Hands-on with robots, to improve basics

Education, Science & Technology
Children learning the basics of robotics at the Academy of Robotics in Visakhapatnam on Saturday./ Photo: by Arrangement / The Hindu
Children learning the basics of robotics at the Academy of Robotics in Visakhapatnam on Saturday./ Photo: by Arrangement / The Hindu

Growing awareness is encouraging, say experts

Imagine a chair that could fly and take you to school, or a smartphone that doubles up as your TV or AC remote!

All this is possible in the world of robotics.

With quite a few summer camps on robotics springing up in the city, parents are gradually warming up to the concept of practical learning, and there has been a growing awareness about it.

“Most children have high curiosity element for any toy or gadget. They like to dismantle it and see what is inside. But at home, they are stopped from doing so. The idea of robotics workshops is to nurture the curiosity in a child and nourish their own methodology of creation,” said M. Srikanth, director and national head, Academy of Robotics.

The academy has a two-week and a four-week programme for children of six years and above. By building and programming robots, the students explore fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer programming.

The concept of reverse engineering is used widely in these summer camps, wherein the learning time is shortened considerably.

“This is because you are working on a prototype, instead of the real model,” Srikanth added.

The academy has branches all across India, including two in the city and three in Hyderabad.

It also offers one month to three months programme for engineering students.

The growing inclination towards the concept of robotics has seen young B.Tech graduates launching their own firms in the city.

V. Naresh, who launched his academy called Megarobotics Technology this year, has already tied up with six schools for conducting summer camps.

Closing gap

Interestingly, the gender ratio in a robotics class, which used to be largely skewed towards boys not so long ago, is today seeing a balanced mix with many girls coming forward to explore the world of robotics.

While the market for robotics in India is yet to mature up to the levels of western countries, where the emphasis is far more on practical learning than theory, industry experts feel that the growth in awareness for robotics is an encouraging sign. “The challenge is to shift the emphasis to practical learning, which today is largely absent in most engineering colleges in the country,” said Srikanth.

According to industry estimates, the Indian robotics industry is worth approximately $750 million and is expected to double over the next three years.

This year, the Academy of Robotics has tied-up with JNTU, GITAM University, and some other colleges to offer training.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatanam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – April 06th, 2014

Promoting children’s theatre in Hyderabad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
All smiles: The cast and crew of the play Amma Cheppina Katha which was performed on Thursday
All smiles: The cast and crew of the play Amma Cheppina Katha which was performed on Thursday

On the World Theatre Day for Children and Young People (March 20), Popcorn Theatre staged their first play, Amma Cheppina Katha (stories narrated by a mother), at Golden Threshold. The play was presented by the Theatre Outreach Unit of University of Hyderabad, who are trying to enrich Telugu theatre in the state.

The director of the play, Thiruveer, says that this was a perfect day to launch his theatre group as they plan to promote theatre for children in the future. He says, “You will not find many directors in Hyderabad who want to work for children’s theatre so I decided to take an initiative and direct plays for children,” said 25-year old Thiruveer, who is pursuing his M.Phil from Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.

Amma Cheppina Katha was a play based on the book Annadana Phalamu Katha (The results of donating food). The play talks about the reward one gets when he or she donates food to the needy. Children from Rainbow Home, a shelter home for underprivileged, attended the play and were seen enjoying it. After the play when the children were asked for their feedback, Geeta, a seventh standard student pointed out that the cast should have avoided the usage of English words in between, like “thank you” and “address” and the whole play should have been in Telugu alone.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Books/Art / DC / Neha Jha / March 24th, 2014

Legendary playback singer honoured

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Visakhapatnam :

Legendary playback singer and movie artist Rao Bala Saraswathi Devi was honoured at Kalabharathi here on Sunday. The artiste’s first song ‘Thinne Meedha Sinnoda’ in 1943 was one of the first instances of playback singing in the history of Telugu cinema. The legendary singer continued for almost two decades more and she is still remembered for her melodious lullabies and sand songs.

Bala Saraswathi, who received the Ugadi Puraskara from the founders of the Seetha Ramaih Sangeetha Seva Trust, Velicheti Seetharamiah and Sujatha, thanked members of the trust for rendering some numbers she had sung almost seven decades ago. The troupe went on to render many of her later hits, including the numbers from Chenchu Lakshmi and Peeli Sandadi. Rao Bala Saraswathi noted that playback singing had undergone major changes over the last seven decades and added that she was delighted to witness these changes over the years.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / March 24th, 2014

From Araku, the aroma wafts across global frontiers

Business & Economy, World Opinion
Winners of best the Biodynamic Coffee Growing Villages interacting with Chief Sustainability Officer of the Naandi Foundation David Hogg at Gems of Araku Festival 2014 organised at Thuraiguda in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday./ Photo: K. R. Deepak / The Hindu
Winners of best the Biodynamic Coffee Growing Villages interacting with Chief Sustainability Officer of the Naandi Foundation David Hogg at Gems of Araku Festival 2014 organised at Thuraiguda in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday./ Photo: K. R. Deepak / The Hindu

Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and Japan, among others, keen on a deal on the coffee of the valley

This scenic locale that is a popular tourist destination is on the international map for one more reason – coffee.

The coffee Arabica from Araku is set to sell at Rs. 450-500 per kilo. The premium coffee is grown by the 12,000 small and marginal tribal coffee farmers of the valley and the world’s coffee guzzling nations including Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and Japan are keen on striking a deal on the produce this year.

Making the world know the existence of Araku Arabica and having it appreciated for its unique taste and flavour is the Araku Originals Limited floated by the Naandi Foundation. AOL is marketing the idea and the coffee by bringing in the discerning international buyers to the Araku Valley to see the cultivation and interact with the farmers.

On the other hand the international recognition has boosted the morale of the farmers who are taking pride in their produce and are willing to walk that extra mile to ensure quality.

What makes the coffee cultivated by the members of Small and Marginal Tribal Coffee Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society in the Valley so unique is the biodynamic cultivation process that avoids use of chemicals, SAMTCFMACS president Killo Kondal Rao of Thuraiguda says.

Competition

The Naandi Foundation, in association with the Mahindra & Mahindra, organised a competition — Gems of Araku 2014 — to recognise and award the best biodynamic farmer and the best biodynamic farming village.

The competition has been designed with an aim to encourage the farmers to adopt the best practices and maintain the quality that is sought after in the international markets, says Chief Sustainability Officer of Naandi Foundation David Hogg.

On Wednesday Rajeev Dubey of the Mahindra & Mahindra along with the CEO of Naandi Foundation in the presence of a number of international coffee buyers gave away the awards to the Best Biodynamic Farmer Janni Budho of Ganjaiguda village, runner-up G. Anantaram of K. Bodapat village; Best Biodynamic Village to K. Bodapat village and runner-up to Ganjaiguda village at a function organised at the Coffee Processing Unit of the SAMTCFMACS at Thuraiguda near here.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by G. S. Subrahmanyam / Araku Valley (Visakhapatnam District) – March 20th, 2014

SPDCL to be largest Discom in State

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

It is likely to be split into two companies post-bifurcation

The Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) is all set to become the largest power distribution company in the State, with the number of its operational circles touching eight as a consequence of the bifurcation, according to sources in the government.

A provision to this effect has been made in the A.P. Reorganisation Act, but SPDCL has not yet received guidelines on reassigning two Rayalaseema districts to it.

However, the company may be eventually split into two. One of them will have Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore circles under it, and the other will have Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool.

At present, SPDCL manages Guntur, Kadapa, Nellore, Ongole, Tirupati and Vijayawada circles to which Anantapur and Kurnool (now in CPDCL) will be added as they come under Seemandhra. CPDCL will be left with Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, Medak and Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy circles after the ‘reassignment’ (of Anantapur and Kurnool to SPDCL) is completed.

Except that the merger of Anantapur and Kurnool will expand the operational jurisdiction of SPDCL, it will be of no benefit as it does not involve creation of any additional infrastructure at the moment. However, there will be proportionate reallocation of manpower on the basis of numbers of operational circles and posts in the Southern and Central Discoms.

SPDCL currently caters to a population of more than 2.25 crore, and it has nearly 57.50 lakh domestic and 44 lakh non-domestic and commercial connections. The number of low tension services stands at about 71 lakh and high tension nearly 3,000. The existing State of Andhra Pradesh has four Discoms – SPDCL, CPDCL, NPDCL and EPDCL based in Tirupati, Hyderabad, Warangal and Visakhapatnam respectively. NPDCL covers Adilabad, Karimnagar, Kha-mmam, Nizamabad and Warangal circles and EPDCL caters to Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East and West Godavari circles.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by V. Raghavendra / Vijayawada – March 20th, 2014

Dr Nageshwar chased a killer, honored ‘Good Citizens Award’

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion
Allergy specialist Dr Nageshwar | File photo DC
Allergy specialist Dr Nageshwar | File photo DC

Dr Vyakarnam Nageshwar has been named for this year’s Good Citizens Award by the Cyberabad Police.

The allergy expert from Warangal won the salute because last week, he chased a truck driver from the National Highway down into the fields and handed him over to the Ghatkesar police. The driver had been speeding away after knocking down a kid, who was crossing a road in Nalgonda.

Even after bagging the honour, Dr Nageshwar doesn’t underplay the laxity showed by the cops. “I held the driver hostage for 40 minutes. I dialled the control room so many times. But every single time, I had to repeat myself. Then I called up the Cyberabad police commissioner and they sprang into action.”

But this isn’t the first time that the owner of Aswini Hospitals in Warangal rose up to the occasion. Or, yelled at the authorities.

In 2006, when 300 medical students of the Pondicherry Central University, including himself, were not issued certificates after seven months of their results, he shot a letter to then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. In two weeks, he got the certificate, had the Vice- Chancellor transferred and registrar sacked.

Four years later, he brought a Delhi-bound train to a halt mid-way. Because the AC in his bogey wasn’t working.

The 39-year-old, who also runs a clinic in Hyderabad and visits it every two weeks, has endless such tales to his credit. He says, “When we buy a car, we make every effort to keep it safe and running. Because we own it. Similarly, I am a citizen of India, I own my country. If there’s something wrong with my country, I will fight for it. Just saying ‘I love my nation’ isn’t enough.”

Besides honours from the state, Dr Nageshwar has also received a note of blessings sent personally by the Pope Benedict XVL from Vatican City for attending 5,000-plus cases of HIV+patients at St. Joseph’s Care Centre while he was still studying. He is also the first doctor in the state to enter the Guinness Book of Records for rendering medical services to 1.6 lakh patients for a philanthropic cause in the year 2009.

Quite naturally, political parties have been following his works. In the past, the vigilante doctor has had offers from many parties. But he’s refused them all. “I want people to know that power doesn’t come by joining a party. You can make a difference even as a common man,” says Dr Nageshwar.

source: http://www.decccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Crime / by DC / Barkha Kumari / March 25th, 2014

18 projects of RGUKT selected for NASA contest

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Students of RGUKT Nuzvid IIIT discussing on the space settlement projects, which were selected in NASA Contest. / The Hindu
Students of RGUKT Nuzvid IIIT discussing on the space settlement projects, which were selected in NASA Contest. / The Hindu

Budding engineers prepare projects on journey to space, different modes of transportation, facilities and space settlement

Eighteen projects designed by students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Nuzvid International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), have been selected in the NASA Ames Space Settlement Design Contest – 2014.

The budding engineers prepared projects on journey to space, different modes of transportation, facilities and space settlement. About 57 students designed the projects, which would be presented at the 33rd Annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC), to be held in Log Angles, USA, from May 14 to 18, Nuzvid IIIT Director Ibrahim Khan told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Feather in the cap

“The achievement of the students reflects their interest in space technology and it is a feather in the cap of RGUKT. Last year 13 projects got selected, and this year 18 projects designed by IIIT students of Krishna district have been selected for ISDC,” said Prof. Ibrahim Khan.

Mentor in English and guide for the projects Saleem Babu said the projects selected were Al-Hasa, Aakasha, Minerva, Anthena, Ranimer, Eingana, Incredible Invaders, Ark, Tito, Prathisarga, Aarohi, Nithya, Chandrahas, Organo, Volos and Mapshn and others. The projects were designed by pre-university students, he said.

“We designed a project titled ‘Incredible Invaders’, which aims at creating a new society on space. I along with four other students – G. Lalitha, D. Malathi, M. Lahari and Sk. Rizwana – prepared the project, which bagged second prize in Grade-12,” said Sk. Ruksana, a native of Vijayawada.

Four other pre-university students prepared a project ‘Ark’, which got literary merit second prize. The mission explains how to make a successful journey despite facing hurdles and create a wonderful society in space.

“We created transportation to space by using solar energy, arranged communication between earth and space with tabs, and provided online shopping and banking in space,” said V. Pothana Kavya, who designed ‘Ark’, along with P. Anju, T. Suteja and V. Likitha Sirisha.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Staff Reporter / Guntur – March 25th, 2014

Eight acclaimed literary works set to see light

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, World Opinion
The cover page of the commentary on Sri Krishna Devaraya’s work ‘Amuktamalyada’, brought out by SVU Oriental Research Institute, which is ready for release./ The Hindu
The cover page of the commentary on Sri Krishna Devaraya’s work ‘Amuktamalyada’, brought out by SVU Oriental Research Institute, which is ready for release./ The Hindu

SVU Vice-Chancellor and others to release the books today

Exactly 15 months after the government gave nod to its publication at the 4th World Telugu Conference in Tirupati, the eight acclaimed literary works are set to see light.

It was with great pomp that the mammoth literary carnival was held in the temple city, where ambitious measures were announced by the government to promote Telugu not only in the literary realms, but also in official communication.

As part of this, the Department of Culture gave the Herculean task of publishing eight works to Sri Venkateswara University’s Oriental Research Institute (ORI).

“It was a prestigious offer and we did our best to make them attractive,” ORI director V. Venkataramana Reddy says with a grin.

‘Amuktamalyada’ authored by Sri Krishnadevaraya, emperor of Vijayanagara dynasty, is a mesmerising literary masterpiece on which there are two commentaries viz., ‘Thatparya Bodhini Vyakhya’ by Gudipati Venkata Kavi and ‘Mahateeka’ by Gattupalli Srinivasa Kavi.

The other publications ready for release are ‘Nrusimha Puranam’ by Kotikalapudi Kodandarama Kavi, ‘Pattabhirama Vilasam’ by Panditharadhya Nagalinga Kavi, ‘Narapingala Sakuna Sastram’ by Appana Siddhanti, ‘Kalyanaraja Charitramu’ by Krishtipati Venkatasubba Kavi, ‘Goulisastra Vishayamu’ by N.S. Sundareswara Rao and ‘Bhanu Kalyanamu’ by Chandrasekhara Kavi.

Though the books were very much ready for publishing some six months ago, the delay in release has been attributed to the Samaikyandhra agitation.

SVU vice-chancellor W. Rajendra, rector M.A.K. Sukumar and registrar K. Satyavelu Reddy will release the books after Ugadi celebrations to be held on the campus on Monday.

What can be a better occasion than the Telugu New Year’s day to release the literary gems!

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Tirupati – March 31st, 2014

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Tirupati – March 31st, 2014

National symposium held at MITS

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technology

A day-long national-level technical symposium Mechonance’14 was organised by Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science (MITS) here on Saturday.

Interacting with students, JNTU Anantapur Vice-Chancellor K. Lal Kishore advised the participants to hone their technical skills along with interpersonal and interpretative skills. “Students are the future and they should work towards the development of the country. They should also be in touch with the latest technologies to keep a track of advancements in the field,” he added.

Prof. Kishore later visited the Project Expo organised by MITS mechanical department and appreciated their efforts. Principal K. Sreenivasa Reddy, Head C. Yuvaraj, programme convener G. Harinath Gowd, Deans M. Raja Reddy (Academics), B. Venkata Raman (R&D) and others took part.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Tirupati – March 29th, 2014

Tungabhadra ferry ride saves cost, time

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment
Self-driven boats ferrying people across Tungabhadra river near Kurnool. / The Hindu
Self-driven boats ferrying people across Tungabhadra river near Kurnool. / The Hindu

The driverless boat service across Tungabhadra River near Kurnool ferries around 2,000 people daily for a charge of Rs. 5 per head.

The residents of E. Tandrapadu, Pulatota, Gondiparla, Basavapuram, Bairapuram and Doddipadu arrive in the city every morning to attend to jobs or eke out a living as hawkers and vendors. Five families of traditional fishermen arranged the boat service. The boats are fastened to a rope so that basket boats do not drift away because of the current.

Majority of the commuters prefer a boat ride to save cost and travel time. By ferrying across the river, the public reach the city in 15 minutes while road journey for a distance of 15 km takes more than half an hour.

The commuters travel to the city for less than half the cost. A cash collection counter is established on the bank where a clerk allows riders into the boat after collecting Rs. 5 and after getting into the boat, one of the passengers rows it by pulling the rope.

The two-way boats transport nearly 40 passengers at a time. Most of the passengers said they were well-versed with driving the boat. However, the boat service is suspended during floods.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Kurnool – March 29th, 2014