Monthly Archives: November 2013

Granules inks pact to buy Auctus Pharma

Business & Economy

Pharma firm Granules India Ltd on Monday signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per cent stake in privately-held Auctus Pharma for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition of Auctus, an Active Pharma Ingredients (API) producer, is expected to be completed in the next 3 to 6 months.

Auctus operates an API facility in Pharmacity, Visakhapatnam and an intermediate facility in Hyderabad and has all necessary approvals in place from regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration, European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare (EDQM), Health Canada, Korea Food and Drug Administration and WHO-Good Manufacturing Practices, Granules said in a statement.

“Auctus provides Granules with an API platform having the US FDA approved site to strengthen its finished dosage division…,” said Krishna Prasad, Managing Director, Granules India, whose profit after tax during the first half of the current financial year stood at `31 crore.

Meanwhile, Granules has announced the setting up of a 10,000 sq ft Research & Development facility in Hyderabad that will focus on full scale generic API development besides supplementing the company’s existing R&D facility in Pune.

“The acquisition is one part of our three-prong growth strategy. In addition, our team is eagerly awaiting the commercializatoin of our third growth driver, Granules OmniChem, a collaboration with Ajinomoto OmniChem, a premier CRAMs manufacturer,” said Harsha Chigurupati, Executive Director, Granules India.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Business / by ENS – Economic Bureau – Hyderabad / November 14th, 2013

Quiz contest at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Quiz enthusiasts in the city gear up for Enigma – a multi-city, national-level general quiz competition organised by students of BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus as part of its annual techno-management festival ATMOS 2013.

The Hyderabad regional round will be held on Saturday at 10.00 a.m. at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus,

The quiz competition is open to college and school students. Each team must comprise two members from different institutions. The national finals will commence on the same day at 1.00 p.m.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / October 12th, 2013

Telugu cinema actor AVS passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

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A veteran of over 500 films, AVS aka Aamanchi Venkata Subrahmanyam is no more. The actor passed away at his residence in Hyderabad on Friday evening. AVS who has been diagnosed with a liver ailment a few years ago had been admitted in a super specialty hospital for 10 days recently and was discharged after the doctors declared that his illness was incurable.

A native of Tenali town in Guntur district, AVS began his career as a journalist. He debuted as an actor in the 1993 with Mr Pellam. His performance in the movie earned him many laurels including the prestigious Nandi Award. Since he went on to carve a niche for himself as a comedian par excellence in his two decade long career.

His last release was Shriya Saran starrer Pavitra. As soon as the news of his death broke, condolences messages from the Tollywood fraternity started pouring in online.

nani ?@NameisNani 17m RIP AVS gaaru .. Sad

Siddharth ?@Actor_Siddharth 2m Telugu actor AVS garu is no more. Sweet man. He used to speak very passionately about cinema. Gone too soon. RIP sir.

Varun Sandesh ?@iamvarunsandesh 2m Very saddened to hear bout the death of AVS garu. Was a grt comedian n a grt guy. May his soul R.I.P.. Deepest condolences to his family…

ganesh bandla ?@ganeshbandla 10m My co actor my family friend Avs garu no more RIP:-(

RAGHU KUNCHE ?@kuncheraghu Omg one more shocking news for Tollywood — well known comedian and director

Ram Pothineni ?@ramsayz 3m #RIP AVSGaru..thank you for all these years..strength to the family. .

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Regional> Entertainment> Tollywood / by Karthik Pasupulate, TNN / November 08th, 2013

Payakapuram tank to have a new look

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
A man looks at Payakapuram tank which is totally covered with water haycinth, in Vijayawada. / Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
A man looks at Payakapuram tank which is totally covered with water haycinth, in Vijayawada. / Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

The encroachment of Payakapuram tank and dumping of garbage in it will be a thing of the past. Very soon the tank will have a new look with the Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) chalking out ambitious plans to revive it.

The authority has estimated that it will cost Rs.12.30 crore to restore the tank and turn it into a recreation zone or tourist spot. The Tourism Department will foot the bill.

The tank has water spread over an area of 8.05 acre, but, with no steps being taken to preserve the water body, the people used to fling trash into the tank.

Even the VMC used it as dumping ground for sometime. The tank has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and poses a health hazard.

The UDA, as part of rejuvenation plans, will de-silt the tank and remove garbage dumped into it.

An island will be developed in the middle of tank. The island proposal is made with an idea that it would attract migratory birds. The trees that are suitable for nesting would be planted on the island. Pathways, compound wall, benches, boating facility, development of greenery, construction of approach road were some of the other works proposed in the project.

Approach road

The 80-ft approach road, which is part of Zonal Development Plan, will connect the Inner Ring Road and Vambay Colony road.

The basic objective is to develop a lung space in the city, preserve water body and protect the site from encroachments, officials say.

The Payakapuram Tank is perhaps like an Oasis in the city. Owing to poor management and maintenance, the water body is totally covered with water hyacinth giving an impression as if a green carpet was laid there.

“Despite vigil and necessary measures, the tank continues to be plagued by encroachments and we thought of rejuvenating it. The UDA has been asked to prepare a project report for it and develop it. The funds will be met from budget of the Tourism Department,” says Vijayawada (Central) MLA Malladi Vishnu, who made the proposal.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by G.V.R. Subba Rao / Vijayawada – November 07th, 2013

Tall man gets a small compliment

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Hyderabad :

A tall man has got a complimentary pass from the State Road Transport Corporation, offering him free bus travel in Andhra Pradesh.

At 7 feet six inches, Gattaiah walked his way into the Limca Book of Records several years ago, but poverty has not deserted him.

With an artificial leg and just a contract job to eke out a living, Gattaiah is a familiar face at the Shilparamam in the hitech city, Madhapur. He lost his leg to an infection sometime ago.

The lanky figure is an attraction at the Crafts Bazaar. Standing beside a large wooden chair, he is seen being clicked on mobile cameras by visitors. Hailing from a village in Karimnagar district, Gattaiah hardly studied and could not get a proper job.

Seeing his plight and reading about him in the media, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Transport Corporation A.K. Khan has given him a free bus pass for one year.

The free pass will allow Gattaiah to travel in buses of Pallevelugu, express, deluxe & super luxury, said a press release from the Corporation.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by The Hindu Bureau   somasekhar.m@thehindu.co.in / Hyderabad – November 07th, 2013

Farmers could benefit from IT, say experts

Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

Indian farmers could benefit from information and communication technology in a big way if they get organised and become literate in computers, experts said today.

Speaking at a round-table conference on development of information technologhy for agriculture at the World Agricultural Forum Congress  2013 here, FICCI  Co-Chair J A Chowdary said that application of communication technology already benefits farmers in the form of mobile phones.

He cited examples of a farmer from the backward Anantapur district who took pictures of his crop and used it to consult experts, as well of another farmer in Hyderabad who used web-based technology.

Farmers also received various other information on their mobile phones, he said, adding that there are software companies in Hyderabad which offer information like prevailing market price of their their produce, he said.

Tech Mahindra’s  Senior Vice-President V Srinivas Rao said farmers could benefit further if they are organised into groups and computer literacy is spread among them so that they may access the Internet.

Providing information in local languages would be useful, he said, stressing that affordability of applications is important.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / by Press Trust of India / Hyderabad – November 07th, 2013

Engineering college in AP goes solar

Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

An engineering college has taken the clean energy route to power its sprawling campus and meet the energy demands.

Padmasri Dr B.V. Raju Institute of Technology in Narsapur, about 50 km from Hyderabad, has installed and commissioned a 100 kWp solar photovoltaic rooftop plant. The project is the first-of-its-kind among all the JNTU-affiliated colleges in Andhra Pradesh. It will harness solar power to the tune of 100 kWp from this month. The plant consists of a total 400 PV modules – each 250Wp – supplied by SIRIUS Solar Energy, Hyderabad, a press release from the Institute said. It was executed by Solaris Innovations & Systems, Hyderabad

“The Rs 1.3 crore project is installed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase-III programme through New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP). Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), provided a subsidy of 30 per cent,” said Jagadishwar Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of the company.

A few students of BVRIT were involved right through the installation and commissioning and gained hands-on experience in putting together the different modules of the rooftop solar power plant, the release added.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Education / by The Hindu Bureau  somasekhar.m@thehindu.co.in / Hyderabad – November 12th, 2013

First heart transplantation conducted under Jeevandaan in AP

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

First heart transplantation was successfully carried out under Jeevandaan, the state government sponsored organ donation scheme in Andhra Pradesh.

After the launch of the Jeevandaan programme in 2012, this is the first heart transplantation operation carried out under the state government’s organ donation scheme.

The heart transplant was carried out from a brain dead patient, Sai Teja Nimmagadda, who had met with an accident at Lakadikapul, on November 10.

Sai Teja was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he had lost his consciousness and the CT scan showed severe damage in the brain. He was then rushed to Yashoda Hospital, but was declared brain dead on November 11. The family agreed to donate Sao Teja’s organs to the government’s Jeevandaan scheme and his two kidneys, lungs, liver and heart were retrieved. The heart transplant surgery was carried out in Apollo Hospitals at Jubilee hills.

So far 15 different organ transplantations have been carried out under the Jeevandaan scheme and heart transplantations is done for the first time under the scheme.

In Andhra Pradesh every year at least 10,000 people require kidney transplants in the state. But only less than 500 patients are luckily getting them. When it comes to liver transplants, only 100 such surgeries happen in the city and elsewhere in the state as against 1,600 applications every year.

In view of this, the state government has come out with the Jeevandaan organ donation programme to encourage people to donate their bodies after death.

With this all the organ donations in the state are carried under Jeevandaan. Up on availability, the organs will be allotted to licensed hospitals based on the centralized waiting list maintained by the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

“To further encourage the organ donation more awareness should be created among the people and the state government should bring law to announce brain-dead mandatory in government hospitals, this will enable more organ donations and help us to protect more lives,” says Dr Swarnalatha, in-charge for Jeevandaan programme at NIMS.

source: http://www.pharmabiz.com / PharmaBiz.com / Home> News> Hospitals & Clinics / by PharmaBiz.com Bureau, Hyderabad / November 13th, 2013

UoH Professor bags award in Agricultural Microbiology

Records, All, Science & Technology

Appa Rao Podile, senior faculty member in the department of plant sciences at the School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, has been conferred with Prof. G Rangaswami Award in agricultural microbiology by the Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI).

The award was conferred on Appa Rao in the annual meeting of the association held at Rohtak from November 17-20 for the significant contributions made in the field of agricultural microbiology.

The award consists of a citation and a cash prize of `20,000.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / November 23rd, 2013

13-yr-old adventure freak plans to scale Mt Everest

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Sports

At 13, S Jaahnavi is unlike any other teenager. Trained in ninjutsu (martial arts), trekking, parasailing, rafting, jummaring, rock climbing, sports climbing etc., it’s not an exaggeration when she says she does not know what fear is. Just when one feels she is the rough and tough youngster, she surprises you again by revealing that she is trained as a classical dancer too.

Jaahnavi has completed two high altitude treks–11,400 ft Roopkund ranges in 2010 and 12,000 ft Dhauladhar ranges in 2012. She is has been certified by the government of India as the youngest trekker to have scaled high altitude ranges at -5 degree Celsius.

This adventure freak is also the recipient of the Adventure Club of Andhra Pradesh’s (ACAP) Kids Adventure Award – 2013. She has also won the CM’s gold medal for sports climbing and National Himalayan Trek Completion certificate.

Jaahnavi’s father Dr Krishna Rao, a trained mountaineer and a first responder and mental health doctor, says, “I have been into adventure sports for the last 40 years and ensured that she did not miss out on it right from when she was only 10 months old.

Academics by itself is not sufficient. For all round growth and development, adventure is essential.”

Jaahnavi, on the other hand, says, “I will even jump from a building if asked to because I do not know what is fear. I just want to remain numero uno in everything I do.” The daredevil plans to scale the Mount Everest next year. “I am the youngest trekker to be provisionally selected to climb the Everest,” adds Jaahnavi, who has completed 15 most difficult treks across AP.

While being an adventure lover, Jaahnavi wants to become a doctor like her father.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / November 14th, 2013