It’s wedding time for Adilabad adivasis

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

TribalsHF13apr2014

The two-month marriage season for adivasis in Adilabad has begun with the puja of goddess Inderai at Indervelli mandal head quarter village on Ugadi and the next day. All tribal villages where in marriages are scheduled will sport a festive look until the end of May.

As per their tradition, the Gond adivasis offer prayers to Goddess Inderai before undertaking marriages. The Inderai temple at Indervelli is visited by Gond families from Adilabad, Gudihatnoor, Indervelli, Narnoor, Jainoor, Sirpur (U) and Utnoor mandals and also from some places in Maharashtra.

Tribal families from other places have temples of Inderai at different places where they go to offer prayers on Ugadi. Prayers are offered seeking the well being of the families which will unite through marriages in the season.

The process of wedding actually starts around Diwali festival every year during the Ghusadi dance festivals. All betrothals take place at that time while the marriage is performed only after the harvesting of rabi crops.

Every year an estimated 500 marriages take place across the district and tribal marriage parties can be spotted moving in long lines of bullock carts. The traditional mode of travel however, is being discontinued as more and more marriage parties opting to travel in lorries these days.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by S Harpal Singh / Adiblabad – April 02nd, 2014

IPGI crop geneticists sequence peanut’s genome: ICRISAT

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

ICRISAT, a member of the Peanut Genome Consortium, today claimed that the International Peanut Genome Initiative (IPGI) has successfully sequenced the genome of the humble peanut.

City-headquartered ICRISAT is a member of the Peanut Genome Consortium, a multi-national group of crop geneticists working in co-operation for several years in the peanut genome sequencing project.

The new peanut genome sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in the breeding of more productive, more resilient peanut varieties, an ICRISAT statement said.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also called groundnut, is an important crop both commercially and nutritionally.

Globally, farmers tend about 24 million hectares of peanut each year, producing about 40 million tonnes. While the oil and protein rich legume is seen as a cash crop in the developed world, it remains an important sustenance crop in developing nations.

“Rich in protein and edible oil, peanut is central to the financial and nutritional well-being of hundreds of millions of farmers and consumers across the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa,” Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) William Dar said.

“Improving peanut varieties to be more drought, insect and disease resistant, using the genome sequence, can help farmers in developed nations produce more peanuts with fewer pesticides and other chemicals and help farmers in developing nations feed their families and build more-secure livelihoods,” Rajeev Varshney, Research Programme Director – Grain Legumes and Director, Center of Excellence in Genomics, ICRISAT.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Hyderabad – April 02nd, 2014

Wipro’s ‘AppThon 2014’ Challenges Young Technology Enthusiasts

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technology

 

Wipro Ltd. held its first application building competition – ‘Appthon’, for engineering students across Andhra Pradesh, providing them with a unique opportunity to showcase their technical prowess. The objective of the event was to offer young technology enthusiasts a platform to build futuristic applications for consumer and enterprise segments.13 teams from across Andhra Pradesh were shortlisted from the entries received to compete in this two day marathon contest – ‘Appthon’.

The teams, comprising of 4 students and a faculty member, from each college developed their applications based on one of the 3 themes – enterprise productivity, public safety &utilities and mobile grid based applications. Wipro assigned a mentor to each of the teams to provide assistance and guidance in the development of the applications. The winning teams were felicitated with a cash prize from the chief guest and industry veteran, J A Chowdary, Founding Director of STPI Bangalore & Hyderabad and Former Chairman of Hyderabad Software Exporters Association (HYSEA renamed to ITsAP).

Mr. Srinivas Rao, Head, Hyderabad Center, Wipro said, “We at Wipro are delighted by the innovative applications the students have developed in such a rapid manner. Through this contest, Wipro has strived to offer an inspiring opportunity to these smart minds to expand their horizons and create pioneering technology applications using structured methodologies and become industry ready. It also speaks volumes about the high quality talent that is locally available in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh.”

Winners

The winners for Wipro’s application building competition – AppThon2014 are:

They happen to be joint winners, scored almost the same

Team 1: Avengers

College: MVSR Engineering College
Team members:

– D Charith, K Siddhartha, D Vamsheedhar Reddy and Mohd Mehmood Ali

Application: Mobile Security Watch

Team 2: Ideacabin

College: GITAM University Visakhapatnam
Team members:

– Raghu Teja, Mohan PSNS, Anirudh Upadhyayula, T Auro Lakshman and Sourabh Bollapragada

Application: Conferencing App

Shares of WIPRO LTD. was last trading in BSE at Rs.565.2 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 560.5. The total number of shares traded during the day was 225827 in over 5698 trades.

The stock hit an intraday high of Rs. 572.4 and intraday low of 559.65. The net turnover during the day was Rs. 128283921.
Source: Equity Bulls

source: http://www,equitybulls.com / Equity Bulls / Home> Stock Report / April 02nd, 2014

Old books seldom die hard

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Blazing sunrays ripple through numerous books, mostly English-language titles, heaped on the road at Gandhi Nagar making canyons of books for human browsers to walk through. One could call it Abids version of Vijayawada. But with a little variation: Footpath book sellers display their collection not just on Sunday but also on working days at the little space available close to Hotel Ilapuram.

People reading books displayed by a street vendor on a footpath at Gandhi Nagar in Vijayawada.- Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
People reading books displayed by a street vendor on a footpath at Gandhi Nagar in Vijayawada.- Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

Few years ago, this avenue was a favorite hunting territory for bargains and out-of-print editions. Once bustling tribe of old book sellers has shrunk to about 10 book-sellers who do a tight rope walk every day to eke out livelihood. Some have left the profession looking for greener pastures and there are very few new entrants.

Rambabu, a sentinel of these vanishing treasures and survivor of a once flourishing tribe of footpath booksellers in the city, stands sweltering to dust the books now and then with his homemade duster. “I have been in this profession for more than 20 years. Even this hotel (Ilapuram) was not constructed when I made debut in this profession, Rambabu recalls.

People still love old books despite change in life styles. Yeah, there is a tendency that the demand for text books is more. But, the business is not that worse, he says, “But we still have a faithful clientele for rare and antique books, out-of-print editions.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by G. V.R.  Subba Rao / Vijayawada – April 02nd, 2014

Auction halls survive digital age

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

The Taluk Office Street in Gandhinagar is dotted with quite a few auction halls, which offer dining tables, wardrobes, cots, office tables, etc

In this digital age, when things are bought and sold at the click of a mouse over Internet, Gandhinagar in Vijayawada is still preferred by many to buy or sell pre-owned furniture.

The Taluk Office Street in Gandhinagar is dotted with quite a few auction halls, which offer dining tables, wardrobes, cots, office tables, etc but not through the traditional way of auctions.

Generally, employees, who get transferred to other places or those who arrive in the city, visit these halls for furniture. Businessmen, who plan to set up new store or those, who wish to discard old furniture zero in on auction halls, explains A. Anil Kumar of Sri Saikrishna Auction Hall.

People walk into the outlets and check out for the desired dining table or cot and if they are convinced of the quality and price, a deal is struck, of course after a lot of bargaining. No guarantee is extended on the products, he adds.

But why are these outlets called auction halls? A few years ago, outlet owners used to conduct auctions every Sunday at 5 p.m. in their respective outlet premises. When two or more customers desire for a particular product, then an auction was conducted and the one, who bids the higher price used to get it, replies T. Purna of Sri Srinivasa Auction Hall.

With the government insisting on licences to conduct auctions, the practice was done away. But that has not stopped people from coming to the area, though the number is declining over the years for different reasons.

With showrooms offering EMI options, most people from middle income groups are opting to buy furniture from them. People from low income groups still visit these outlets as they are confident of getting quality products at affordable prices, he says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by S. Sandeep Kumar / Vijayawada – April 08th, 2014

Hyderabad-born elected co-chair of Iowa Republican party

Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Hyderabad -born Indian-American businessman Gopal T.K. Krishna has been elected as co-chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa state, which has traditionally held the first caucus in presidential elections.

Krishna, a successful businessman with a background in electrical engineering, replaces Danny Carroll, who has been elected as chairman, according to an announcement by the party’s state central committee in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I have been, and am a Republican for all Republicans. The first three letters of my name are G-O-P. I ran because I don’t want to wait until the primary elections to promote unity,” he said after his election.

“I want to continue to increase our party’s voter registration advantage and participation in the forthcoming elections.

“I look forward to working with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to advance the Growth and Opportunity Project, work to reach out to minorities and bring new people into our Republican Party,” he said.

“As long as I am Co-Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, outreach to all minority communities will be a priority,” Krishna said.

Krishna, who immigrated to the US in 1969, has a long history of working for Republican causes and campaigns.

Krishna has been elected seven times to the Republican State Central Committee, including serving as Chair of the Budget and Organization Committees, the announcement noted.

Krishna is a graduate of the Methodist Boys’ Multipurpose Higher Secondary School in Hyderabad. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

After immigrating to the US, he received three masters degrees-Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Kansas in Lawrence, Master of Business Administration degree from Drake University in Des Moines, and Master of Science degree in Sanitary Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames city.

He is the founder and president of  Krishna Engineering  Consultants, Inc.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Diaspora / IANS / Washington – April 01st, 2014

British Airways’ dream launch

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
South Asia Regional Commercial Manager of British Airways Christopher Fordyce greets Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachachan during the launch of the British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Hyderabad on Monday. PHOTO: K_RAMESH BABU
South Asia Regional Commercial Manager of British Airways Christopher Fordyce greets Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachachan during the launch of the British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Hyderabad on Monday. PHOTO: K_RAMESH BABU

Boeing Dreamliner 787 to connect city with London. The Dreamliner landed at the Hyderabad International Airport from London early on Monday.

Coinciding with ‘Ugadi’, the British Airways launched the luxurious Boeing Dreamliner 787 connecting Hyderabad and London on Monday.

The Dreamliner landed at the Hyderabad International Airport from London early on Monday and the brand new aircraft was adorned with a plaque commemorating and honouring the Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachan.

“The collaboration signifies commitment, rich legacy and our success in the Indian market” said Christopher Fordyce, Regional Commercial Manager, British Airways, South Asia at a press conference here.

Enhanced comfort

Mr. Christopher said it was British Airways’ first Dreamliner to India, and customers travelling to and from Hyderabad will now get an opportunity to enjoy the all new luxurious and ultra-modern aircraft that promises enhanced comfort and reduced jet lag. He said more Indian film content is being added in all the British Airways aircrafts to India realising the huge market potential.

Mr. Christopher said India has emerged as the second largest market for the carrier after North America and has increased 40 per cent seats since last year. It has been operating in India for the last 85 years and as of now 48 flights are being operated per week connecting Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to London. He said British Airways has no plans to enter into alliance with any Indian airlines as of now.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 01st, 2014

Game developer strikes it rich

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

 

Yogesh Boppana, a second year engineering student of GITAM University, who has developed two games so far and recently bagged a plum job offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games./ The Hindu
Yogesh Boppana, a second year engineering student of GITAM University, who has developed two games so far and recently bagged a plum job offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games./ The Hindu

Yogesh Boppana (19),a second year engineering student of GITAM, has bagged an annual package of $ 360,000 (Rs 2.2 crore) from Canada-based Rockstar Games

Playing games may be fun, but for some developing them gives a different kind of kick. At the age of 19, Yogesh Boppana has not only designed and developed two games and but also bagged a plum offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games with an annual pay package of $ 360,000 (Rs 2.2 crore).

Passionate about game developing Boppana, second year engineering student of GITAM University, got initiated into the exciting world of gaming when he was in school. “I used to play all kinds of games and also keep a lookout for what’s the latest development in the gaming sector,” he says.

The young game developer’s first game was out when he was just 17 years old. Titled ‘Avoid Blades’ – it is a fun game suitable for any age group. “The game is simple and has unlimited levels in which the gamer has to protect rings from the blades to get the highest score,” he says. His second game ‘The Sky Fight’ was designed and developed in seven months.

Skill and creativity apart, game development has turned into serious business. Gaming across platforms (PC, mobile, social media, local networks) is set to grow exponentially over the next few years. India has 15 million social gamers at the moment and this is expected grow to 31.96 million by 2018, according to industry estimates.

Realising the potential of this growing sector, Boppana is now developing his third game which he says will be the “special highlight” of his works so far. A ‘story-based 3D game’, he plans to complete it by the fall of 2016. “The programming part is done but designing and developing the animation takes a lot of time. I am working on it now,” he adds.

Bopanna recently started his own enterprise called ‘YNations’ with a small young team. The team’s first project is on a unique product called ‘Digital Complaint Box’. “We have applied for patent for this. It is a gadget wherein complaints can be registered by the vocal medium as well,” says Bopanna.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – April 01st, 2014

Terrace cultivation catching up in Ongole

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
A housewife watering plants in her terrace garden in Ongole./ Photo: Kommuri Srinivas / The Hindu
A housewife watering plants in her terrace garden in Ongole./ Photo: Kommuri Srinivas / The Hindu

People urge the Horticulture Department to organise events to promote terrace cultivation among apartment owners

The city, which is in the hot race for location of capital for the successor State of Andhra Pradesh, is fast becoming a concrete jungle with mushrooming of apartments.

However, more and more people are taking to terrace cultivation putting to best use whatever little open space available with them on the terrace and on balconies to promote greenery and lead a healthier life as the apartment culture has come to stay.

Growing saplings on the terrace and on balconies of apartments can reduce carbon emission and air pollution, says Dr.Kona Radhakrishnamurthy, a retired professor from C.S.R. Sarma College here, while speaking to The Hindu.

“Growing saplings is like child rearing,’’ adds Dr Radhakrishnamurthy, Reader in Philsophy, who has turned his penthouse into a beautiful garden growing plants that could withstand moisture stress and seasonal plants including the most-loved jasmine.

“We can make our locality a better place to live in getting accustomed to new urban lifestyle,” says a housewife Santi who has taken to vegetable gardening in her apartment in a small way.

She has sown the seeds of change among other flat owners, who are equally fed up with ever-increasing cost of fruits and vegetables as also flowers.

Let more and more people join the bandwagon getting the thrill of growing plants to lead a better life in the given situation, adds a technocrat, M Srinivasa Rao getting tuned to the changing lifestyle. The Horticulture Department should organise events to promote terrace cultivation among apartment owners, they added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Ongole – April 02nd, 2014

New power plant in AP starts generation

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

The first unit of  Andhra Pradesh Government’s thermal power plant at Krishnapatnam in Nellore district has been synchronised with State power grid.

The first unit of Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (2×800 MW) at Krishnapatnam has been synchronised with AP power grid, power generation entity Apgenco said in a statement today.

During the initial operation of about two hours, the unit reached a maximum load of 55.6 MW, generating about 0.086 million units (MU) of energy, it said.

“Generation of 38 MU/day can be realised after both the units are commissioned,” the company said.

BHEL  and  L&T were the major contractors for the coal-based power plant, while Navayuga Engineering Company took up seawater related works, the statement added.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Hyderabad – April 01st, 2014