotics programme instilled a sense of awareness on robotics amongst the rural children, near her hometown Nellore, thus creating opportunities for the underprivileged rural gems to sharpen their intellect and skill.

Daughter of a software professional Kotamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy and Bindu, working in the UN at New York, Niharika said that she is keen on keeping in touch with the students and will continue to make use of her holidays to keep their interest on robotics alive.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Pathri Rajasekhar / August 09th, 2019

This brave girl makes her village proud

My aim is to join IIT, says Sahiti .
My aim is to join IIT, says Sahiti .

Sahiti of Kothakota in Visakhapatnam district saved two from drowning at sea

In an act of bravery, a 15-year-old girl, risking her life, rescued two children from drowning at sea. If the efforts of a former MLA and others bear fruit, she is likely to get an award for her courageous act.

As many as 20 schoolchildren were taken to the Revu Polavaram Beach of S. Rayavaram mandal in the district on November 4, 2018. Incidentally, Kalagarla Sahiti (14) of Kothakota village of Raavikamatam mandal, had also gone for a picnic to the same beach along with her family members.

After lunch, some of the children went for a dip at sea. All of a sudden, two of them – Tirumalesu (6) and Bhargavi (8) — started drifting into the deep. Sahiti noticed the two children and the cries of others for help. Without a second thought she jumped into the water and rushed to their rescue.

“I swam towards them and took Tirumalesu on my back. I pulled Bhargavi with one hand, while using my other hand and feet to swim ashore,” Sahiti has told The Hindu, recalling the incident.

None of the others, who were at the beach, knew swimming and they watched in awe as the girl risked her life to save the drowning kids. The news spread like wild fire and people of nearby villages came and were all praise for her bravery.

The then Anakapalle MLA, Peela Govinda Satyanarayana, wrote a letter to the District Collector in February this year asking the latter to consider her name for nomination for the National Bravery Award. He has felt that such awards would inspire other children.

“We had approached the then District Collector K. Bhaskar, who took our application but we learnt that it was not processed as the district administration was busy with the general elections at the time. We are yet to meet present Collector R. Vinay Chand,” says Sahiti’s mother Nagajyothi.

Presently studying in 10th class at Sri Chaitanya English Medium School at Narsipatnam, Sahiti learnt swimming on her own at Anakapalle, when she was around 8 years. She can also perform various Yogasanas in the water.

Other achievements

“Sahiti is also good at academics and has scored above 95% in 9th class,” says her proud mother. Along with four other students from her school, she participated in a ‘space settlement contest’, organised by NASA. She presented the project ‘Vajra Kavacham’ at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC)-2019 held in Los Angeles in June this year.

“My aim is to join the IIT,” says Sahiti.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by B. Madhu Gopal / Visakhapatnam – July 08th, 2019

When 24 mango varieties grow on a single tree

Mango bite: Kuppala Rama Gopalakrishna showing the mangoes grown in his orchard. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR
Mango bite: Kuppala Rama Gopalakrishna showing the mangoes grown in his orchard. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

School dropout used grafting technique to achieve the sweet success

This school dropout is scripting a success story in the field of horticulture. He has grafted 24 varieties of mangoes on a single tree in his orchard spread over seven acres.

Everyone laughed at Kuppala Rama Gopalakrishna, 25, when he shared his plans to go for grafting technology to tide over the ‘off-season on-season’ problem associated with the mango crop, in 2015. In less than four years, he became a role model in his village and also villages nearby. Unlike other mango growers, he doesn’t harvest the crop and transport the produce to nearby mandi or Nunna market. “Instead, the prospective buyers visit my garden in view of the quality. We harvest the crop in front of them,” he says.

Mr. Gopalakrishna recalls that the mango yield of Chinna rasalu, Banginapalli and Collector (Totapuri) mangoes in his farm was not encouraging in 2015, and his well-wishers advised him to clear the garden and go for fresh plantation.

“But, by then five years of our life and lakhs of rupees were spent on the orchards. I did not want our sweat and toil to go waste. So, I started experimenting with grafting,” he says.

Showing the mangoes grown on the experimented tree, Mr. Gopalakrishna explains each variety: Banginapalli, Pachadara kalasa, Suvarn Rekha, Kobbari mamidi, Alphonso, Chinna rasalu, Pedda rasalu, Nalla rasalu, Nuzvid mamidi, Dasheri, Panduru mamidi, Collector, Himayat, Jalam, Neelisha, Mallika and some local varities. “And, this is Punasa mamidi,” he says, “which will grow throughout the year.”

The farmer managed to grab the attention of the Horticulture Department officials and was felicitated by the then Krishna District Collector B. Lakshmikantham for his experimenting spirit and innovation a year ago.

“This feat and success would not have been a reality had I followed my well-wishers’ advice. Now, I get invitations by farmers from nearby villages to guide them in emulating my techniques. And, I get invitations from my friends who advised me to cut the trees,” he smiles.

Now, Mr. Gopalakrishna has plans to grow more than 50 varieties of locally-available mangoes in his orchard and also go for high-density cultivation. “We also have a share in another three acres. I will go for high-density plantation there,” he adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by G.V.R. Subba Rao / Vadlamanu – April 27th, 2019

Andhra Pradesh SP scales a peak in Papua New Guinea

RadhikaANDHRA23mar2019

SP inches close to ‘Seven Summits Challenge’

Radhika G.R., Superintendent of Police from the State was on cloud nine, literally, for inching a step closer to her goal of completing the ‘mountaineering challenge’– conquering the seven summits of the world.

Video released

In a short video recorded, Ms. Radhika who works with the State’s Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS), could be seen elated, having the 4, 884-metre tall Carstensz Pyramid or Puncak Jaya, the highest summit in Oceania, under her feet. The video was released by State police on Thursday.

Thanks A.P. police

Carrying the Indian national flag and OCTOPUS flag, Ms. Radhika proudly says, “Today, I have reached the top of Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak of Oceania in Puncak Jaya island. We reached the summit at 10 a.m. Indonesian time with the help of two guides and mountain professionals team. I thank the AP police and the AP government.”

In December last, the 43-year-old Ms. Radhika summited the Antarctica’s highest peak of Mount Vinson. Earlier in 2017, she scaled the 5, 642-metre high Mount Elbrus, the tallest in Russia and Europe and became the first Indian woman to do so.

She made headlines in 2016 for being the first Indian policewoman to conquer the world’s highest peak Mt. Everest when she worked as an additional SP in the State.

As part of her goal to complete the ‘Seven Summits Challenge’, a dream for any professional mountaineer she also scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Kosciusko in Australia and others and has inched close to fulfilling the goal on Thursday. She began her career as a government lecturer and later got selected as Deputy SP.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / March 22nd, 2019

Session to build GenNext entrepreneurs in Vijayawada

Vijayawada :

Observing that opportunities for women in the country have increased with the availability of technology, Brandix India Partner Dora Swamy said there is an immense need to mentor them in the right direction so as to make them self-sustainable.

Delivering a keynote address at ‘Building Next Generation Women Entrepreneurs’ event in Vijayawada on Wednesday, Dora Swamy called upon the men in the society to encourage the fairer sex by giving them jobs in all fields of the society. The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), Amaravati and Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society have organised the event.

“Out of total 22,000 staff in our company, a majority of them i.e.18,000 are women, who hail from rural background. This is our priority the company accords to women,” he added. “We at Innovation Valley believe that entrepreneurship potential can be enhanced vis-a-vis structured support to establish enterprises,” Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society CEO Winny Patro said.

He said, “We are creating a framework to support women entrepreneurs and encouraging them to work in their companies.” TiE Board member Purnima Kamble said the session focused on topics such as challenges faced by women in leadership positions in a male-dominated work environment.
Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of AP President K Ramadevi among others participated.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Vijayawada / by Express News Service / February 28th, 2019

A women-owned dairy in Andhra Pradesh eyes the big league

Women power: Shareholders going to supply milk to the dairy at Gollapalle village | Photo Credit: K_V_PoornachandraKumar
Women power: Shareholders going to supply milk to the dairy at Gollapalle village | Photo Credit: K_V_PoornachandraKumar

With a strength of over 83,000, it procures 3.5 lakh litres of milk a day

Before Shreeja entered her life, middle-aged Gangamma of Palamaner mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district had to be content with the daily drudgery of maintaining her barn and selling the milk from her cows to a private supplier. And that came with the attendant problems of first realising payments from the buyer, and once the money was received, risk having the cash commandeered by a dominant male member of the family — father, husband, son or father-in-law.

But once Gangamma joined the dairy cooperative, the Tirupati-based Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company, life changed unimaginably for the better. Along with an army of more than 83,000 women, she is now a proud co-owner of a dairy that not only procures 3.5 lakh litres of milk every day but has become a ‘game-changer’ in the milk-rich Chittoor district.

Shreeja, arguably the world’s largest dairy that is exclusively owned by women, was established under the emerging concept of a ‘producer company’ in September 2014. Backed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Shreeja is considered a miniature of Amul — every supplier here becomes a shareholder, or conversely, milk is procured only from shareholders. As a result, the shareholder base has spread across the State’s three southern districts of Chittoor, Anantapuram and Nellore besides the bordering areas in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The cooperative principles of democratic governance and autonomy are also strictly adhered to. Women are not just shareholders, but also handle key positions on the board, as 11 of them are always on the 15-member governing board on a rotation basis, apart from three expert directors and a Chief Executive Officer.

The advantages in this ‘all women’ dairy are many. “First, it is a giant leap towards ensuring women’s empowerment in the countryside,” Shreeja’s CEO Jayatheertha Chary told The Hindu.

A great recognition

“Secondly, it recognises the services of the women who are actually involved in milking and cattle management. Thirdly, when suppliers and owners are the same, there is no scope for adulteration as it adversely impacts the yield, the profit and thus their dividend,” he added.

Prior to the establishment of the cooperative, incomes were largely impacted by arbitrariness in calculation of fat and SNF percentage, besides human errors in weighing. The payments, when released, never reached the women. Shreeja’s entry into the dairy landscape changed everything.

“Payment is made once in fifteen days, which gets deposited straight into my bank account, making our men look to us for petty cash”, Lakshmi Devi, resident of a village in Tirupati rural mandal, said with a wide grin. Transparency in transactions is ensured as data on the procured milk is processed real-time and the amount payable is arrived at right in front of the women.

Initially, there was substantial resistance from the men, who demanded payment to them in cash. But the company, as part of its avowed policy of ensuring women’s empowerment as well as a commitment to ‘Digital India’ initiative, stuck to bank transfers to the women’s accounts. The men were soon left with little choice but to accept the change. And seeing the success of the initiative, they are now happy with the savings generated for their families.

The handling of milk was resolved with the use of technology. Milk gathered from the 2,400 pooling points are shifted to a centrally-located Bulk Milk Cooling Unit (BMCU), which can handle up to 5,000 litres. When the volume and distance increases, the procured milk is sent to a bigger Milk Chilling Centre (MCC) having a capacity of 20,000 litres.

While collection details were earlier sent to the corporate office through pen drives, the data is now received online through GPRS-enabled units.

Frequent power cuts no longer pose a grave threat to the cooling units, after the company decided to solar-power the entire setup.

Going retail

Shreeja processes the milk it procures at Balaji Dairy, an NDDB-operated unit in Tirupati. As much as 80% of the milk is sent to New Delhi-based Mother Dairy through railway containers. With a procurement channel firmly in place, the company is now eyeing ‘real visibility’ through retail market presence. Apart from supplying to external agencies, Shreeja is now mulling production of curd, buttermilk, lassi, sweets, yoghurt and flavoured milk as part of a plan for value addition. There are currently four outlets in Chittoor and plans are afoot to open one in Tirupati.

“Like Amul, we too plan to have a little girl as our brand ambassador, whose icon will feature on our packets”, said Mr. Chary.

Shreeja also regularly trains women in barn hygiene and cattle management, works in tandem with the local veterinary officer to identify diseases and conducts deworming camps thrice a year. The company has also arranged micro insurance and accident insurance to the women and animal insurance for the cattle — the cows are ear-tagged with a unique code. When eight of the 4,000 animals insured in the last five months died, the owners were not burdened as they received fair compensation on their claims.

With Shreeja now aiming to get itself into the list of ‘Top 10’ dairy enterprises in India by the year 2025, the company has invested in capacity building. Given that women get more involved when they perceive ownership and as it takes a lot of effort to ensure transformation of a homemaker into a corporate decision maker, counseling sessions are held to aid this ‘supplier-to-owner’ mental transformation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / Tirupati – February 25th, 2018

NSS supervisor in Guntur’s Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology honoured

The award has been conferred for social work. Bhaktha Singh received the award from Arjuna awardee Sekhar Babu and Deputy Director in the Defence Ministry M Balalatha.

Guntur :

Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology (VVIT) chairman Vasireddy Vidyasagar has said that Chhatrapati Award 2019 was presented to NSS supervisor ILJ Bhaktha Singh by Sivaji Youth Foundation at a programme held in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district on February 17.

The award has been conferred for social work.

Bhaktha Singh received the award from Arjuna awardee Sekhar Babu and Deputy Director in the Defence Ministry M Balalatha.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / February 22nd, 2019

Health warrior expands contours of yeoman service

Doctor made chief of APTS, which carries info on clinics and schemes to rural lives

Bottles of intravenous (IV) fluid dangle from tree branches at the hospital of Manne Ravindra in Yerragondapalem in Prakasam district, from where patients, mostly tribals, throng the facility whenever in need of treatment.

In recognition of his services to rural lives for five decades, the State Government has appointed Dr. Ravindra, a product of the Guntur Medical College, the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS).

Thanking Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu for reposing faith in him, Dr. Ravindra told The Hindu that information and communication technology would be effectively used to the improve living condition of tribals cenchus and sugalis in western Prakasam as their health status continued to be a cause of concern.

The APTS would help relay information on public health centres, special schemes and bridge the gap between health providers and rural communities, he said.

Dr.Ravindra, a Zilla Parishad member, saidAPTS would turn rural youth into rural techno-entrepreneurs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Ongole – February 15th, 2019