Category Archives: Science & Technology

Polavaram project in Guinness World Records for concrete pouring

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

The concrete was poured for 24 hours from 8 am on Saturday in the spill channel of the national project.

A view of Polavaram project. (Photo | EPS/P Ravindrababu)
A view of Polavaram project. (Photo | EPS/P Ravindrababu)

Vijayawada :

The attempt by Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd (NECL), the contracting agency executing the major works of the Polavaram Project, to create two world records — most concrete continuously poured in 24 hours and the largest continuous concrete pour — has successfully ended on Monday with the firm pouring 32,100 cubic meters of concrete.

The concrete was poured for 24 hours from 8 am on Sunday in the spill channel of the national project. The adjudicators of the Guinness World Records will formally make an announcement of the same shortly. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will receive the memento of the feat at 2.30 pm.

Even though the firm had initially planned to pour 28,000 cubic meters of concrete in 24 hours, it achieved its target by 5 am on Monday by pouring 28,357 cubic meters. In the subsequent three hours, it poured 3,700 cubic meters more. The current record is held by a Dubai-based contracting group which poured 21,580 cu m of concrete in about 35 hours.

“We are evaluating the log sheets of the concrete poured, which were entered on an hourly basis, besides examining the drone and CCTV camera footage. We will make one announcement by 10/11 am and the other will be announced at 1.30/2 pm,” the official adjudicator of the Guinness World Records, Rishi Nathan, explained. A team of 24 members is working to adjudicate the feat achieved by the NECL.

The Managing Director of NECL, Chinta Sridhar, said that the firm engaged 20 agitator trucks, which delivered concrete from 10 batching plants using 90 concrete mixers. “It is a proud moment for us. But, more than anything, it is a morale boost for us as we are running against the time to complete this mega project, which would serve the entire State. The record is a significant step towards completing the project before the onset of monsoon this year,” he said.

It may be recalled that NECL was brought on board after the termination of the contract with Transstroy (India) Ltd last year. NECL had agreed to execute the project at old rates (2014 Standard Schedule Rates).

Sridhar further explained that the cofferdams in the upper stream and the lower stream will be ready by the month of May. Speaking to TNIE, the MD said, “We have already begun the upper cofferdam works. The designs for the lower cofferdam were submitted. We will have to do 1.1 crore units of concrete works and are aiming to complete them by May.”

Terming it as a historic day, Water Resources minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao credited Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for facilitating the environment to achieve the feat. “It is indeed a historic feat. Despite all the challenges, we have been able to ensure that the works are expedited. We will divert the water through gravity by June this year,” he added.

Buoyed by the success of the Monday’s record, the MD of NECL, C Sridhar, said that the firm was eyeing at outdoing itself with another record soon. “We plan to attempt another record by pouring 65,000 cu m to 70,000 cu m of concrete maybe in March. We will need a month’s preparation for it and hopefully achieve it,” Sridhar told TNI

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / January 07th, 2019

Indian-American teen on a mission to fight blindness

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology, World Opinion
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

Raman effect still visible in Mrs. AVN College

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
The physics lab is maintained as it is, at Mrs. A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam
The physics lab is maintained as it is, at Mrs. A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam

Physics lab, where he did his practicals, is now heritage part of the hallowed institution

Any idea how did Nobel laureate C.V. Raman get the idea of his path-breaking theory which is called the Raman Effect or Raman Scattering.

It was in this city and at Mrs. AVN College where the seed for his theory ‘Molecular Diffraction of Light’ was sown.

Dr. Raman, who spent a few of his formative years in this city, was a student of Mrs. AVN College High School, where he completed his high school from Std VIII to X and later moved to Mrs. AVN College to complete his pre-university course.

In a passage in his biography, he quoted that from his sea-facing classroom, which was located on the first floor of the Gothic-styled stone building, he would observe the changing colours of the Bay of Bengal and it would fascinate him.

“It is from this classroom in this college that I developed the urge to get into the details of this phenomenon.” This was what he (Raman) had said, when he visited his alma mater in 1930, recounted Dr. Srinivasa Rao, the present HoD of the Physics Department, from the old diaries. According to college records, Raman studied in the high school from 1902 to 1905 and PUC from 1905 to 1907 and his father Chandra Sekhara Iyer was a teacher in Mrs. AVN College High School, said principal of the college D. Vijaya Prakash.

The physics lab in the college, where Dr. Raman conducted his first experiments, is still kept as it is and has become a heritage part of the edifice.

Glorious journey

Mrs. AVN College was set up in 1860, principally as a high school, with the support of the public and the then zamindars. In 1878, it was elevated to the status of a college in the name of Hindu College. In 1892, Ankitam Venkata Narsinga Row, a landlord, bequeathed a sum of ₹1 lakh, an11-acre site, a Gothic-style building, and a building grant of ₹15,000, and since then the college is known in his wife’s name as Mrs. AVN College.

It has grown from a strength of 50 students to over 2,500 today. Apart from Dr C.V. Raman, the college boasts of alumnus that includes revolutionary Alluri Sitaramaraju, statistician CR Rao, General KV Krishna Rao, film star S.V. Ranga Rao, freedom fighter Tenneti Viswanadham and writers such as Raavi Sastry and Sri Sri. The two-day founder’s day celebrations will begin from Thursday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Visakhapatnam – December 05th, 2018

Three more national awards to Andhra Pradesh power sector

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

He received the award at SIECC (Surat International Exhibition and Convention centre) held in Surat.

Vijayawada :

The sustained efforts of AP  power sector in providing 24X7 quality and reliable power supply to  consumers have earned three more national awards, adding up to more than 105 national awards won till date.

The State has been conferred the top investment-friendly and infra excellent State in sustainable energy and power, while APGENCO has been awarded as the best performing utility in power generation by Enertia Foundation during the Enertia Award-2018  held in Gujarat on Sunday.

Principal Secretary (IT), CMD APTRANSCO and MD APGENCO K Vijayanand has been awarded prestigious Lifetime Yeomen Contribution to Power, Energy, and Renewable sector in Andhra Pradesh and public sector at large.

He received the award at SIECC (Surat International Exhibition and Convention centre) held in Surat.
The jury for Enertia Awards- 2018 has praised APGENCO for its relentless efforts in sustaining as the best power generation company with an installed capacity of 6813 MW, hydel-1797 MW and solar power with a capacity of 5.426 MW.

They also appreciated AP’s initiatives in adopting global technologies in power generation at par with advanced countries.Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and  Energy Minister K Kala Venkata Rao congratulated Vijayanand for the lifetime achievement award.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / December 03rd, 2018

An IT company with ‘special’ agenda

Business & Economy, Science & Technology
A process executive of Virtual Guard Services training the physically challenged in Visakhapatnam.
A process executive of Virtual Guard Services training the physically challenged in Visakhapatnam.

25 physically challenged graduates land jobs with VGS

His joy knew no bounds when Kondapu Appala Reddy has been told by his friends that an IT-enabled services (ITES) company wants to recruit physically challenged graduates as its employees.

“I had my own doubts but I was jubilant when I got selected for the job under a pilot project launched in March, 2018 with just two employees,” Mr. Reddy, a deaf and dumb youth in early 20s who did M. Com.

He says the warmth with which he was greeted by other employees of the Visakhapatnam-headquartered firm — Virtual Guard Services (VGS) — was really very touchy.

Same is the feeling of Sagi Pavan Kumar Varma, who did MCA. “I almost lost hope of getting a decent job. However, on knowing about VGS’ commitment to provide livelihood to physically challenged unemployed youth, I applied for it and subsequently got the offer letter,” he says.

“Being a challenged person became hindrance for my getting a job. However, VGS management gave me an opportunity to prove myself that I am an able person just like others. Now my confidence level has gone up and my family is very happy that I have become financially independent,” he points out.

A dream come true

The company has so far provided jobs to 25 persons, including 14 speech and hearing challenged. All of them never dreamt that they could find jobs in an ITES company located at Tech Hub on the compound of Tech Mahindra.

VGS is the Indian arm of Pro-Vigil, an American company offering video monitoring and surveillance on real-time basis for clients in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also offers services like auto dealer and parking lot security to detect theft of tyres, tailgates and even vehicles, monitoring revenue audit, quality audit, IT and software maintenance support to its clients.

‘No easy task’

For training the special employees is no easy task. Process trainer Taninki Sreevani says she is very happy with the response from their new employees and all of them are performing well after undergoing special classes on how to rise to the occasion on their job requirements.

VGS has its R&D unit in Hyderabad. It has about 400 employees in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam units.

VGS Centre Head Kishore Dasari has told The Hindu that the organisation conceived idea to act differently by extending its support in the form of permanent jobs to physically challenged youth under CSR to prove the fact that they are as abled as others provided they are given the right support and training.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – November 28th, 2018

Four young engineers turn innovators, develop solar electric auto

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

The vehicle which can travel at a speed of 55 kmph,  is on par with commercial autos in the market in many aspects. The maintenance cost of the zero-emission auto is bare minimum.

Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

Srikakulam :

Four mechanical engineering graduates have developed a solar electric auto-rickshaw. Instead of opting for jobs in automobile industries after completion of their engineering course, the quartet decided to set up their own automobile unit to be self-reliant. Vavilapalli Uday Kiran, Sasapu Vasudeva Rao, Majji Chanti Babu and Karanam Parthasaradhi launched their pilot project in the name of Vajra Motor Works in Srikakulam a few months ago.

They designed the solar-cum-battery operated auto in just 15 days and launched it in the district on a pilot basis. The quartet claimed that it took only three days for them to make the solar electric auto.
The dual-mode auto runs on solar power in daytime and battery power is used at night. The auto can travel a distance ranging from 110 to 160 km with three-hour charging of battery.  It can carry a load of up to one tonne and accommodate seven persons.

The vehicle which can travel at a speed of 55 kmph,  is on par with commercial autos in the market in many aspects. The maintenance cost of the zero-emission auto is bare minimum.

Highlighting the salient features of the eco-friendly solar electric auto, Uday Kiran says, “It costs Rs 440 on an average to run a diesel auto for a distance ranging from 110 to 160 km. The operation cost of the solar electric auto for the same distance is not more than Rs 40. If the government extends support to our innovative project, employment can be generated for mechanical engineering graduates in the district. We have already explained our innovative project to the officials concerned seeking the support of the government to expand it.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by G. Ramesh Babu / Express News Service / November 13th, 2018

Ryots get access to ‘dry chain’, a cost-effective technology

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

It helps in getting seed moisture at desired level

Dry chain, a sustainable farm production model, offering simple and cost-effective technology to ensure safe, dry and high-quality staple food, is now available to the farmers of Chittoor district. The technology helps reduce aflatoxin levels in groundnut, which is one of the major crops in the district.

Vivia Foundation, a Netherlands-based public benefit organisation, launched the ‘Dry chain for groundnuts’ post-harvest programme during the current kharif season at Renuka Bio Farms unit in Routhusuramala village near Srikalahasti recently, where the solar drying chambers were inaugurated. The technology was co-developed at the University of California, Davis. Grameena Vikas Samithi (GVS), a voluntary organisation accredited with the United Nations Conventions, extended support in establishing the ‘Clean works’ rural pilot project.

Dry chain is a technology aimed at getting seed moisture at the desired level, which is 9% for groundnut. “While solar drying is the optimal option for groundnut, using zeolite beads is suggested for absorbing moisture in high-value seeds”, says Rajendranath Reddy, founder of Renuka Bio Farms.

Field-tested

Kent J. Bradford, Director of Seed Biotechnology Centre at University of California, Davis, who inaugurated the facility, dubs it the first comprehensive field-tested ‘dry chain’ system in India, applied to pre-harvest and post-harvest crop processing. Future demonstrations and training programmes are being planned to showcase dry chain technologies at the farm.

“The research study for groundnuts will continue till the next rabi season ending next spring, in which farmers from across the State will be involved”, explains GVS director L. Suryanarayana Reddy. The pilot project utilised ‘Kalgudi’, a mobile application as the platform for farmer training, data collection, transactions and supply chain traceability. The technology will be passed on to local farmers so as to improve yield quality and increase overall farm revenue.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / Tirupati – November 12th, 2018

Parkinson’s: SVIMS helps poor patients with DBS

Records, All, Science & Technology
SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor T.S. Ravikumar interacting with a Parkinson’s patient in Tirupati on Friday.
SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor T.S. Ravikumar interacting with a Parkinson’s patient in Tirupati on Friday.

Surgery being done at reasonable price, says V-C

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a path-breaking procedure for Parkinson’s disease, has proved to be successful at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) hospital.

Parkinson’s disease normally affects one in 1,000 persons and hampers mobility if it remains unaddressed for five to six years. DBS comes into the picture here, as this procedure can be employed to treat the movement-related disorders. At present, lakhs of such patients are waiting to be treated across India.

The super-speciality hospital has performed 25 such surgeries in the recent past and all the patients are on the path to recovery. There are only a few institutes across India that are capable of performing this surgery, which also comes at a prohibitive cost of nearly ₹20 lakh. “At the TTD-run institute, we do it at a very reasonable price,” says SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor T.S. Ravikumar, who produced the patients at a media conference here on Friday. The surgery is currently performed on poor patients, with financial support from the TTD’s Pranadanam and the State government’s NTR Vaidya Seva schemes.

“All neurological cases need not require surgery and some can be treated with drugs, if the patient gets the right guidance and medication from the specialist,” B. Vengamma, SVIMS former Director and a professor of neurology said. Dean B.C.M. Prasad and neurosurgeons Ramesh Chandra and Naveen said the hospital, equipped with the required infrastructure, was always ready to treat more patients if the State government or the TTD came forward to meet the expenditure.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Tirupati – October 27th, 2018

Innovation to thefore at science fest

Education, Science & Technology
A student explaining about her model at the ‘Vidya Bharati Dakshina Madhya Kshetra Jana Vijnana Mela’, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
A student explaining about her model at the ‘Vidya Bharati Dakshina Madhya Kshetra Jana Vijnana Mela’, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

180 students from three States take part in the event

Solar power can cater to the need of an entire city if the available space are utilised to harness it. This concept was well explained by a student from Vidya Bharathi School at the South-Central Zone ‘Jnana Vijnana Mela’ (Science Fest) that began here on Monday.

The programme was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of Krishna University and JNTU (Kakinada), prof. S. Rama Krishna Rao, in the presence of Bharteeya Vidya Kendram Chairman A. Narayanaswamy and Vidya Bharathi Dakshina Madhya Kshetra Joint Secretary G.R. Jagadish.

Around 180 students from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka are participating in the science fest.

source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – October 02nd, 2018

Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2018 announced

Amazing Feats, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

Dr Aditi Sen De is the only female winner this year

On the occasion of its foundation day, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has put out the list of recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for 2018.

Every year, several scientists below the age of 45 are selected from various institutions across the country and awarded for their outstanding scientific work in the last five years.

Here is the full list of winners this year in various categories

Category Winner Affiliation
Biological Sciences Dr Ganesh Nagaraju IISc Bengaluru
Dr Thomas Pucadyil IISER Pune
Chemical Sciences Dr Rahul Banerjee IISER Kolkata
Dr Swadhin Kumar Mandal IISER Kolkata
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences Dr Madineni Venkat Ratnam National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Tirupati
Dr Parthasarathi Chakraborty CSIR-NIO, Goa
Engineering Sciences Dr Amit Agrawal IIT Bombay
Dr Ashwin Anil Gumaste IIT Bombay
Mathematical Sciences Dr Amit Kumar IIT Delhi
Dr Nitin Saxena IIT Kanpur
Medical Sciences Dr Ganesan Venkatasubramanian NIMHANS, Bengaluru
Physical Sciences Dr Aditi Sen De Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad
Dr Ambarish Ghosh IISc Bengaluru

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech / by The Hindu Net Desk / September 26th, 2018