Monthly Archives: February 2014

Veteran CPI leader and champion of land struggles passes away

Leaders, Records, All
Former three-time MLA of Anakapalle and veteran leader of CPI K. Govinda Rao, who passed away in Hyderabad. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Former three-time MLA of Anakapalle and veteran leader of CPI K. Govinda Rao, who passed away in Hyderabad. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Govinda Rao, in the time of undivided Communist Party of India, was actively involved in several land agitations conducted in the plain and Agency areas of the then combined Visakhapatnam district.

Former MLA of Anakapalle and veteran leader of CPI K. Govinda Rao, who passed away in Hyderabad on Tuesday, was leader of many successful struggles the party launched in this area in the past.

Govinda Rao belonged to the time of undivided Communist Party of India and was actively involved in several land agitations conducted in the plain and Agency areas of the then combined Visakhapatnam district (comprising of the present north coastal Andhra districts). He got nearly 2,000 acres distributed to poor farmers in Cheedika and Rebaka villages in Chintapalli mandal and Kesavaram in Payakaraopeta mandal and led agitations for distribution of mokasa lands in Seetakandi and Nimmagedda areas in Golugonda mandal. His work among the poor helped him to get elected three times form Anakapalle Assembly constituency in 1962, 1967 and 1978. During the agitation for establishing steel plant at Visakhapatnam he resigned as MLA at the party’s direction. Born in Visakhapatnam, Govinda Rao actively participated in students agitations while studying at M.R. College, Vizianagaram. He was arrested and imprisoned at Bellary jail during Quit India movement.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – February 19th, 2014

Satya Nadella: Hyderabad’s eagle takes flight

Business & Economy, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad Public School. Located on Begumpet Road in Hyderabad, this is the school Satya Nadella, the newly appointed CEO of Microsoft, attended. The school’s emblem is an eagle and it prods its students to think of themselves as eagles and aim to soar high.

By winning the top job at IT behemoth Microsoft, Nadella has more than lived up to the school’s expectations. Nadella’s parents, who live in Hyderabad now, though palpably happy, did not wish to comment on the achievement. His father B. N. Yugandhar, a retired civil servant, confined himself to a “thank you.”

Those who have known the family attribute a lot of Nadella’s success to his upbringing. He grew up in an environment grounded in reality. C. Parthasarathy, Chairman, Karvy Consultants, who knows the family well, says: “This is really a proud moment, which is what all will say. But what is remarkable about this family is its high level of integrity, intellect and belief in hard work.”

“He has grown up in an environment where these attributes would have been re-emphasised from time to time,” adds Parthasarathy. “I think that helped him in his career. Parthasarthy is also closely associated with Hyderabad Public School and has been on its governing board.

Officials at Microsoft India were tight-lipped about the development. But they will all listen avidly when Nadella makes his address to Microsoft employees later today.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> Business> India / by E. Kumar Sharma, New Delhi / February 04th, 2014

Cancer Crusaders to Hold World-class Golf Tournament on February 15,16

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Sports

Cancer Crusaders of CURE Foundation here are organising a world-class golf tournament on February 15 and 16. The event titled ‘Cancer Crusaders Invitation Cup-2014’, the third biennial edition, fund raiser and awareness initiative, will take place at Hyderabad Golf Club. This was announced by Tennis ace Sania Mirza on Sunday, who believed that a gentle stroke to hit a golf ball so that it rolls down into the hole across the green could make some difference to a few cancer patients.

Tennis star Sania Mirza tries her hand at Golf at the launch of the Cancer Crusade Invitation Cup in Hyderabad on Sunday | Neeraj Murali
Tennis star Sania Mirza tries her hand at Golf at the launch of the Cancer Crusade Invitation Cup in Hyderabad on Sunday | Neeraj Murali

Participants have to pay Rs 2,000 which goes towards charity. Around 200 golfers will participate in the tournament. According to Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, founder-CURE foundation and director, Apollo Cancer hospital, the event intends to raise money and spread cancer awareness through excessive participation from ace golfers, outstanding sports persons, celebrities and opinion leaders. ‘’Our objective is to create a consistent annual charity golf tournament, fun and fulfilling day of social service,” he said.

Celebrity Golf Playoffs: The celebrity golf playoff, to be hosted on February 16, is a custom designed format that will last about one hour and is designed to entertain and give celebrities an opportunity to take a shot at the game. Fashion designer Asmita Marwa, Classical dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant, entrepreneur Pinky Reddy, badminton ace Saina Nehwal, Kuchipudi dancer Deepika Reddy, Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj and badminton star Jwala Gutta are expected to take part.

The tournament format named Stableford will have each player given a ball with her name written on it. Each participant has to put the ball to a designated hole on ‘putting greens’. All have to reach close to the hole. The last one is eliminated in each round. There will be different holes for different rounds and the distance to the hole is increased for each round to make it difficult for players.

Asadullah Pasha, captain, Hyderabad Gold Association; Bathanie Mattek, Tennis player; Venu Vinod, MD, Cybercity Builders & Developers pvt ltd; Nadir Chinoy, CEO, Inline 4 Motors Pvt Ltd attended the press meet.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / February 03rd, 2014

Harlan Opens Hyderabad Hub

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

United States

Indianapolis, Ind.-based Harlan Laboratories, a contract research organization and provider of animals for testing, has announced its first research breeding facility in India in Hyderabad’s Genome Valley Alexandria Technology Park.

“Harlan supplies research models to more than 60 percent of the Indian research market and has a large concentration of customers in the Hyderabad-Bangalore region,” said Harlan global VP of business development Stuart Frith. Added VP of global commercial operations Joe Meyer, “Having a physical presence in the region will yield numerous benefits to our customers, including having access to a consistent supply of high-quality models and improved animal welfare.”

source: http://www.indiawest.com / IndiaWest / Home> News> Business> United States / by Richard Springer, Staff Reporter / February 02nd, 2014

Looking into minds wired differently

Science & Technology

This professor and medical superintendent of the Visakhapatnam-based Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC) has just become the first psychiatrist from Andhra Pradesh to be elected general secretary of the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS). In an interview with Sulogna Mehtaof TOI, Dr N N Raju throws light on the new Mental Healthcare Bill under consideration, the debatable issue of Electro-Convulsive Therapy, medical opinion about homosexuality which can have a bearing on the future of Article 377 that criminalizes homosexuality, and the societal and lifestyle changes triggering psychiatric ailments.

What are the highlights of the new Mental Healthcare Bill under consideration?

The Bill appears to be more complex. Under this, even general hospitals will have to take permission of a mental health review commission (MHRC) to treat physical ailments of patients displaying psychological abnormality. Earlier, psychiatrists used to decide on admission of a patient in the mental hospital under the instruction of a magistrate. As per the new Bill, a five-member MHRC, comprising just a single psychiatrist, judicial members, counsellors and psychologists, will decide and can override the sole psychiatrist. There’s also provision of advanced directive, whereby a person can give directions to the commission on the mode of treatment he or she would like to undergo if they become mentally ill in future. Decriminalizing suicide is a good move. However, the Bill is mum on who will finance the various programmes — states or Centre. Changes in administration of Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) or shock treatment are other areas it addresses.

Should ECT be banned for minors and be administered only under general anesthesia as the new bill suggests?

It’s a non-scientific decision to ban ECT for those below 18 years as the efficacy and safety of the 80-year-old practice has been proved even on children. Also, as per the new Bill, ECT has to be administered only under general anesthesia, which would increase the financial burden on the government as well as enhance the risk factor. There’s already a severe dearth of anesthetists in India. Also, without anesthesia, the mortality risk was just one in one lakh patients, while under anesthesia it will go up to one in 10,000.

Is homosexuality a disease or criminal offence?

Homosexuality is a grey area, entailing confusion and complexity, and black and white comments can’t be made on it. Globally doctors are divided on whether to label it normal or a deviation from the norm as genetics, environment and peer pressure contribute to it. However, homosexuals are not criminals, even though legally or morally they are considered wrongdoers. As of now, the IPS, consisting of around 5,000 registered psychiatrists, is working on finding out the majority opinion among psychiatrists regarding the classification and management of homosexuality.

What does forensic psychiatry entail?

Forensic psychiatry entails criminal and civil responsibilities. For instance, if a person with a mental illness commits a crime he can’t always escape the law citing the illness as a ground. He can be exempted from punishment only if he commits the crime without knowing what he was doing and without realizing the consequences of his act at the time of committing it. Civil responsibility refers to the capacity of such a patient to stand witness at a trial or write a ‘will’.

Are criminal minds wired differently?

It’s said that those displaying anti-social behaviour have a different brain structure and different kinds of neuro-chemicals work in the brain. Genetic predisposition also plays a role. However positron emission tomography (PET) scan done on criminals have been inconclusive and is still under research.

Why are mental ailments and juvenile crimes increasing in India?

Stress and lifestyle related diseases have gone up and as a result depression too. Breakdown of joint families and the lack of a trustworthy support mechanism along with lack of value education have aggravated problems, including anti-social behaviour among youngsters due to unfiltered exposure to internet and television.

Have social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter brought people closer or isolated them even more?

Online posts are more often not the true reflections of the feelings of individuals as people put up lot of inhibitions and pretences in the virtual world. True emotional exchange can take place only with real people and not on FB. It rather isolates people and the forced display of private emotions gives rise to depression in some or enhances the propensity to commit crimes, especially among youngsters.

Unlike abroad, a visit to a shrink or mental hospital is still stigmatized in India. Why?

The stigma is more to do with literacy and financial status of the individual. In India, mental ailments are associated with possession of evil or the consequence of sin or a curse due to illiteracy and hence stigma is more.

What will be your focus as IPS general secretary?

We will urge the government to focus on proper implementation of the National Mental Health Programme so that it benefits the grassroots. We are trying to convince the Medical Council of India to include psychiatry as a major academic subject in MBBS as it is currently clubbed with ‘medicine’. With one-third of physical ailments coming to general hospitals actually associated with some kind of psychiatric or psychological complications, general physicians or doctors of other disciplines also need to be trained in certain basic aspects of psychiatry. We are also trying to get mental ailments covered under some insurance scheme as well.

What is needed for the overall improvement of GHMC? Does Andhra require more mental hospitals in addition to the existing two in Vizag and Hyderabad?

We need medicines and manpower. The dearth of manpower, especially class IV staff and paramedics, is a serious cause of concern at GHMC. We would also need anesthetics facility if ECT under general anesthesia is made mandatory and new equipment like magnetic electro-therapy can be introduced in the government set-up. Rather than spending crores of rupees on new hospitals, the existing medical colleges and area hospitals should be strengthened in the districts with good infrastructure and manpower to treat mental disorders.

What about controversies surrounding clinical trials at GHMC?

Clinical trials are a must for any drug. There are guidelines but they should be more well-defined. Besides consent from legally acceptable relatives, the patient should be able to certify after understanding the nuances of the clinical trial and only then it should be conducted on him/her. Right now, no trials are underway at GHMC or the mental hospital in Hyderabad. Due to internal politics in government hospitals, such controversies and allegations are usually made.

What are the medical advancements in the treatment of severe psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, bipolarism and acute depression?

There’s focus now on genetic engineering to know the wiring of the brain. Magnetic electro therapy, where magnetic waves are passed through the brain instead of electric shocks, is another new area of treatment and is less damaging. Newer and advanced drugs with fewer side effects are also being introduced.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Sulogna Mehta, TNN / February 03rd, 2014

Acres of Land Turns into Fish Ponds in Krishna District

Business & Economy

While the shrimp farming is shirking, fish farming is on the rise for the past three years in Krishna district.  Thousands of acres of paddy fields are turning into fish ponds in the delta region, especially the mandals located on the border of West Godavari district.

According to estimates, fish farming is being taken up in more than one lakh acres while the shrimp and prawn farming is limited to a mere 5,000 to 7,000 acres.

The officials records say that fish farming is done in 75,000 acres and shrimp farming in 5,000 acres.

It may be recalled that shrimp and prawn culture began way back in 1980 as the farmers preferred aquaculture to agriculture. They reaped huge profits in ‘dollars’ during 1999-2000.

As their fellow farmers made sudden fortune, several other farmers who were into agriculture also shifted to aquaculture and shrimp and prawn culture has leaped to nearly one lakh acres from 30,000 acres in 1999.

But they suffered a major loss as the tiger shrimp variety suffered virus attack in the following years and exports had fallen drastically.

At last, shrimp farming is being done in only 5,000 acres, and the farmers are also going for vannamei shrimp variety as it can survive the virus comparing to tiger variety. But the shrimp farmers have turned to fish cultivation instead of the shrimp as they had ready to use ponds.

According to a farmer, the fish cultivators, majority of them businessmen and local politicians, are now paying `50,000 to 75,000 rent for an acre of fish tank per year in the district and are getting `60,000 to `70,000 profit per year.

Bhupathi Raju, an aqua farmer from Nidamarru village of Kruthivennu mandal, said, “I had first taken up shrimp farming in 1982 and got good profits in the initial years. But later I had to suffer losses due to various reasons including virus attack. Slowly, I stopped it and started agriculture (paddy cultivation). But I started fish farming two years back as there was no water for paddy cultivation for Rabi crop for the past two years due to delta modernisation works.”

Another farmer, MV Subba Rao of Matlam village, who too suffered losses in shrimp farming, said that he had given his land for lease and added that he had applied for the registration of the fish ponds as the government had made it compulsory.

When contacted, assistant director of fisheries department, T Kalyanam, said, that as many as 4,989 farmers registered their tanks  by June 6, 2013. He also said that it was mandatory for the farmers to register their tanks with the government.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service – Vijayawada / February 03rd, 2014

Sembcorp To Buy 45% Stake In NCC-Gayatri Power Plant Project

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Singapore-based energy, water and marine group Sembcorp Industries has signed a conditional agreement to acquire 45 percent stake in NCC Power Projects (NCCPP), which is currently building a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Andhra Pradesh for a consideration of Rs.848 crore, reports said.

NCCPP is jointly owned by Gayatri Energy Ventures Ltd. (GEVPL) and NCC Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. (NCCIHL), a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate, NCC Ltd. (NCCL). Gayatri is Sembcorp’s project partner for another power plant in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Sembcorp Group President and CEO Tang Kin Fei said, “With our first power project in India progressing well and on track for completion this year, we are now pleased to embark on our second power plant investment there. This acquisition will provide the opportunity for Sembcorp to increase our foothold in India’s power market, where we see opportunities for our business to grow significantly in the years to come.”

Once the deal materializes, Sembcorp will hold 45 percent of NCCPP, while the remaining 55 percent will be held by NCCIHL.

NCCPP’s upcoming plant is located on a site adjacent to Thermal Powertech Corporation India Ltd. (TPCIL), Sembcorp’s first power plant investment in India.

Presently, the NCCPP project is around 30 percent completed and it is expected to come on-stream in early 2016. 

The project has also achieved financial closure, with 75 percent of the project cost funded through long-term limited recourse rupee-denominated project finance loans and the remainder funded by shareholders’ equity.

The project will be fuelled by both domestic and imported coal. It already received a Letter of Allocation for its domestic coal supply from Coal India.

The transaction is subject to the fulfilment of conditions, including approvals from the relevant authorities and the lenders.

Additional conditional agreements would also be entered into giving Sembcorp the right and obligation to take an incremental 20 percent stake in NCCPP and an incremental 16 percent stake in TPCIL respectively, subject to and upon the respective projects having obtained requisite formal approvals by relevant authorities in India.

by RTT Staff Writer

source: http://www.rttnews.com / RTT News / Home> Business> Indian News / February 03rd, 2014

Kuchipudi festival to boost tourism

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
APTDC seeks to set up a cultural village in Kuchipudi in Krishna district./ Photo: CH.Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
APTDC seeks to set up a cultural village in Kuchipudi in Krishna district./ Photo: CH.Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

Krishna District Tourism Promotion Council gets new lease of life

In a city which offers few options for entertainment and leisure activity, revival of the long-defunct Krishna District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) comes as a source of great joy.

After a lull of nearly eight years, the DTPC is back in action, drawing plans, in association with the Vijayawada division of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to develop a tourism circuit in the Krishna region.

Restoration of the Tourism Development Council is yet to be officially announced and the former is already gearing up for a day-long Kuchipudi festival at Kuchipudi village on February 22. “The whole idea is to promote rural tourism which will pave way for recognition to the rural artists. The skilled artists endowed with immense talent deserve a boost,” D. Harichandana, Sub-Collector, Krishna district, told The Hindu.

“We have been a little dull on the tourism front. Because of agitations, we couldn’t go into festive mode,” admits Ms. Harichandana indicating that the dance festival is part of a larger plan to create a tourism circuit in the region by linking places of cultural and traditional interests like the ancient temples.

“The fact that the Tourism Council has been given a new leash of life is a positive sign. The Krishnotsav festival, designed to propagate the glory of Krishna district, also was last held a decade back. Plans are afoot to develop infrastructural facilities in and around tourist spots like Kondapalli fort which might soon flaunt a sound and light show, a crafts centre at Kondapalli village, addition of attractive features at Hamsaladeevi and Manginapudi beach. A tourist should be able to plan a two-day itinerary to cover these places,” says K. Pattabhi Ram, president of Vijayawada Hotel Owners Association.

For the moment, the Council is focussed on tapping the unexplored tourist potential of Kuchipudi village, a sleepy village in Movva mandal of Krishna district located about 65 km. from Vijayawada city.

The village has given its name to the popular dance form propagated by Siddhendra Yogi. Kuchipudi is also centrally located to many ancient temples in the surrounding areas.

The Siddendra Kalakshetra, standing majestically on a four-acre plot that had originally housed a humble dance school, turns into a hub of cultural activity during the annual Kuchipudi festival. Research scholars from various universities abroad pursuing project studies in theatre frequently visit the place.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – February 04th, 2014

Global Meet Begins at OU on ‘New Literature’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, World Opinion

OsmaniaUnivHF19feb2014

A three-day international conference on ‘New Literature’ began at the Osmania University Centre for International Programmes (OUCIP) here on Monday. Delegates from Nigeria, Australia, Singapore and some other countries are  attending the conference which is being organised to promote literature of different parts of the world.

Explaining the reason for contemporary literature was selected as the theme for the conference which is organised by OUCIP and Indian Society for Commonwealth Studies (ISCS), OUCIP director Sumita Roy  said “Contemporary literature has a wide range with a lot of perspectives and voices. It reflects contemporary cultures. We are trying to hear the legitimate voices, how they are interpreted and what  their perceptions are because the more the number of perceptions the better is the understanding of human experience.”

She said there would be a session on Irish literature and topics like diaspora, literature written in English and non-English speaking countries will be discussed apart from other topics.

“We promote literature of Commonwealth countries. Seminars and conferences will be attended by scholars from various countries. The idea is to turn the Commonwealth new literature into global literature. 20 years ago no one had known Indian literature but now it has become a part of the mainstream world literature. We are putting in efforts to to promote that further,” said RK Dhawan, ISCS president.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / February 04th, 2014

Find Your Varsity

Business & Economy, Education

VarsityHF19feb2014

It’s February already and students in their twelfth grade will be going through the trying time of preparing for their finals while also short-listing courses and colleges that they would like to apply for their undergraduation. A very difficult time for many, in a lot of cases, both schools and parents can sometime fall short in guiding the child towards what suits them best. This is where a little extra help could make all the difference. And this is where Univariety hopes to make that difference.

A higher education planner service that was started in the city about two years ago by two former college-mates, Univariety helps students through the process of finding a course, either in India or abroad, and also walks them through the process of admission, scholarships and so on.

Operating in cities like Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai, the consultancy has partnered with over 150 schools and 40 universities across the country and globe, and have so far, guided 15,000 students of class 11 and 12 to befitting courses and careers through scholarship-aided programmes.

‘’These days, we see more boys showing interest in different fields of engineering like bio-medical, animation-based, robotics, aerospace, film making, etc and girls are showing keen interest in mass communication, fashion designing, bio-medical engineering and statistics. These are their preferred career choices,” shares Varun Agarwal, MD of Univariety.

Varun, along with and Jaideep Gupta, has been working towards giving information and supporting children who have aspired for a course that fits them as snug as a glove.

“Both of us wanted to be entrepreneurs. If someone had talked to us or helped us in our school days, we could have become entrepreneurs a decade or more earlier,” explains Varun.

The two friends and budding entrepreneurs, teamed up together after working extensively in the field of education across the globe, to fulfill their dreams of starting a venture. And so, it was the same helping hand they wished they had that they hope to extend to students today.

Despite not being from the city, the duo chose to base their operations in Hyderabad due to the large number of quality schools and a high number of students aspiring to go abroad for higher studies. This includes 12 major schools like Oakridge International, Gitanjali schools, Hyderabad Public School, Chirec International School, Meridian International School, Delhi Public School-Hyderabad, etc.

According to them, though a degree in engineering or business management has been the traditional choice of higher education for most, or a foreign degree in the same field especially for those from the state, there has been a 20 per cent dip in the preference for traditional forms of engineering, changing the scenario of higher education.

However, at the same time, Varun points out that students today make their choices in isolation and with imperfect, and sometime incorrect information, guided by friends, parents and other influencers who themselves are not fully informed. “We wanted to help them, and their need for help is global. We did not want to be counsellors, we wanted to offer solutions and change the way teachers stress on the need for good percentages for a better future.”

Through partner schools, students can create their profiles on the Univariety portal and find guidance based on their preferences for preparation of various tests and choose suitable training institutes. They also helps students shortlist and apply to an ideal list of universities and avail best fit scholarships too. Per school, Univariety charges anywhere between`25,000 and `5 lakh, which would entail students of class 11 and 12 of that school to avail their services. Students can also avail personalised features to help them get individual help through the entire process of college admission. This could cost about `35,000 – `50,000 for each student.

‘’There are usually two types of students — one who is clear about what he wants and one who doesn’t. Our online tools will find them solutions up to 60 per cent. If they are still not happy, we have our counsellors who go to the schools to talk to them. Every reputed college is there on our list and now and we are extending the services to class 9 and 10 students from May; this we have already extended to schools in the Middle East,” he shares.

So, if you’ve been spending the better part of your time biting your nails in frustration instead of studying, here’s one way to sort some of the college-related anxiety. You can log onto www.univariety.com for more information or email them at guideme@univariety.com.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rahul V Pisharody – Hyderabad / February 04th, 2014