Category Archives: Nri’s / Pio’s

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

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

‘Anasuya Devi used music as a tool to spread social equality’

Several people condole the death of veteran singer

Born and brought up in Kakinada, Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi used music as a tool to spread the message of social equality in the days when the society considered women coming out of their homes as a taboo. The literary and cultural environment around her made Anasuya Devi learnt classical music along with her elder sister Seetha in the childhood and later the sisters lent their voices to many light music compositions of their maternal uncle the renowned poet Devulapalli Krishnasastry. With Krishnasastry developed a penchant for Brahmo Samaj and penned songs for the organisation that worked for social renaissance, they sang those songs in many public meetings.

From there, Anasuya Devi left for the then Madras from where she went to Houston in the US and stayed with her daughter Ratna Papa till her last breath there on Sunday morning. “Anasuya Devi was a courageous woman, who broke all the shackles and moved freely on a par with men in those days. Her independent nature made her special among the family and her voice added beauty to many lyrics of Krishnasastry,” recalled Tallavajhula Patanjali Sastry, a close relative of the family and writer and environmentalist from Rajamahendravaram.

Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Anasuya Devi’s father Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Rao was a theatre artiste and he had influenced the family members including women to learn languages and read literature. “Anasuya Devi brought out her autobiography ‘Asamana Anasuya’ three years ago, in which she gave a detailed description of her journey from Kakinada to Houston,” said Mr. Patanjali Sastry.

“Seetha and Anasuya popularised folk music in the combined Andhra State. They were the first singers to give concerts with folk songs,” recollected V.A.K. Ranga Rao, renowned historian of music, who shared an association of 65 years with the Vinjamuri family. “The tune of popular song ‘Manasuna mallela.. .’ from the classic ‘Malleeswari’ was based on ‘Chandana charchita..’ a song rendered by Anasuya in 1937.

Similarly, the one ‘Eruvaka sagaro.. .’ from ‘Rojulu Marayi’ was based on ‘Chukkala Cheerakattukoni’ a private song rendered by Seetha and Anasuya in 1932. I have those gramophone records with me,” he said, while paying homages to the singer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K N Murali Sankar / Kakinada – March 25th, 2019

GMC’s Class of 1958 meets again in city

Veteran doctors at a reunion in Vijayawada on Saturday.
Veteran doctors at a reunion in Vijayawada on Saturday.

The 1958 batch of the Guntur Medical College (GMC) met for a fond reunion at the Haritha Berm Park here on Saturday.

There were 120 students in the batch, but only 50 of them could make it for the batch reunion. Dr. Janardhana Reddy, a surgeon in the U.S. and Mangaraju, an orthopaedician also settled in the U.S,, flew to India just to attend the gathering. Vijayawada-based ENT surgeon C.V. Ramana Rao and Guntur physician K. Vasudeva Rao welcomed their classmates.

“Initially, we used to meet every year and then the meetings were held once in two years because some of the batchmates migrated to other countries,” Dr. Ramana Rao said. The batch will meet again in two years, Dr. Ramana Rao said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – February 01st, 2019

Indian-American teen on a mission to fight blindness

Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli interacting with patients.
Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli interacting with patients.

‘The I Mission’ Sai Hitesh launched supports free screening camps and cataract surgeries for the poor

A 12th grader of Indian origin from the US (Portland, Oregon) is striving to make the world a better place for the visually-impaired through a non-profit that he launched while he was all of 14 years old.

Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli, whose parents migrated from Visakhapatnam to the U.S., flew to India with his parents for the Christmas holidays when he was 14 years old.

“When we were here, my parents would engage in social work at a blind school in Kakinada. It was then I realised I should also do my best to give something back to society, and do something for the underprivileged,” Sai Hitesh said.

After flying back to Portland, Sai Hitesh organised a ‘cultural night’ and raised $4,200, which he used to float his non-profit called ‘The I Mission’.

“Next December, we came back to Visakhapatnam, which is my parents’ hometown. We organised a couple of free eye camps in association with Sankar Foundation Eye Hospital, and performed about 500 free cataract surgeries for the poor,” Sai Hitesh said.

In the last three years, The I Mission has supported over 5,000 free eye screenings, 1,719 cataract surgeries, and 13 retinal detachment surgeries, besides adopting three blind schools in India.

“To fund the camps, we not only conduct cultural events but have also tied up with brands like Nike and Intel. We intend to approach some more corporate firms in the coming years,” the 17-year-old said.

Having started out on his philanthropic journey alone, Sai Hitesh now has a team of 11 like-minded classmates based in Portland.

Cyclone relief

Apart from organising free eye camps, The I Mission also supports victims of natural calamities such as hurricanes.

Recently, the team visited Mara and Mandasa villages in Srikakulam, which were ravaged by cyclone Titli, and provided succour to victims by giving one bag of rice, two garments and cooking utensils to each affected family. “We reached out to over 200 families in both the villages,” he said.

Future plans

Sai Hitesh, who aspires to become a doctor, said he is working with a professor as a research intern at Oregon Health Science University to find out a remedy for cataract and eye problems among the tribals in the Eastern Ghats of India.

Sai Hitesh says The I Mission team intends to take the non-profit to the next level by tying up with corporate brands and spreading its wings across the world.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sumit Bhattarcharjee / Visakhapatnam – January 05th, 2019

NRI’s passion to encourage jute cultivation

Srinubabu Gedela, NRI, addresses farmers’ awareness programme at Rajam in Srikakulam district.
Srinubabu Gedela, NRI, addresses farmers’ awareness programme at Rajam in Srikakulam district.

Huge demand for material in paper and textile industries too, he says

A U.S.-returned NRI and PULSES CEO Srinubabu Gadela wages a war against plastic saying it is ruining the health of the people and the wealth of the farmers with the huge drop in jute production in the backward Srikakulam district. He has been organising meetings for the last few months to make farmers to go back to jute. He says sufficient availability of raw jute would lead to revival of all the closed industries.

Dr. Srinubabu, who hails from Allena village of Burja mandal, completed his post doctorate from the Stanford University and started Omics Interantional Private Limited to facilitate free access of journals for researchers. Later, he established the Pulses Group, a health informatics and health care services in Hyderabad. Dr. Srinubabu, who is not content with his achievements, is keen on enhancing the income sources of farmers by guiding them in the usage of the latest technology and information in agriculture. He has been conducting training programmes for youngsters to become entrepreneurs.

“Thousands of farmers and labourers have fallen victims with little demand for jute cultivation and closure of many industries in Rajam, Bobbili, Vizianagaram and other places. The revival of jute production and processing would certainly minimise the usage of plastic covers and bags. There is huge demand for jute material in paper and textile industries too. That is why I am suggesting the farmers to go back to jute cultivation which is sure to generate more income and employment.”

Ambedkar University Vice-Chancellor Kuna Ramjee said the University would sign an agreement with the Pulses Group in training PG students in a systematic way. “Youngsters from poor families and Telugu medium can also do wonders if they work hard and develop new ideas. That is why we requested its chairman to take up special training programmes and help the PG students to get jobs in reputed firms and start their own industries,” said Dr. Ramjee.

Felicitated

Minister for Human Resources Ganta Srinivasa Rao felicitated Dr. Srinubabu for coming forward to serve the native district. “We should do something for our native places. It will certainly make other well-settled NRIs to utilise their knowledge and wealth to benefit the backward areas,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / K. Srinivasa Rao / Srikakulam – December 11th, 2018

NRIs from U.S. donate IRs. 13.5 crore to TTD

TTD Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadhav receiving the donation of ₹13.50 crore from the NRI devotees on Saturday | Photo Credit: Arrangement
TTD Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadhav receiving the donation of ₹13.50 crore from the NRI devotees on Saturday | Photo Credit: Arrangement

Minister lauds their gesture

In a single major donation, an NRI devotee settled at U.S. Mr. Ravi Aika on Saturday contributed ₹10 Crore to the TTD.

Likewise, another NRI devotee Mr. Srinivas, also from U.S., donated ₹3.50 crore to various trusts being floated by the TTD.

Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav received the donation on behalf of the TTD in the presence of Minister N. Amaranatha Reddy.

Later speaking to the media, the Minister appreciated both Mr. Ravi Aika, a leading businessman in the field of pharmaceuticals, and Mr. Srinivas for their charitable gesture.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> State> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Tirumala – July 15th, 2018

Balayya opens cancer clinic

N. Balakrishna with Speaker K. Siva Prasada Rao at the inauguration of BIACH’s clinic on Sunday.   | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR
N. Balakrishna with Speaker K. Siva Prasada Rao at the inauguration of BIACH’s clinic on Sunday. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

‘Hospital will come up in Amaravati in three phases’

Hindupur MLA and Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (BIACH & RI) Chairman Nandamuri Balakrishna inaugurated the hospital’s information centre and clinic at Governorpet here on Sunday.

Mr. Balakrishna said that the institute would construct a cancer hospital at Amaravati in three phases. The State government has allotted 15 acres land at Amaravati for the hospital, which is being run on no-profit, no-loss basis. The hospital was offering concessions and free medical care depending upon the financial capabilities of the patients. The institute, doctors and staff work with a motto that the patients should be treated as guests, and instil confidence among them, he said.

According to a rough estimate, of the 10 lakh people diagnosed with cancer every year in India, 7 lakh people die. People tend lose hope as soon as they come to know about their condition. The patients would have to fight for their right to live.

‘Treatment within the reach of the poor’

A wrong impression had gained ground that the poor cannot afford cancer treatment as it was a costly affair. Many philanthropists were supporting the institute in providing medical care to the needy patients. Recently, the Telangana government also waived off the fee collected by GHMC from the institute, he added.

AP Assembly Speaker and former chairman of the institute Kodela Siva Prasada Rao said the hospital set up 18 years ago, has become one of the biggest institutes. The cancer hospital would come up at Amaravati in the next two years, he said.

Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), Vijayawada (Central) MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, BIACH & RI Board Trustee J.S.R. Prasad, Medical Director Subrahmanyeswara Rao, and CEO Prabhakar Rao spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – July 02nd, 2018

NRI couple returned to serve their village

PrasadANDHRA29may2018

Guntur:

“The contribution of DVS Prasad and his wife to our village is massive. The couple funded construction of roads, community halls and setting up of drinking water facilities,” said Dr Prakasa Rao of Medical and Cultural Association of Repalle.

As a youth, DVS Prasad dreamt of making millions. Meritorious in studies, Prasad went to America to further his career after completing graduation in engineering. He worked with top multinational companies, including Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

By his own admission, Prasad felt uncomfortable with his growing bank balance. He realised that the solution for him was paying back to society. Prasad, who spent over two-decades in US, gained peace after returning to India and serving society. His wife Sunitha, a dental professional, backed him throughout and helped him start a trust in the memory of Prasad’s parents.

Prasad initially adopted Jillepalli village and wanted to expand activities to the neighbouring areas in a phased manner. The locals were overwhelmed with the initiatives of Prasad and his wife. The trust took up a number of activities, including developmental activities and welfare programmes.

DVS Prasad is keen on sponsoring students of underprivileged sections to pursue higher-education. “Education will help them beat poverty and help society. We need to help every child,” Prasad told TOI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Vijayawada News / TNN / May 28th, 2018

‘Of home and heartbreak’: how comedian Hari Kondabolu went mainstream

HariKondabolu01ANDHRA11may2018

A strong Indian flavour and potent political undertones. How Indian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu made his brand of stand-up mainstream

When Indian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu steps on stage at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, where his Netflix special Warn Your Relatives is being filmed, he looks at the packed audience in amazement and says, “We’ve got 800 people here. It’s important that I know that because my father will ask me after the show.” His father it turns out, is always disappointed at how low the number is. “And then I remember that my parents are from India,” Kondabolu explains, going on to imitate his father, “Oh 800 people, were you performing in a single Indian train car?”

Warn Your Relatives, Kondabolu’s first Netfllix special which released on May 8, shows the comedian regaling his audience with narratives about his South Asian heritage, along with sharp, incisive commentary about contemporary issues like racial profiling, terrorism, and mass shootings in America.

Born to Telugu parents in Flushing, the ethnically diverse neighbourhood of Queens, New York, 35-year-old Kondabolu has made his brand of stand-up — unabashed about his Indian roots, and with strong political undertones — mainstream.

Trump and more

The title, Warn Your Relatives, reflects his refusal to tone down his ideology and beliefs. A paraphrase from an earlier joke, it highlights that it is “about a changing country and a changing world, and the adjustments we need to start making,” Kondabolu says, adding, “Because we’re in the Trump era, [people] use words like opposition and revolution, but what does that really mean? I’d like to look at the climate we’re in right now.”

______________________________

Kondabolu’s watchlist
  • W Kamau Bell has a CNN show called United Shades of America and I love the fact that he’s educating so many people about their own country
  • Stewart Lee taught me that comedy has no limit and that even a joke that fails can be useful later
  • Aparna Nancherla is so quick, stinging and weird. You’re just not expecting any of those punchlines. She’s going to be extremely influential as a comedian for a long time
  • Lindy West speaks her truth, is blunt, fearless and is extremely funny
  • Ashok Kondabolu, and I am not just saying it because he’s my brother. But in terms of influences, I’ve become more open and willing to share about my life because of him. He doesn’t hold back

_________________________________

HariKondabolu02ANDHRA11may2018

If he had not become a full-time stand-up comedian, he would have continued to work as an immigrant rights organiser, he confides. With a Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, his comedy reflects his activist bent. His 2017 documentary, TheProblem with Apu, speaks about the problematic representation of South Asians in The Simpsons, the animated sitcom featuring Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the wily convenience store owner with a thick Indian accent. With inputs from South Asian entertainers like Kal Penn, Aziz Ansari and Aasif Mandvi, Kondabolu, a fan of The Simpsons himself, discusses the problem of minority representation in mainstream American entertainment. In the aftermath of the documentary, Hank Azaria, the white American actor who voices Apu, stated late last month on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show that he is willing to step aside from the role to allow for more representative inclusion.

“When you watch television in the West, [South Asians] don’t exist. You see a stark difference,” says Kondabolu. “It’s really strange, especially when contrasted with seeing Bollywood [and Telugu] films where we are seen as being in love, having conflict and with full personalities.”

Battling stereotypes

After years of touring across the country with his stand-up, and with three comedy albums under his belt, Kondabolu joins the ranks of America’s rising South Asian comedians with Netflix appearances, an influential group that includes the likes of Aziz Ansari, Aparna Nancherla, and Hasan Minhaj. When he started out, the first battle he faced was not making the audience laugh, but dealing with their surprise that he was even there. “They were expecting an Indian voice,” says Kondabolu, who, even when portraying his parents on stage, stays away from caricatured Indian accents, labelled ‘patanking’.

Even though The New York Times referred to him as ‘one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today’, he does not believe that the nature of his work is political. In fact, he has “always hated being called political, because it separates the things that I’m talking about from everyday things,” he insists.

Not backing down

With light-hearted captions, Kondabolu retweets the hate mail that he continues to receive for his political statements, especially, The Problem with Apu. One woman labelled him ‘a disgrace to his religion,’ while another man claimed that ‘racism exists because of dumb people like you seeing it everywhere’.

“It breaks my heart a little bit, of course,” he says, adding, “What hurt the most was that people hadn’t seen the film and were making judgements based on my appearance and what they had heard.”

Yet, he does not keep things simple. He finds humour in complexity, and has never shied from talking about race, sometimes in ways that might make some members of his audience uncomfortable. “I know things have gotten a little better in this country, because fewer white people walk out of my shows.” When an older man in Seattle asks him where he is from, Kondabolu responds by saying that he is South Asian. When the man says, “I thought you were Indian,” Konbadolu reminds the audience that, “You can’t ask me where I’m from and not know geography,” going on to encourage them to “talk to your white relatives about racism.”

The family podcast

Family plays an important role in Kondabolu’s life and work. Like most comedians, he uses his relationship with his parents as fodder, but there is always an underlying tone of respect which extends to the artiste’s younger brother, Ashok, whom he describes as “brilliant” and a “very unique voice”.

HariKondabolu03ANDHRA11may2018

Member of the now defunct rap group Das Racist, Ashok, along with his brother, headlines the newly-launched live-recorded Kondabolu Brothers podcast, produced by Earwolf. “It was as simple as wanting to spend time together,” he tells me about the inspiration for the show. With sections where they discuss how underrated certain things like therapy (for Kondabolu) might be and episodes from their childhood visits to India, the podcast is a free-wheeling tête-à-tête between the two brothers.

Excited to bring his special to 180 countries, Kondabolu is humbled by how his comedy is travelling beyond America. “I don’t think I’ve ever had something so global. It means a lot that it’s playing in South Asia and in India,” he concludes.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment / by Sindhuri Nandhakumar / May 11th, 2018