Monthly Archives: August 2015

Alumni Vow to Bring Back Glory of School

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Srikakulam : 

It was time to recall the good old days and catch up with friends for alumni of the 159-year-old NTR High School here Sunday. In a bid to save the institution from fading into history and revive its past glory, the alumni of the school had a meeting on the Friendship Day.

The alumni felt that their alma mater became a victim of corporate education with imposing buildings and land grabbers eyeing the valuable property. The old students decided to join hands to revive their school’s past glory by providing corporate-type education.

District collector Lakshmi Narasimham was the chief guest of the meet. He lauded the resolution taken by the old students, who had already become senior citizens. The collector promised to extend all help from his side and provide all facilities from the government side. He appreciated the alumni for coming forward to develop the school.

The NTR High School was established on Dec 7, 1856. Some of its students became IAS and IPS officers and some others became noted personalities in India. Poet and Kathanilayam founder Kalipatnam Ramarao, actor Raavi Kondala Rao, KV Somayajulu, sports person Khasim Khan and Chilukuri Narayana Rao were some of its students.

Reminiscing, the 90-year-old Govinda Rao, an alumnus, said the school had a hoary past. He vowed to fight back if the school was diverted or demolished. Another alumnus Govind Srinivasa Raman expressed anguish that the present rulers had brought the school to the current status. Retired drawing teacher Ramalingeswara Rao recalled that he had studied and worked in the school. Along with him there were 67 teachers who worked and studied in the school. He regretted that the school strength has come down to 200 now.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / August 03rd,  2015

Andhra Pradesh man appointed BITS Pilani Vice-Chancellor

Education, Leaders, Science & Technology
V. Sambasiva Rao
V. Sambasiva Rao
Guntur:
Prof. V. Sambasiva Rao, native of Tullur in the new capital region in Guntur district, has been appointed as the acting vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani. Prof. Sambasiva Rao, an alumunus of BITS Pilani, took the charge on Friday.
Born in Tullur, Mr Sambasiva Rao completed his primary education at Tullur. He completed intermediate and degree from Andhra Christian College at Guntur. Later, he joined BITS Pilani and completed M. Sc (Chemistry) and joined there as a faculty.
Prof Sambasiva Rao said that he has been associated with BITS Pilani for over four decades in various capacities such as dean of Practice School, deputy director, off campus programmes and director, BITS  Pilani, Hyderabad campus. Besides obtaining a Ph. D from BITS Pilani, he obtained a certificate on Educational Economics and Research from  University of Bielfeld, Germany.
Prof. Sambasiva Rao recalled that as a Director, he established BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad campus in a sprawling 200 acres of land making it fully residential that accommodates 3,200 students and 160 faculty members.
He expressed happiness over the inclusion of his birth place in the new capital region of AP and expressed hope that Tullur will emerge as a world class capital.
The residents of Tullur who don’t know much about Prof. Sambasiva Rao due to the migration of his family years ago, are now inquiring about him and expressing happiness over his taking charge as the VC of the prestigious institution.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs /  Deccan Chronicle / August 02nd, 2015

Over 120 start-ups take roots in A.P.

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

IT Minister to inaugurate incubation tower in Tirupati on Aug. 5

Close to a year after the launch of AP Innovation and Start Up policy, Andhra Pradesh is taking steady and firm steps towards becoming the breeding State for start up companies in the IT and IT enabled services and allied sectors.

With the two incubator towers in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada in place with reputed pilot incubators in charge, the third incubator tower in Tirupati will be inaugurated by IT Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy on August 5.

In Visakhapatnam incubator tower at Rishikonda built by APIIC started functioning in December, 2014 under the guidance of Kochi based pilot incubator Mob Mee Start Up village which pioneered the start-up concept.

In the last six months, 115 start-up companies have come up working on mobile applications and innovative product development ideas.

The mandate of the empanelled incubators is to promote the culture of innovation among the start-up units while the State is looking at creating world class eco-system and lay strong foundation to make a mark in IT product development, department sources said.

Recently Intel and C-Dac organised training programmes for the start-ups in Visakhapatnam working on ideas and products related to their domain expertise.

The government has also been extending some financial assistance to the pilot incubator on behalf of each start-up unit for organising training programmes and promoting the products and ideas once they reach a certain stage of development to attract venture capitalist and angel investors.

Of 50,000 sft space in the Vizag incubator tower, Mob Mee has taken up 15,000 sft while Govind Capital, Singapore based pilot incubator recently acquired 2,500 sft and has now six start-ups working in the facility. The Vizag facility is named as Technology, Research and Innovation Park.

The IT Department will have another five floor tower to be named Millennium Tower with three lakh sft space that will come up in a four-acre land adjacent to the Rishikonda incubation tower. The first two floors will be for start-up units and the rest of three floors will be allotted for companies.

In Kakinada where the incubation tower was inaugurated on June 30, the Bhubaneswar based private pilot incubator KIIT-TBI, already brought in 25 start-up companies.

A start-up unit comprising fresh and final year engineering graduates will take on an average of one-and-a-half year to two years to work on their product and idea before it attracts the attention of venture capitalists and angel investors, sources said.

IT Minister to inaugurate incubation tower in Tirupati on Aug. 5

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – August 01st, 2015