Monthly Archives: May 2012

A wedding with a difference

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

The Haitian groom and his Indian bride revel in a traditional ritual that formed part of their wedding in Vijayawada. Photo: Raju. V

Sabitha from Narasaraopet and Thierry Pamphile from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, enter wedlock as per Hindu tradition

‘Marriages are made in heaven’ goes the adage. But there are different ways of solemnising them in every part of the world. With walls of religion, caste, and political boundaries vanishing in this global village, appreciating each other’s culture and traditions has become the cornerstone.

An invitation that many received in Guntur and Krishna districts turned out to be an example of integration of religions and nations. Thus read the invite:

Bridegroom: Chiranjeevi Thierry Pamphile, only son of Marth Pamphile and Christmas Pamphile, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Bride: Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Sowbhagyavati Sabitha, youngest daughter of Rajasekhar Anisetty and Naseema Rajasekhar. Muhurtam: Friday, May 4, 8.40 a.m., Hastha Nakshatram, Midhuna Lagnam. Venue: The Kay Hotel, Vijayawada. Who would have ever thought of seeing such a wedding invitation? Mr. Thierry Pamphile grew up a Catholic at Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Ms. Sabitha grew up in Narasaraopet under the care of her Hindu father, a banker, and Muslim mother, a lawyer.

DREAM COME TRUE

Ms. Sabitha and Mr. Pimphile moved to the United States and joined the same engineering college. The script from here is anyone’s guess! Love blossomed after friendship. But having a ‘traditional Hindu’ Telugu wedding has always been Ms. Sabitha’s dream. “I’ve been pinching myself all through the ceremony. I have been dreaming of such a wedding ceremony,” she said with a perfect American accent.

The wedding was planned in Vijayawada for the convenience of relatives who came from all over the State. The bride enjoyed every moment of the ceremony. Starting with placing the ‘jeelakara bellam’ on each other’s head, the tying of ‘mangalasutram’, the exchange of ‘talambralu’, and competing with the groom to get the ring in a vessel full of water, Ms. Sabitha had a real blast.

The ceremony took a little longer than usual with the Indian bride explaining to the Haitian bridegroom the meaning of the different mantras he was made to recite by the ‘purohit’ and the significance of the different rituals. Cooperative Minister Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, a friend of the family, several lawyers, and judges graced the occasion. The bride is the granddaughter of freedom-fighter Mohammad Mohideen Saheb.

RELIGIOUS INTEGRATION

“Our family is a wonderful example of religious integration. I married a Hindu. My elder daughter married a Muslim and my younger daughter married a Christian,” said Ms. Naseema.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / May 05th, 2012

Aliens Group Wins 2 International Property Awards Asia Pacific 2012

Business & Economy, Records, All

Hyderabad:
Aliens Group, a pioneering construction and infrastructure company, headquartered at Hyderabadhas won two prestigious international property awards – ‘Highly Commended Apartment’ and ‘Highly Commended Mixed-Use Development’ for its project Space Station at Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

The best developments, architecture and interior design from across the length and breadth of theAsia Pacific region were celebrated at the J W Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Leading property professionals behind these outstanding projects were invited to attend the Asia Pacific Property Awards in association with HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Asia to receive their accolades.

With over 200 participating companies from India and over 600 companies from the Asia Pacific Region, Aliens Group emerged as one of the promising companies to win International Property Awards ( Asia Pacific ) 2012. The Asia Pacific Property Awards are part of the long established International Property Awards and its award winners’ logo is recognized as a symbol of excellence throughout the global industry. Winning two of these coveted awards is an indisputable evidence of Aliens Group’s ability to stand out amongst exceedingly strong contenders within the highly competitive Asia Pacific property arena, which included major Indian companies.

The awards, combined with other regional awards’ programmes for Arabia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, form the globally renowned International Property Awards. Now entering their 18th year, they are the world’s most prestigious property competition and cover residential as well as commercial categories.

Judging was carried out through a meticulous process involving a panel of over 60 experts covering every aspect of the property business. The next stage of the awards’ programme was for top scoring five-star winners of each category to be re-judged against those from the other regions to determine the ultimate winners.

President of the International Property Awards, Stuart Shield, says, “Asia Pacific always puts up a very strong representation across the many different categories within the awards’ programme. It also consistently proves to be the hardest region to beat when it comes to competing internationally for the highly coveted ‘World’s Best’ awards.”

Director, Malaysian and Multinational Corporates, HSBC Bank Malaysia, Alvin Tay, says, “HSBC is proud to participate in this summit given the bank’s continuous support to the growth of hospitality and property development industries in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region. With HSBC Group’s extensive global network and international experience of more than 145 years, we have the capacity and capability to fulfill the industries’ domestic and cross-border needs through our innovative financial solutions.”

Aliens Space Station, Alien’s Group’s pioneer project, is being developed around the concept of ‘Intelligent Living’ where the entire living space is designed around the needs of the residents. Space Station is one of the first Indian projects to incorporate technology extensively. The entire project has been built using a raft foundation and transverse slabs, two concepts that speed up development while adding to the strength of the building. Space Station also bears a unique S shaped design which uniformly allows sunlight, wind and ventilation across three sides, leaving each apartment fresh and airy. It has also integrated the green building concept extensively so that homes manage heating and cooling more efficiently. Home automation is one of the company’s greatest features, and this is also a key differentiator for Space Station. Moreover,home automation allows homeowners to remotely manage their home and track maids, adjust lighting, call up the lift to avoid the wait and many more facilities.

For Further information please contact:

Jawahar Shan, Aliens Group- +91-966234649; JawaharShan@aliensgroup.in

source: http://www.supplychaindigital.com / Hyderabad / PR Newswire / WDM Group PR Network / May 03rd, 2012

‘Qualifying for the London Olympics was dramatic, almost filmy’

Sports

Parupalli Kashyap is India’s entry in the men’s singles badminton at the London Olympics. For the last four months, he and fellow-shuttler Ajay Jayaram were locked in a fierce battle for that lone berth to London. In the end, it was he who pipped Ajay to that flight, with some help from Chinese player Chen Jin, who withdrew from his quarter-final clash against Kashyap, giving him an entry into the semi-finals, at the India Open.

The 25-year-old Kashyap, who battles an asthmatic condition as much as his opponent every time he steps on court, spoke to T S Sudhir about what went through his mind during the India Open, as he kept one eye on Jayaram’s progress, and his preparations for the upcoming Games.

Congratulations on qualifying for the London Olympics. You really had to labour for it.

Thanks. Oh, yes, I am happy that I qualified. Since my injury at the Syed Modi tournament in December, I lost my way, and the last four months Ajay Jayaram was ahead of me on points. I missed playing three crucial tournaments. Coming into the India Open Super Series, I was 1000 points behind Ajay and I knew I had to play two rounds more than him to be able to earn a berth for London. My second round match against Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand was really tough. I knew I had to win it to keep my hopes alive for the Olympics.

Was London always at the back of your mind while you were playing in the India Open?

In fact, when I was playing my second round match, Ajay was playing against Lee Chong Wei on the adjoining court. My thoughts were scattered all over. Usually I do not bother about a game that is going on on another court, but this time I was keeping an eye on the scores and found Ajay was doing well in the match, which went into three games. I was more drained mentally than physically!

Image: Parupalli Kashyap
Photographs: Hong Wu/Getty Images

source: http://www.rediff.com / Home> Sports / May o2nd, 2012

AP establishes 5 intellectual property rights cells

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

The centres have been mandated to spread awareness about patent filing, registration among scientists, technologists, researchers, engineers and traditional medical practitioners.

Hyderabad, MAY 2:

In effort to promote patent awareness, Andhra Pradesh has established five intellectual property rights (IPR) cells. These are in the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Osmania University, Acharya N.G. Ranga University, JNT University, all in Hyderabad and Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.

The AP Council of Science and Technology has identified and set up these facilities under the Patent Information Centre (PIC) that it has been operating for sometime now.

The PIC, in turn, is part of 20 such centre’s set up by the Union Department of Science and Technology in 20 States.

The centers have been mandated to spread awareness about patent filing, registration among scientists, technologists, researchers, engineers and traditional medical practitioners.

In a bid to expand the network, the PICs are establishing IPR cells at various universities in States.

APCOST, has, in collaboration with the AP Technology Development & Promotion Centre, Confederation of Indian Industry, organised a workshop today to discuss various aspects of IPR, designs, trademarks, geographical indicators, patent drafting, protection strategies etc.

Mr Y. Naresh Kumar, Member Secretary, APCOST, urged technology developers and researchers to utilise the expertise at the PIC and the cells.

soma@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry & Economy / by Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad, May 02nd, 2012

 

Convert your TV into a PC, and access Net too

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

The CEO, Chairman of MosChip (Semiconductor), Mr K. Ramachandra Reddy (left), and the Managing Director, Mr C. Dayakar Reddy, at the launch of ‘PC Virtualisation System’ in Hyderabad on Wednesday. — G. Ramakrishna

MOSCHIP TECHNOLOGY

Hyderabad, MAY 2:

Cursing your son, daughter or father who is glued to the PC and you can’t wait any longer to play a game or watch a movie loaded in it? Well, you can convert your idling TV set into your PC. You can get access to Internet too.

Making this possible is Moschip, a Hyderabad-based fables chip development company. Interestingly, the company has also decided to stop expenditure on research and development (R&D) to get out of the red.

PC VIRTUALISATION

Moschip has released a box that lets you connect with the PC through your TV set. The company calls this PC Virtualisation System (PCVS). It is also working on a wireless version of this product.

“It is not just laying a bridge to your PC. You can control the PC with a remote or a wireless keyboard. You can play games using the regular console,” Mr K Ramachandra Reddy, Chief Executive officer and Chairman of Moschip Semiconductor Technology, said.

He showcased the set-to-box sized device that is priced at $100. The company doesn’t have any plans to manufacture and sell on its own. “That is not our core business. We will sell licences to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as TV sellers and satellite TV service providers to mass market the product,” he said.

Mr C. Dayakar Reddy, Managing Director, said the device would let users to connect to a variety of gadgets such as smartphones, notebooks and gaming products. “It would also help in tapping the unutilised computing potential of PCs,” he said.

REVAMP

Meanwhile, the company has decided to stop R&D investments as part of its plan to come out of losses. “We expect this to happen this year. We are expecting to sell about 10 lakh devices (through partners) this year. Also, we are expecting a huge project from an Indian company for development of a complex chip,” Mr Ramchandra Reddy said.

The company, with 110 employees, registered a turnover of Rs 27 crore and reported a loss of Rs 9.57 crore in 2010-11 for the nine-month period, its loss was put at Rs 1.73 crore and turnover at Rs 14.61 crore.

kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry & Economy> Info-Tech / The Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad, May 02nd, 2012

New market yard in Nalgonda likely

Business & Economy

An additional grain storage capacity of 1.5 lakh tonne in godowns is targeted to be created during the years 2012 and 2013 by the Marketing Department with its own financial resources, B. Aravinda Reddy, Marketing Commissioner, said here on Monday.

Talking to press persons, he said that the State-wide storage capacity was 10 lakh tonnes, of which 3.5 lakh tonnes was created during 2010-12. Yet, there was a shortage of godowns.

Mr. Reddy disclosed that a proposal to introduce SMS clearance of transporting grains at checkposts, in place of waybills, was under consideration by the department.

Referring to the Rythu Bazaars, he said that there was no move to add any in the district. There were 109 Rythu Bazaars across the State. The department would shortly initiate the process of filling 374 vacant posts in the agriculture market yards in the State. Fifty per cent of the posts in the yards were lying unfilled in view of the recruitment ban.

Mr. Reddy stated that the department had called for a proposal to set up a new market yard in Nalgonda as the existing one was found to be inadequate.

After going around the market yard here, he asked officials to immediately install electronic weighing machines. During interaction, farmers pleaded for installation of dryers and provision of cold purified water facility of 100 litres per hour in the yard. Some ryots wanted the level of the platforms raised to tide over the problem of grains getting wet in floods during monsoon.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / National> Andhra Pradesh / by Correspondent / Nalgonda,  May 01st, 2012

Northeast emergency care workers win awards

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Guwahati:

GVK EMRI, which runs the emergency ambulance service 108, has selected two special emergency medical trainers (EMTs) from the second batch of EMT workers in this region for the special emergency medical (EM) care award. The award has been instituted by GVK EMRI, Hyderabad.

The award is given to workers who have handled the most critical emergency cases in their region. These EMTs provide emergency aid to the patient in the first hour of illness or injury. This time, one EMT, Bikash Sharma, and one attendant (pilot), Biplob Mazumdar, who had handled a bullet injury case in Tinsukia in February this year, were presented with the EM care award on Monday.

108 ambulance service has successfully transported 64,5,56 patients to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) from November 6, 2008 to April 20, 2012.

The emergency workers are given a special 45-day training in which they have to undergo a 10 days special training in GMCH’s  casualty, labour room and emergency care wards.

The EMT workers have to deal with adverse circumstances like hostile crowds, poor road conditions and inhospitable terrain.

The EMTs are also imparted skills like basic airway management, use of nasopharyngeal airway adjunct, suctioning, bag valve mask ventilation and other basic lifesaving skills.

The pilots are trained in first aid, basic life support, spinal motion restriction devices, extrication, lifting and moving techniques of patients. They also undergo special refresher training every six months.

Ramen Talukdar, superintendent, GMCH, said, “The workers are responsible for bringing the most critical patients to the hospital and that too within a very short time. This is a difficult task as the EMT is responsible for the first emergency care given to the patient.”

GVK EMRI operates 280 ambulances across the state, including two boat ambulances in Sadiya and Majuli. There are about 27 ambulances operating in the city at present.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Guwahati / TNN / April 30th, 2012