Category Archives: Leaders

Centennial of first ‘Andhra Conference’ opened

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All
Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi releasing the Special Postal Cover in Bapatla on Friday /. Photo: T. Vijayakumar / The Hindu
Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi releasing the Special Postal Cover in Bapatla on Friday /. Photo: T. Vijayakumar / The Hindu

Panabaka Lakshmi releases a Special Postal Cover marking the historic event

The centenary celebrations of first Andhra Conference (`Pradhama Andhra Mahasabha’ began at the historic Town Hall here on Friday. Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi inaugurated the event by hoisting a flag and released a Special Postal Cover worth Rs 5.

Rich tributes were paid to B. Narasimheswara Sarma, a member of the Imperial Legislative Council who presided over the Conference, and stalwarts like Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramaiah, Pingali Venkaiah, Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao, Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham Pantulu, Konda Venkatappaiah and Mutnuri Krishna Rao.

Addressing the gathering, Ms. Lakshmi said the town was privileged to host the first Andhra Conference on May 26, 1913.

The movement for separate State for the Telugu speaking people had its seeds sown in this conference and the dream was ultimately realized due to the sacrifices made by some great men and women.

Ms. Lakshmi said a concerted effort has to be made to protect the native culture and traditions which earned global acclaim and observed that the Conference had given impetus to the growth of Telugu into a classical language.

MLA Gade Venkata Reddy said the distinct identity that the first `Andhra Conference had earned for Telugu people and their language should be preserved by them and wanted them to stay united wherever they are.

Collector S. Suresh Kumar, Director of Postal Services (Vijayawada) M. Venkateswarulu, RDO S. Srinivasa Murthy, Centenary Celebrations Committee Convener P C Sai Babu and Co-Convener K. Venkateswara Reddy and others participated.

Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah will be participating as the chief guest in the program to be held at the Municipal High School ground on May 26.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Bapatla – May 25th, 2013

Prasad Babu, AP Cop Selected For Ashok Chakra Posthumously

Leaders, Records, All

Andhra Pradesh Greyhounds inspector KLVSSNV Prasad Babu was named for the highest peace time gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra, posthumously on 15 August 2013.

It is the first time in Andhra Pradesh police and Greyhounds history that an officer was chosen for this award. Greyhounds is an elite commando force of Andhra Pradesh created to combat left-wing extremists.

Prasad Babu, 33, who was a native of Marturu village in Visakhapatnam district, was killed by Maoists in the forests of Chhattisgarh in April, 2013. Prasad had joined the police department as a sub-inspector in 2004 and was subsequently promoted as an inspector. His father Karanam Venkataramaiah is a retired constable.

Prasad Babu had played a crucial role in gunning down 10 Maoists in the encounter in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh in April 2013.

About Ashok Chakra

The Ashok Chakra is awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peace time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice other than in the face of the enemy.

Gallantary Awards

The Ashoka Chakra series of gallantry awards are amongst the highest gallantry awards of the country. These awards are given in three categories viz. Ashoka Chakra (awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some act of daring or preeminent valour of self service), Kirti Chakra (awarded for conspicuous gallantry) and Shaurya Chakra (awarded for gallantry).

The awards are announced by the Government of India on the occasion of Republic Day and Independence Day every year.

Besides the Defence personnel, civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life, and members of Police Forces, Central Para military Forces and Railway Protection Force are also eligible for these awards.

source: http://www.jagranjosh.com / Jagran Josh / Home> English> News> Current Affiairs / August 15th, 2013

Kaloji’s birth centenary celebrations from Sept 9

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders
Kaloji Centenary Celebrations Committee chairman B Narsing Rao speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday. He is flanked by committee patron K Prathap Reddy and convener S Jeevan Kumar. (Photo: A Radhakrishna)
Kaloji Centenary Celebrations Committee chairman B Narsing Rao speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday. He is flanked by committee patron K Prathap Reddy and convener S Jeevan Kumar. (Photo: A Radhakrishna)

Noted poet Kaloji Narayana Rao’s birth centenary celebrations would be organised from September 9 across the state and continue till 2014.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday Kaloji Centenary Celebrations Committee chairperson B Narsinga Rao, convenor S Jeevan Kumar and patron K Pratap Reddy said that the centenary celebrations will begin on September 9 in Warangal, his birth place and conclude in Hyderabad next year on the same day. Former Supreme Court judge and Lokayukta of Goa justice B Sudarshan Reddy will inaugurate the celebrations.

To pay tributes to the great poet and social worker a group of his admirers, writers, artists, students and associates have decided to hold year-long series of events to spread his message and the undying vibrancy of his literary works, they said.

About 16 socio-cultural organisations of Telangana and Kaloji Foundation would actively coordinate with the celebrations committee in conducting the year-long programme, Narsinga Rao said. As part of the celebrations activities will be organised in Hyderabad every month.

CDs of Kaloji’s poetry recital, calendars, badges, cartoon books and Kaloji’s complete literary works will be released during the year-long celebrations.

Release of a documentary film on Kaloji and organising photo exhibition form part of the centenary celebrations. Ballets or docu-dramas would be held on the theme of Kaloji life and his literary works, he said.

Meetings and seminars on Kaloji’s writings will be held across the state throughout the year. The main objective of the celebrations is to showcase the works of Kaloji and to introduce his achievements to the younger generation.

Kaloji stood for values and use to raise voice against injustice, Narsinga Rao said and added that he was people’s poet and use to fight for the rights of the oppressed. He raised voice against the Nizam’s rule  through his writings and speeches.

His notable literary works are Kaloji Kathalu, Thudi Vijayam Manadi Jayam and Telangana Udyama Kavithalu, and translations entitled Na Bharata Desha Yatra and Jeevana Geetha.

He translated many literary works into Telugu.

Kaloji was a member of the state Legislative Council during 1958-60. He was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan and was associated with  many social and cultural movements in the state. He was conferred with Padma Vibhushan.

Kaloji passed away on November 13, 2002.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / September 07th, 2013

Indian-American in race for Microsoft CEO job

Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology

Bangalore : 

Indian American Satya Nadella features prominently on several shortlists of internal candidates to succeed Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft. Ballmer on Friday announced that he will part his ways with the world’s largest software company in the next 12 months.

(Nadella, 44, joined the…)
(Nadella, 44, joined the…)

Nadella, 44, joined the company in 1992 after a brief stint with Sun Microsystems. He has served in multiple roles, and is currently head of the cloud and enterprise group, responsible for building and running the company’s computing platforms, developer tools and cloud services. Nadella’s team delivers the Cloud OS, Microsoft’s next generation backend platform.

Nadella grew up in Hyderabad, studied in Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, the alma mater of business notables like Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems, and Prem Watsa, chairman and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, which was recently in the news as a likely bidder for Blackberry.

Nadella went on to do a Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Mangalore University, between 1984 and 1988, and then went to the US, where he did a Masters in computer science and an MBA.

In Microsoft, he started in the server group, and moved on to the business solutions group — developing and managing the ERP and CRM products — and then became senior VP of R&D for the online services division that includes Bing, MSN and the advertising platform.

In 2011, Nadella was back where he started, in the server and tools business, as its president.

In July this year, he was handed the responsibility of the Cloud OS platform, which, as Microsoft’s website says, “Not only powers all of Microsoft’s internet scale cloud services (including Office 365, Bing, SkyDrive, Xbox Live, Skype and Dynamics) but also fuels global enterprises around the world to meet their most challenging and mission-critical computing needs.”

The website goes on to say, “Today, businesses everywhere depend on the products that make up the Cloud OS, including Windows Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio and System Center.”

Nadella’s diverse experience within Microsoft  is seen as giving him a strong chance to succeed Ballmer. His experience with cloud makes his claim stronger, given that cloud is now seen as the future of computing.

Though Microsoft was a late entrant into cloud, it has made rapid progress in the space. In an interview to TOI in late 2011, when asked about Google and Amazon having a long headstart in cloud, Nadella said, “They don’t have the footprint in the enterprise today in terms of the applications required. There is Google, Amazon, Salesforce.com on the public cloud side, and Oracle, VMware on the private cloud side. We are the only one that straddles both sides effectively. Every customer looks for someone who solves the public and private sides with commonality — common identity, common virtualization, common management.”

He said Google’s strength is in search. “But search is one application, not truly representative of enterprise. With Office 365, we are heads and shoulders above any Google Apps adoption. They are competing with us, but if you look at the customers that we are gaining, it’s significant,” he had said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Tech> Tech News> Movements> Steve Ballmer / by Sujit John, TNN / August 25th, 2013

City doctor nominated to PHFI expert panel

Leaders, Science & Technology

Visakhapatnam :

City-based doctor and professor of Andhra Medical College ( AMC ) Dr N N Raju, who is also the superintendent of Government Hospital for Mental Care, Visakhapatnam, has been nominated to the five-member expert panel of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi.

PHFI, headed by Dr Srinath Reddy from Delhi, is said to be the biggest health organisation in the country that works on various projects in collaboration with the government, industrial organisations and international NGOs. It helps building institutional capacity in India for strengthening education, training, research and policy development in the domain of public health.

“The prevalence of mental illness is almost 10% and it’s estimated that one-third of those attending general physicians suffer from emotional disorders resulting in incapacitation. The objective of this nomination is to build the capacity of primary care physicians and general doctors on the evidence-based management of mental disorders. We would be concentrating on the grassroots level, upgradation of primary health centres through training of the staff,” said Dr Raju, who has 25 years of experience in teaching, training and administration.

He will be involved in formulating policies of empowering primary health centres (PHC) all over the country in dealing with mental illness.

Besides Dr Raju, the four other members in the expert panel include Dr Sabita Malhotra from Chandigarh, Dr Asim Malik from West Bengal , Dr Jaggibala from Surat and Dr Indira Sharma from Benaras Hindu University.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam> Primary Health Centres / by TNN / August 20th, 2013

Four AP doctors elected to MCI

Leaders, Science & Technology

As many as four doctors were elected to the Medical Council of India (MCI) from Andhra Pradesh, in the elections conducted at the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences on Monday.

Dr G Bhaskara Rao of Rajamundry, Dr P Guna Sekhar of Visakhapatnam, Dr K Venkatesh of  Hyderabad, and professor K Ramesh Reddy of Niloufor Hospital, Hyderabad, have been elected. In all, 64 voters cast their votes in the polls. Registrar of the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences Dr S Babulal was the presiding officer.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by ENS – Vijayawada / August 20th, 2013

Personal agenda: Sania Mirza, Tennis player

Leaders, Records, All, Sports
Photo: Virender Singh; Location Courtesy: Shangri-La’s-Eros
Photo: Virender Singh; Location Courtesy: Shangri-La’s-Eros

Birthday: November 15

Sun sign: Scorpio

Place of birth: Mumbai

Hometown: Hyderabad

School/college: NASR School, St. Mary’s College, Hyderabad

High point of your life
Winning the Wimbledon in 2003 (Girl’s Doubles title)

First break
My debut on the International Tennis Federation circuit at age 15

Currently i am…
The brand ambassador for Krrish Delhi Smashers and opening an academy soon

If you weren’t a tennis player, you would have been …
A doctor, definitely.

What’s your fitness regime?
It depends on whether I’m playing or not. If I’m not playing, then I train for nearly 5 to 6 hours.

One dance form you’d like to learn?
Salsa. It’s fascinating.

The hardest thing about being on TV?
When you are doing an interview, you need to be very careful about your body and what you say.

What can’t you get enough of?
Shoes, actually! I just love them and at last count, I had 327 shoes.

The one myth about marriage you’d like to bust.
That just because a couple comes out holding hands, it doesn’t mean they haven’t been fighting.

The most romantic thing Shoaib has done for you?
He replaced my seven-carat diamond ring with a 13.5 carat one recently.

The craziest thing a fan has done for you.
When I was at the Amsterdam Open, a guy not only stalked me but entered my room, got hold of my sister’s phone and called me 20 times. He even left a bundle of my pictures and his college degree in my room.

A song that always lifts your spirits.
Bollywood music is very uplifting. These days I’m hooked on to Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2.

Your favourite sportspersons.
Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar.

If you were in a movie, who’d make a dream co-star?

  Akshay Kumar.

Which superhero would you like to be?
Spiderman. I’ve liked him since I was a kid.

One food craving you wish you could indulge.
I love any kind of food. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but I love haleem.

One thing nobody knows about you?
That I’m extremely soft on the inside.

The last line of your autobiography would read…
You will have to wait for that as it is going to come out very soon.

A tennis player you wish you could partner with?
Steffi Graf. Unfortunately, she stopped playing when I started

SteffiGrafBrunchHF23aug2013

Travel Wishlist

Your idea of a great weekend?
Going off to the beach, relaxing and getting a nice massage

A place you’d like to be lost in for a month?
The Maldives

Three travel necessities?
My makeup kit (I take the bare minimum), a change for the night and my mobile phone

Your worst holiday?
Thankfully I haven’t had a bad one yet

Your favourite travel movie?
Eat Pray Love

Interviewed by Veenu Singh

From HT Brunch, August 11

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> News> BRUNCH / by Veenu Singh, Hindustan Times / August 09th, 2013

UoH Professor elevated as senior eember of IEEE

Education, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Dr S Venugopal Rao, associate professor, Advanced Centre for Research in High Energy Materials (ACRHEM), University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been elevated as a senior grade member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE is a professional association headquartered in New York city that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence.

Speaking about his achievement, Venugopal Rao said, “Becoming a senior grade member gives me an opportunity to interact with IEEE fellows and co-senior grade members”. He added, “Now I feel more responsible towards my research and teaching”. Venugopal Rao is part of ACRHEM’s defence funded project where laser is used to study certain particles.

Explaining the selection process as a senior grade member of IEEE, Venugopal said, “A person has to be a member of IEEE for 5 years, prove their research work and three senior members of IEEE need to nominate him as a senior grade member after which a panel comprising of senior professors go through the nominated person’s achievements and work and take a decision”. Venugopal Rao has also won the Nasi-Scopus young scientist award for the year of 2012 in Physics category.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / August 03rd, 2013

A Hyderabadi chief for Indian Consulate

Leaders, World Opinion
Ausaf Sayeed I.F.S in Hyderabad. / Photo: G. Ramakrishna / The Hindu
Ausaf Sayeed I.F.S in Hyderabad. / Photo: G. Ramakrishna / The Hindu

Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, who will take charge as Indian Consul-General in Chicago on August 6, will have his jurisdiction in the Midwest region, which happens to be President Obama’s constituency

Good news for the Hyderabadi diaspora in Chicago. A civil servant hailing from their city is set to become their Consul-General soon. Incidentally, he is the first Muslim officer ever to assume this important position. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, who just completed a three-year stint as Indian Ambassador in Yemen, will take charge on August 6 as Indian Consul-General in Chicago. He succeeds Mukta Tomer.

A career diplomat of the 1989 batch, Dr. Sayeed has his priorities cut out. He wants to first streamline consular and visa services for Indian Americans. “I want to make use of the social media to improve communication,” says Dr. Sayeed.

Chicago has a large Indian population of 3.50 lakh, including 40,000 Hyderabadis. Dr. Sayeed plans to have direct access to Indians through a website. The idea is to let people communicate their grievances and suggestions and get quick replies. His consular jurisdiction spreads across the Midwest region comprising the nine States of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana and Wisconsin.

The Midwest region is important in that it happens to be the constituency of President Barrack Obama. Besides, as many as 150 of the Fortune 500 companies are located there. Dr. Sayeed sees greater scope for boosting Indian trade and business there. Another priority for him is addressing the issue of illegal Indian immigrants in Chicago. “Right now, I don’t know the dimensions of the problem. But definitely we will guide the immigrants in the conversion of their status so that they can live legally,” he adds.

Dr. Sayeed has an emotional attachment to Chicago as his father, Awaz Sayeed, a poet, was buried there. He passed away in 1995. “I look forward to a very interactive period,” he says. How does he cope with the hectic schedule? Dr. Sayeed turns to his wife, Farha, and says: “It’s all because of her support”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. S.Ifthekhar / Hyderabad – August 03, 2013

Social structure decoded

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All
Professor Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, vice chancellor of UoH and Dr C H Hanumantha Rao, chancellor (left) of UoH in conversation with awardees Dr Kalpana Kannabiran and Prof Vamsi Vakulabharanam. | EPS
Professor Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, vice chancellor of UoH and Dr C H Hanumantha Rao, chancellor (left) of UoH in conversation with awardees Dr Kalpana Kannabiran and Prof Vamsi Vakulabharanam. | EPS

At a time when the parameters of justice are being questioned by the masses and the marginalised assert their identity, the symptomatic study of Indian society is a revelation.

Felicitated with the first Amartya Sen Award instituted by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), sociologist Dr Kalpana Kannabiran and economist Dr Vamsi Vakulabharanam presented their perspectives at the University of Hyderabad (UoH).

Hailing from the city, both were chosen along with four others across the country for the prestigious award. During a felicitation ceremony organised by UoH, Dr Kalpana Kannabiran spoke about understanding structural violence, the social foundations of non discrimination, and questions of constitutionalism and social justice in India. She was awarded in recognition of her study in the field of sociology of justice, especially in the context of gender and of the marginalised.

“The vast available literature across social sciences focuses on inequality without making a mention of discrimination, which is an active obstruction from attainment of equality,” said the director of Council for Social Development and co-founder of Asmita Resource Centre for Women.

A former sociology professor at NALSAR university of Law, she also pointed out the role of disability as providing foundation for discrimination.

She said that the disability mentioned in the constitution was social disability and not what it is today.

She also urged for debate on the concept of marital rape, which is not considered an offence under law and also questioned Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Areas) Eunuchs Act, 1919, which gives the power to arrest any man dressed in a women’s attire in public places.

In his address, Dr Vamsi Vakulabharanam, associate professor in School of Economics at UoH highlighted his research on inequality in the contemporary economies of India and China.

He shared his work on globalization and agrarian change in India with special reference to Telangana, and consumption and wealth inequality during the period of economic reforms.

He said capitalism sheds its institutional skin in this crisis prone system which every time comes out with a moulding process and grows a new structure

The award, carrying a citation and a cash award of `10 lakh each was presented earlier this year by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen at a ceremony in New Delhi on May 6.

Dr C H Hanumantha Rao, chancellor and Prof Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, vice-chancellor of UoH were present at the ceremony.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / July 31st, 2013