Monthly Archives: March 2014

Hyd Metro, Bicycling Club to Hold Women’s Cycling Event Today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

In connection with the International Women’s Day on Saturday, Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMR) and Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC) would jointly organise an exclusive women’s cycling event.

The event will start from Gachibowli Bike station (opp Bio-diversity Park) at 7 a.m. on Saturday and will be flagged off by former chief secretary and member, Central Administrative Tribunal, Minnie Mathew.

Stating that women empowerment is an important part of the social agenda of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project, HMR managing director NVS Reddy said that HMR would organise many more awareness campaigns to sensitise the city towards gender equality.

Further, to encourage parents from poorer sections to send their girl children to schools and colleges; and to enable girl students, women employees and housewives to travel to their educational institutions, work places and other destinations without fear of eve teasing and other anti-social activities, HMR has incorporated several security features in the Metro Rail project design to provide safe, comfortable, secure and hassle-free travel for women.

They include deployment of police personnel with women police in coaches and station areas; CCTV cameras, continuous monitoring of happenings, remote policing; bright illumination of coaches and station areas; provision of feeder buses with security arrangements for women to safely reach home and work place from metro stations; protecting women from harassment by drunken men and anti-social elements especially during night time; extension of Metro skywalks to nearby schools, colleges and shopping areas and provision of rest rooms and emergency medical facilities for women.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / March 08th, 2014

It is all of women and for women

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features
Women leaders from various walks of life celebrating International Women's Day by cutting a cake in Vijayawada on Saturday. (Right) Students of Samana Institute for Design Studies walk the ramp showcasing their work. / Photos: V. Raju / The Hindu
Women leaders from various walks of life celebrating International Women’s Day by cutting a cake in Vijayawada on Saturday. (Right) Students of Samana Institute for Design Studies walk the ramp showcasing their work. / Photos: V. Raju / The Hindu

The Hindu, in association with SIDS, creates a platform to felicitate women achievers

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A select group of women present at the auditorium of Samana Institute for Design Studies (SIDS) on Saturday was an enchanting mix of the two. Women from various walks of life gathered, greeted and celebrated a day that belonged to them — International Women’s Day.

The city reverberated with slogans of women’s empowerment as leading women from different fields took centre stage voicing concern over the abuse heaped on the fairer sex, raising their voice against perennial injustice to their less privileged sisters and inspiring scores of others to bring to the fore their inner strength to achieve success in life.

The Hindu, in association with SIDS, created a platform to felicitate women achievers on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Assistant Director of All-India Radio, Vijayawada, M. Krishna Kumari, underscored the need for women to inculcate resilience and fighting spirit to overcome the hazards lurking around every nook and cranny.

She evoked ‘true fighters’ like Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school girl who stood up to the Taliban and defended her right to education, Laxmi, the acid attack victim who won the International Women of Courage award for successfully leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in India and the 2012 Delhi gang rape victim Nirbhaya and said the trio had inspired women suffering abuse in silence, across the world.

Woman entrepreneur Jogulamba said women were internally very strong besides being good multi-taskers.

Bhakti Manihara of SKCV Trust said girls must draw inspiration from Jhansi Lakshmi Bai who never gave up her fight despite a series of defeats.

Radha Rani of RR Sports urged women to form a collective force to reckon with. Former Mayor Mallika Begum mooted an all-women’s ‘Mahila Party’ to fight the coming elections.

Other speakers urged the students to work hard to scale great heights in life but without drifting from their rich culture. The felicitations were sprinkled with intermittent rounds of ramp walk by SIDS students who showcased their designs.

There was unanimity on the contention that the strength of women comes from the fact that psychology cannot explain. “Men can be analysed, women merely adored,” a speaker said amidst loud round of applause. SIDS Managing Partner and CEO Samana Moosavi said gifted with both beauty and brains, a woman could achieve success in any given field provided she is determined to.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – March 09th, 2104

Bajaj Electronics to expand retail chain

Business & Economy

Hyderabad :

Bajaj Electronics has opened its 13th electronics showroom in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and hinted at its plans to roll out more stores in other parts of Andhra Pradesh.

The large format electronics store is located in Secunderabad and fits into the company’s philosophy of offering sales close to their homes.

The three-storey store was inaugurated by B.D.Park. President and CEO, South west Asia, Samsung Electronics, in the presence of actresses Madhu Shalini and Shillpi Sharma.

Speaking to newspersons, Park said that Samsung sees India emerging as the top market for Samsung globally by 2020.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by The Hindu Bureau / February 26th, 2014

Medical Facilities-A Remarkable Service by Koneru Prasad Charitable Trust

Science & Technology

Trimex Sands Pvt Ltd gives utmost priority for providing medical facilities which can instill confidence among the patients of poor families. The Company’s CSR initiatives through Koneru Prasad Charitable Trust were lauded by Several VIPs including Union Minister of State for Communication and Technology KilliKruparani, former minister DharmanaPrasada Rao and Srikakulam Collector Saurabh Gaur and others. Locals of Srikakulam district are also appreciating the initiatives of Koneru Prasad Charitable Trust saying that it did commendable job with the improvement of medical facilities and establishment of hospitalsand dialysis unit which has become a boon for hundreds of kidney patients of Uddanam region.

It has spent around Rs.1.5 crore for setting up of a dialysis unit in Tekkali area hospital. It has become a big boon for patients as well as attends who were earlier forced to go eitherVisakhapatnam or Srikakulam for dialysis facility. Tedious and expensive problems are over with availability of dialysis unit Tekkli. No need to say that hundreds of people in Uddanam region have been suffering from kidney problems. Several studies couldn’t find the exact reasons for the spread of kidney diseases in the district. The Trust planned to take up studies in future with the help of government to extract reasons apart from providing immediately medical support in the form of dialysis for the poor patients.

Support to RIMS:

The Trust provided beds and medical equipment to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences- helping poor patients to get better treatment facility in the hospital. It is also helping RIMS to improve greenery in its premises by providing saplings and tree guards. Fully grown trees would help patients to have natural oxygen apart from providing shade for the attendants who spend more time in the premises. RIMS administration and senior doctors apart from patients lauded the initiatives of the Trust.

KoneruHF18mar2014

Hospital with State of Art Technology:  

It has also established a poly clinic with State of Art technology in Vatsavalasa where Trimex Sands Pvt Ltd has its unit. It has spent around Rs.25 lakh for establishment of the hospital. Two doctors and four staff members work to provide round the clock medical facility. Earlier, the villagers were forced to go all the way to government hospital in Srikakulam even in the time of emergency. Thank God, the Trust’s clinic relieved all their tensions providing medical facilities round the clock. There is no charge even for costly tests and medicines, helping poor patients to get best medical support in their vicinity.TSPL allocates Rs.2 lakh every month for supply of medicines andsalaries of the staff. A 30 bed facility will be a reality very soon with steps being taken for upgradation of the hospital. The company has also provided an ambulance to the Vatsavalasa poly clinic apart from Ampolu sub-jail, helping the authorities to send sick prisoners to the hospital immediately whenever it is necessary. People of around 10 villages got benefitted with the hospital and other facilities.

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Medical Camps:

The Trust is helping old persons to have proper vision by conducting medical camps to identify eye problems. It helped hundreds of patients for cataract operations and post care. Around 1000patients got benefited with medical camps conducted in association with Shankar Foundation. The senior citizens can lead happy life while seeing the changed life style of next generation with the rapid progress in Gara and Srikakulammandals. The Trust has also been organizing blood donation camps in several parts and helping Blood Bank being operated by Red Cross Society.

source: htp://www.groundreport.com / Ground Report / Home> LifeStyle> Non-Profit / by Koneru Prasad / February 26th, 2014

The hunt continues

Sports

Triumphs of Indian women cricketers inspires Abdul Bari Wahab to work with renewed zeal.

tips from the proSravanthi Naidu with her coach Abdul Bari Wahab / Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
tips from the proSravanthi Naidu with her coach Abdul Bari Wahab / Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

Far away from the madding crowds, for him the hunt continues — the unbridled passion to look for genuine talent in women’s cricket, groom it into performing individuals. Well, this has been the story of Abdul Bari Wahab, coach to the women’s cricket team of Hyderabad since 2009.

“For me, helping these girls is a passion. And, I am really happy with the way they have performing in the last few years,” says a visibly content Wahab even as he basks in the wonderful achievement of his trainee and left-arm spinner Sravanthi Naidu, who took four for nine against Bangladesh in the T-20 international in Dhaka a couple of days ago.

“Sravanthi has the talent but it was difficult for me to get her motivated given the fact that she is making her third comeback into the Indian team after her Test debut in 2005, and that too at the age of 27,” explains Wahab, who was himself a cricketer of repute. Interestingly, the Indian team now in Bangladesh has six members from the city in different capacities – captain Mithali Raj, coach Purnima Rau, spinners Gouher Sultana and Sravanthi Naidu, manager Nandlal Vidya Yadav and video analyst Aarti Nalge.

“Cricket has changed a lot though the basics remain the same. There was an aura when we played and perhaps it was because of the fact that the best of Indian cricketers made it a point to play in all important domestic events including Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup, which was invariably the season opener,” feels Wahab. He has a special place in the Moin-ud-Dowla history for taking the first hat-trick in its history when he sent back the likes of Ajit Wadekar, Hanumanth Singh and Amber Roy.

“That is history. Right now, I am more focussed on helping women’s cricketers. Yes, it is a bit painful that there are no regular tournaments in the city. Yet the fact that we continue to produce winning performances at the zonal and the national level is a tribute to the grit, talent and determination of these girls,” insists the untiring coach.

What keep you going? “I can’t stay away from the nets even for a single day. Somehow, I have this passion which motivates me on and on. Yes, there were times when I pondered whether it was worth putting all these efforts. But, every time the girls come back with honours, I work with rejuvenated zeal,” says Wahab, who owes a lot of his cricketing career to former Test star and now BCCI vice-president N. Shivlal Yadav.

Significantly, Wahab is more or less confined to coaching the State team and never gets the opportunity to work with the Indian team despite all his experience and proven expertise. “I don’t want to comment on things on which I don’t have any control. I am ready to accept any challenge and work with all sincerity. Right now, I am entrusted the job of Hyderabad women’s cricket and I am happy playing my bit in this regard,: he says with his typical no-nonsense attitude.

Not surprisingly, Wahab is hoping for Indian team to pull off a special performance in the T-20 World Cup in Bangladesh to give women’s cricket the much desired fillip in the days to come.

V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / March 17th, 2014

‘Technology Veda’ for visually-challenged students

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technology
A student of Danekula Engineering College explaining a few basic machines to visual impaired students at Vijaya Mery Integrated School in Vijayawada on Friday./ Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
A student of Danekula Engineering College explaining a few basic machines to visual impaired students at Vijaya Mery Integrated School in Vijayawada on Friday./ Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

Final year students of Dhanekula Institute of Engineering and Technology under the guidance of Professor T.V. Rao from Department of ECE organised a camp on machines functioning

For Anjusha, Ramya, Naga Chaturya and hundred other visually-challengedchildren of Vijaya Mary Integrated School for the Blind, it was a day of unique experience.

They had a feel of the machines such as gear box, motor engine and windmill that they have been studying.

The final year students of Dhanekula Institute of Engineering and Technology along with the members of US-based Global Business Incubation (GBI) organised a camp called ‘Technology Veda’, wherein models of different basic machines were showcased and their functioning was explained by the students.

Ramya studying in Std. IV said that she was excited to feel the working of the day and night sensor and the feel the contours of a gearwheel and piston of an engine. “We can’t see but we have learnt about their use and functioning and today we had feel of it, thanks to our friends from Dhanekula College,” she said. Ramya dreams to become a doctor and she is confident that by the time she grows up the Government will find a way to allow the challenged children to take up science courses.

The five-member team from the college comprising Md. Basheer (ECE), Abdul Rahman (Mech), D. Siva (Mech), A. Sindhu (CSE) and Md. Basheer (CSE) under the guidance of Professor T.V. Rao from the Department of ECE, created miniature models and had a field day explaining the visually-challenged.

We have participated in many technical festivals, but this was something different. The kids have a very sharp mind and their grasping power is twice the normal kid and we have decided to come at least once a week to engage with them, said an emotionally charged-up Sindhu.

K. Naga Chaturya went to the extent of not only documenting every bit of the workshop, but punch a vote of thanks for the student friends from the engineering college and a press note for the media persons. Prof. T.V. Rao said that the college will take up more such activities. GBI member Siddharth said that the programme was the brainchild of the GBI founder Gogineni Srinivas.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Vijayawada – March 01st, 2014

Mughal Emperors eyes medical tourists from Iraq

Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

The company is promoted by Yakub Habeebudin Tucy, the great grandson of last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Hyderabad-based Mughal Emperors Logistics Private Ltd is reaching out to Iraqi nationals interested in medical tourism in India.

The company, which is promoted by Yakub Habeebudin Tucy, the great grandson of last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, said it was also looking at Jordan and Palestine.

According to Tucy, the potential medical tourists from Iraq toIndia is 800-900 every year. While a less severe medical therapy costs around Rs 60,000 in Iraq, in India it costs Rs 15,000-20,000. The cities mostly preferred for therapies are Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.

On average, a medical tourist from Iraq stays for 20-25 days in India, while in some cases it’s around 60 days.

On the total Indians visiting Iraq annually, Tucy said more than 16,000 visit places of religious interest including the shrines of Abdul Qadir Gilani in Baghdad, Imam Hussain in Karbala and Imam Aliin Najaf. Some Indians also throng the ruins of Babylonia on the River Tigris.

Mughal Logistics is ferrying a batch comprising 100-120 individuals every two months to these holyplaces for the Muslim community.

It runs a seven and eight-day package for Indians travelling to Iraq, priced at Rs 65,000 and Rs 75,000 respectively.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by BS Reporter / Hyderabad – March 05th, 2014

Gitam students go innovative for fest

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Visakhapatnam :

Students of Gitam University have come up with innovative events for this year’s GUSAC Carnival to be hosted on the campus from March 6 to March 8. These include an ‘Author’s Workshop’ as part of the literary segment, a ‘Wizard’s Chess’ event that will see people take the place of pieces on a life-sized chess board as well as ‘Future Probe’ that will see participants choosing a topic and talking about how it would change over the next 100 years.

There are also a slew of fun events lined up like ‘Make a Friend’ where two strangers would be dumped into a ball pit and get to know each other as well as ‘Ad Dharma’ where students have to come up with ad concepts that they have to pitch to potential clients.
“One of the key features of this carnival would be the Author’s Workshop for which we have invited Durjoy Datta, one of India’s youngest and upcoming writers. The author will interact with over 500 participants from various schools and colleges and discuss the nitty-gritty of going about story writing. Apart from talking about the various genres involved, he would also shed light on what kind of stories would work in today’s India,” said Tenali Shyam, one of the main organisers of the literary fest.

Apart from the workshop, there will be side events like the Literary Kaleidoscope, whereparticipants would be divided into various groups to indulge in book reading sessions and debate on various works.

Another organiser A Revanth, elaborated on the Wizard’s Chess that could turn out to be a real eyeball catcher. “Just imagine playing chess Harry Potter style!! Actually it is slightly different, faster and will last just 20 minutes. Instead of pieces, you will actually see people on the chequered board that will move at the command of the king. It may not exactly be magical, but we hope it will turn out to be equally enchanting,” said Revanth.

Talking about the Future Probe, another organizer pointed out: “The participants will be given 10 different topics to choose from, ranging from climate change to electronics, politics, modes andmeans of transport and will be asked to predict how things might change after a 100 years. Of course, the participants will have to build a case study and logically elaborate. They cannot just randomly shoot in the dark.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Venkatesh Bayya, TNN / February 28th, 2014

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH : Tucked away amid the hills

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence
A view of Sriramnagar near Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam./ Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
A view of Sriramnagar near Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam./ Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

Sriramnagar near Gajuwaka is home to about 2,000 families

Once the breadwinners head out to their places of work and children to schools, life moves at a snail’s pace at Sriramnagar.

The colony, located near Gajuwaka, which stretches from Vadlapudi railway track to 100-ft. road near GVMC Zonal Office, seems to have a life of its own.

Surrounded by hills and temples of Lord Siva and goddesses Pydithalli, Nookalamma, and Kanaka Durga Devi, apart from a church, the colony is now home to 2,000 families living in absolute harmony. Several apartment blocks are coming up and the independent houses in the area look pretty old.

Area history

The history of the area dates back to 1980. Daily labourers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant made the hill area their dwelling place, putting together thatched houses. After a couple of years, the land was regularised by the government in a phased manner. However, the colony sprang to life much later when housing loans were made available to its residents.

Initially, the apartment culture was new to the colony. It was in 2007 that the first apartment block, Swarna Plaza, came into existence. Though the Sriramnagar Yuvajana Seva Sangham addresses the colony issues, the neighbourhood yearns for better maintenance.

“A few cement concrete (CC) roads were laid when the colony was under the Gajuwaka Municipality. Once it merged with the GVMC, there was no sign of progress in the area. Municipal water pipes and foundation stone for new CC roads were laid very recently,” says Pappu Sankara Rao, president of the sangham.

Colony residents say the weekly market caters to their kitchen requirement and that children spend time either watching television or reading books.

“With a majority of women in the colony being homemakers, the only way we keep ourselves occupied is through spiritual activities or catching up with the neighbours or viewing favourite TV channels,” says M. Kousalya.

With good spacing provided between houses, the residents enjoy natural light and breeze in abundance. And with each window of the apartment opening out to a magnificent view of the hills, the place seems to be apt for those who wish to lead a calm and peaceful life.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / Neighbourhood Watch / by Rani Devalla / Visakhapatnam – February 28th, 2014

Nizam’s Erstwhile Relic, Telangana’s Pride?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Nizam’s Lost Glory ?

Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar is on the test drive of John MorrisFire Engine, one of the priceless possessions of Indian Railways maintained at the National Rail Museum, before its participation in the 38th Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally to be held in New Delhi on 2nd March, 2014.

NizamsVintageHF13mar2014

This vintage FireEngine which was built by the famous Fire engineers M/S John Morris and Sons Ltd., Salfor, Manchester in 1914, completed 100 years of its existence this year (2014), coinciding the formation of Telangana, erstwhile Nizam’s state.

Will  Telangana also fight for its vintage and priceless proud possession, now that the new state is born?

(PIB)

source: http://www.microfinancemonitor.com / MF Monitor / Home / Thursday – March 13th, 2014