‘Utilise garbage to generate electricity’

Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Science & Technology

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A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asks people to take pledge to protect at least one water body in their lifetime

The enormous quantities of conventional waste generated in the country like garbage and fly ash, which is the result of India’s rapid growth story, should be utilised to restore environment rather than deteriorate it, observed former President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

“Effluents are released from millions of households; mounting garbage is a rich source of energy as the municipal waste can be used to generate electricity. The TIFAC (Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council) could convert garbage to fuel. India needs thousands of such power plants in small towns to generate electricity from garbage,” he said.

Mr. Kalam was addressing a gathering on Friday at a two-day national seminar on “100 years of Activated Sludge Process and its application to industrial wastewaters and CETP’s in India”. The seminar is being organised by Jeedimetla Effluent Treatment limited (JETL) in collaboration with Indian Environment Association on the occasion of silver jubilee of JETL.

No toxics in fly ash

Elaborating on the usage of fly ash, he said, “The dumping of fly ash should be avoided and there should be 100 per cent utilisation. Toxicology reports have said there is no toxic in the fly ash, but only nutrients.

Fly ash can be used in green building materials and this can also create employment. It can also be used as manure by the farmers.”

He appealed to each one of the audience to take a pledge to protect at least one water body in their lifetime.

He also appreciated the efforts of the JETL in effectively treating effluent waste.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – March 29th, 2014

Shivlal has quite a few firsts to be proud of

Sports

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At 57, Nandlal Shivlal Yadav has every reason to smile at his critics! For, he is now, literally, the ‘in-charge president’ (in his capacity as the senior-most vice-president from South Zone) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) taking care of day-to-day affairs while batting great Sunil Gavaskar as the BCCI interim president will look after the IPL-7 subjects after the Supreme Court orders on Friday. “It is a huge responsibility and I will try my best to live up to the expectations,” says Shivlal.

The previous highest post held by a Hyderabadi was by late Ghulam Ahmed as secretary of BCCI and Dr. M.V. Sridhar, GM (operations) BCCI. For this genteel Hyderabadi, there are quite a few firsts to be proud of. He happens to be the first player-president of the all-powerful BCCI, the first Hyderabadi to hold that prestigious post. Interestingly, the HCA here has an in-charge secretary in S. Venkateswaran even as his ‘mentor’ Shivlal is all set to hold the reins of BCCI till September this year.

Former India left-arm spinner and now Hyderabad coach Sunil B. Joshi puts it aptly: “When a cricketer becomes the president of BCCI, it always gives the cricketing fraternity a special feeling. I am sure Shiv bhai will do a great job given his experience and expertise.” A protégé of former HCA secretary and president M. Ranga Reddy, it was during Shivlal’s secretaryship the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium has come up. And with it, no doubt, large-scale allegations of misappropriation of funds too. In fact, an ACB enquiry is on and taking a final shape too. For the record, this very knowledgeable Hyderabadi was the EC member of the HCA between 1990-92, joint secretary from 1992-2000 and then secretary from 2000-08 and since then till now he continues to be the Vice-president.

But, the plain fact that Shivlal continues to be the ‘king maker’ in HCA to any group vying to grab power is a tribute to his efficacy in holding his flock together “He has the uncanny knack to be a decisive factor in any election,” feels former secretary D. S. Chalapathi. Interestingly, Shivlal made his Test debut under Sunil Gavaskar’s captaincy.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – March 28th, 2014

Hyderabad at LFW-SR-2014

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy
Ileana D’Cruz showcasing Anushree Reddy's work at Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2014. / Photo: PTI / The Hindu
Ileana D’Cruz showcasing Anushree Reddy’s work at Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2014. / Photo: PTI / The Hindu

An ode to the flower

Asmita Marwa took a departure from having actresses as showstoppers and instead roped in the spunky hairstylist Adhuna Akhtar who walked down the ramp in salmon pink net palazzo with pin detailing and satin silk cropped shirt. Asmita’s collection, titled Sensaina Tsuyo. The designer used Chanderi, Banaras and khadi for garments that were both structured like kimonos yet flowy. The colours ranged from pastels to earthy tones, were designed for resort wear, and included Chanderi shimmer palazzo and brown batik kimono wrap top, off-white khadi kimono cropped top with back slit, ecru long kurta shirt, white balloon skirt with shimmer sun and baby pink net jumbled sequins dress. The collection had something for men as well in the form of jersey samurai pants worn with Chanderi dip-dyed shirts and voile short sleeved kurtas teamed with black denims.

Ileana walks for Anushree Reddy

Anushree Reddy continued to explore the pastel palette this season as well, with her new collection at Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2014. The show began with singer Shibani Kashyap wearing a pink-white salwar with gold and silver appliqués designed by Anushree and ended with showstopper Ileana D’Cruz in a cream lehenga and peach-toned blouse with sequins and embroidery. The collection, titled The Tale of a Bow, used fabrics such as malkha, chanderi, kota, tulle, mulmul and satin and the garments included cropped blouses, lehengas, anarkalis, dresses, gowns, pants and cover-ups.

Mysterious bride

Who would have thought Kirron Kher could pull off a coy bride act with élan? The veteran actress did just that, while walking the ramp for Hyderabad designer Gaurang Shah’s collection ‘Chandbali’ at Lakmé Fashion Week. Gaurang’s show had music by Ashok Gurjale and the collection combined patterns of antique odhnas from Akbarnama with khadi, and presented a new take on bridal wear. Motifs like gow-mata, chand-suraj, Buddha-pada were combined with Chandbali-like embroidery. The designer used deep, vibrant hues and the silhouettes represented the jama, achkans, angarkha, sadri, shaluka, floor-length kalidaar and lehenga with assi kalis.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Fashion / PTI /  Hyderabad – March 17th, 2014

A shoe to help do away with the white stick

Education, Science & Technology
Visakhapatnam: 15/03/2014: I. Krishna Sai, a student of third year Industrial Engineering of GITAM University, explaining about his innovation of a shoe with sensors to visually challenged people in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, March 15, 2014. ---/ The Hindu
Visakhapatnam: 15/03/2014: I. Krishna Sai, a student of third year Industrial Engineering of GITAM University, explaining about his innovation of a shoe with sensors to visually challenged people in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, March 15, 2014. —/ The Hindu

Visually challenged individuals may soon be able to enjoy a free-spirited walk without having to rely on the white stick if a young inventor’s patent for a shoe with sensors gets accepted. Krishna Sai Inkoolu, third year student of Industrial Engineering at GITAM University, has designed a shoe which has a sensor range of 2 cm to 3.5 m. The sensor detects presence of any obstacle in front of the shoe and alerts the user by giving a tap. “The sensor is placed at the weld point of the shoe, which identifies the obstacle and gives a tap on the arch of the shoe,” says Sai, who worked on the project for two years before applying for patent at Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks.

First of its kind

A similar concept was designed by Secunderabad-based Ducere Technologies called ‘Lechal’, a brand of interactive footwear, that uses a smartphone GPS (global positional system) app. But Sai claims that the use of micro-electronics and sensors in designing a shoe is a first of its kind.

With the help of micro-electronics, the entire circuit is placed in the shoe socket, which has a connection with the weld point where the sensor is placed. The shoe works on a rechargeable battery and in this case, there is no need to use a smartphone. But while a white stick can seldom go wrong, what if the sensor fails? How will the visually challenged individual cope in such a situation? Sai has an answer to that. “No product is 100 per cent fool proof. And in this case it is particularly critical to know if the shoe sensor has stopped working. I have embedded a mistake-proofing device in the shoe to detect any errors. If the sensor fails, it will give alarm sounds to alert the wearer,” says Sai.

The idea to design a shoe for the visually challenged first occurred to Sai during his first year engineering course while he was working on a project on a shoe that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy and has a capacity to recharge cell phones while walking. “After working on the technical part for six months, I realised that a shoe can be designed with simple modifications using the same principles,” he adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – March 17th, 2014

Aerobatics show keeps spectators spellbound

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

It was a role play that Hyderabad is unlikely to forget soon. With the sky as the stage and Mark Jefferies’ mean machines as actors, the aerobatic show on Day 1 of the India Aviation-2014, which opened to business delegates on Wednesday, was a runaway hit. So was the special appearance made by the glamorous Airbus A380 from the Emirates’ fleet. Together, the two ensured that the five-day event took off to a magnificent start.

Though the tension among the spectators on ground was palpable all through the 15-minute display, during which the two pilots swirled and somersaulted their aircraft in mid-air, the crowd broke into a thunderous applause soon after the curtains came down on the matinee. The reactions were much the same during the repeat telecast later in the day. “It was breathtaking,” said one of the spectators, echoing the common sentiment among the gathering which stared awe-struck at the sky, which the two pilots turned into their playground. The Jefferies’ pilots are scheduled to display this act twice a day till the end of the event.

As for the gorgeous double-decker A380 – standing over 24 metres high with a wing span of nearly 80 metres – it had onlookers at hello. Right from the time the huge ‘bird’ made its royal landing at the Begumpet airport, every participant was overheard discussing the red and white beauty. More so after taking a tour of its interiors that reeked of opulence, comfort and class. Even the sprawling economy class of the 517-seater, that has 14 extra-luxurious first class suites, appeared to be in a league way ahead of its competitors. “We are glad that the A380 has been authorized for flying in India. It is great news both for airline operators and travellers in the country,” said an Airbus spokesperson, while leading a group of delegates through the aircraft, which also has two lavish shower spas for its ‘high-flying’ clients.

“Our customers in India are eager to try the A380 services and we have worked closely with the Indian authorities to make this possible. We will be reviewing our existing operations and look forward to serving Indian travellers with our flagship aircraft in the near future,” said Majid Al Mualla, divisional senior vice president, commercial operations – centre, Emirates.

Meanwhile, the mood among business delegates, who converged at the venue on Wednesday, seemed to be upbeat with many hoping to strike a few deals by the end of the event. “The aviation industry has been down in the dumps over the past two-three years. Now, things are starting to look up again. The Boeing-SpiceJet deal is an example of that. So we are optimistic,” said a participant at the exhibition hall, which like the last time had a corner dedicated to the history of aviation.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / March 13th, 2014

Indian scientist gets Order of Merit from German government

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Eminent Indian scientist Prof Seyed E Hasnain has bagged the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Germany. He served as the founder-director of Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) and vice-chancellor of University of Hyderabad.

The award has conferred on Prof Hasnain in recognition of his contribution to Indo-German relations. The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was instituted in 1951 by Federal President Theodor Heuss. It is the only honour that is awarded in all fields of endeavour and is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation.

German Ambassador to India, H E Michael Steiner, conferred the prestigious ‘Bundesverdienstkreuz’ on Prof. Seyed Hasnain at the German Embassy in India, says a statement from the University of Hyderabad on Thursday. Prof. Hasnain is a renowned microbiologist especially acclaimed for his path-breaking research on tuberculosis. He paved the way for the office of the German Research Foundation in India, which is one of the key forums for scientific cooperation between Germany and India. During his stay at the Robert Koch-Institute in Berlin and the University of Wurzburg, he produced remarkable research results in microbiology.

Prof. Hasnain has almost all major Indian Science Awards to his credit: GD Birla Award, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, FICCI Award, J.C. Bose National Fellow Award, Ranbaxy Research Award, Goyal Award, Bhasin Award and several others. He is the first Indian elected member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and one of the youngest to be elected Fellow of TWAS, Trieste, Italy. Internationally, Prof. Hasnain is a recipient of the prestigious Humboldt Research Prize, awarded by the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation, Germany; as well as the very exclusive Robert Koch Fellowship, of the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Akbar, TNN / March 13th, 2014

Turkish delights

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion
A cold mezze platter./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
A cold mezze platter./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

The Turkish food festival at Park Hyatt offers a lot more than the staple doner kebab

The connection between Hyderabad and Turkey goes back a few centuries; Alauddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty which ruled the state in the 14th century was of Turkic origin, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah who founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty too was of the same ethnicity, Princess Durre Shehvar, wife of Azam Jah, the eldest son of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad is the daughter of the last Caliph of Turkey and more recently, Princess Esra, wife of Prince Mukarram Jah too hails from the country.

Surprisingly, while Hyderabad still retains much of the Mughlai and Iranian influence when it comes to culinary matters, Turkish food still remains quite different in flavour, ingredients and in technique. Moreover, while Mediterranean food is quite popular in the city, the fare is restricted to Lebanese, Greek and Italian, with the latter being present in almost every restaurant. So we head, all excited, to the Turkish food festival at The Dining Room in Park Hyatt with Turkish chef Turgut Tonbol from the Grand Hyatt in Istanbul. We sit down with the chef, who hails from Bolu, a province which he informs us is a region known for its contribution to Turkish culinary heritage.

“Turkish food mainly consists of the cold mezze and grilled or boiled meat,” he informs us, “but we also have a lot of broad beans, chickpeas and lots of soups in the diet.” Hyderabadis are no strangers to the cold mezze platter which has become a staple in many multi-cuisine and continental restaurants but the platter offered by Chef Tonbol has more than the usual Hummus and Tzatziki. The most interesting of these is the vine leaves, stuffed with rice, nuts and spices doused in olive oil. The platter also contains a simple preparation with broad beans and a mild chilli sauce. The freshly baked pita bread goes well with all or any of these accompaniments.

The cold mezze includes mainly vegetarian dishes. “In Turkey, we don’t have meat for mezze. It is only vegetables,” points out Chef Tonbol who says that the festival includes at least one dish from all the different culinary traditions in Turkey.

Chef Turgut Tonbol./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
Chef Turgut Tonbol./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

Ask Chef Tonbol what his favourite dish of the afternoon is and he doesn’t think too much before naming the Shrimp Guvec, a mild stew spiced with chilli and herbs. He also suggests the Chicken Sheesh, a grilled meat dish very similar to our own kebabs, except it is marinated with a special Turkish red chilli, a milder version of the Indian chilli. “It is more similar to Kashmiri chilli which is bright in colour but less spicy in taste,” he informs adding jokingly that to eat Indian food, you “must be a strong man” to be able to take the level of spice. “The Yayla soup, a yoghurt based soup with mint, rice and egg is also a uniquely Turkish dish and a must try.”

Desserts include the favourite Baklava, a Turkish rice pudding and Turkish pumpkin, a simple but fresh and tasty dessert of sweetened pumpkin and cream cheese. But whatever you may pick for the main course, Chef Tonbol advises that you don’t leave without savouring the Turkish coffee accompanied by Turkish delights. The strong black coffee is a must after a meal, “for the gossip sessions”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / by Zeenab Aneez / Hyderabad – March 13th, 2014

Amplifon India launches advanced hearing care clinic at Vijayawada in AP

Science & Technology

Hearing care solution provider ‘Amplifon India’ has launched state-of-the-art hearing care clinic at Vijayawada city in Andhra Pradesh.

Spread over an area of approximately 650 square feet the newly launched clinic at Vijayawada is equipped with advanced diagnostics infrastructure which constitutes a furnished setup for all types of audiology tests, sound proof hearing test, patient counselling, hearing aid trial and fitting services. Along with this it also offers sufficient space and all the departments are monitored by CCTV cameras round the clock.  Apart from this the clinic also offers pure tone audiometry test, impedance audiometry, special tests, Oto acoustic emission test, hearing aid trial, speech therapy and free hearing screening.

The testing lab is laden with the latest equipment capable of performing multiple tests for speech and hearing. The testing lab also accommodates a bed for testing ‘Audiometry Brain-stem Responses’ in infants and instruments for middle ear analyzing for all age groups.

Established in the year 2010, Amplifon India is renowned for its international quality standards in hearing care solutions. In addition to this new facility in Vijayawada, Amplifon clinics are spread in 26 cities across India.

So far Amplifon has established 94 clinics in different states including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi.

At present Amplifon has set up 3 centres one each in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and now in Vijayawada.

Hearing loss is the third leading chronic disability following arthritis and hypertension. 9 out of every 10 children who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear. About 1 in 800 babies is born deaf, often because of genetic factors.  According to WHO 50 per cent of the factors that lead to hearing loss can be prevented.

Approximately one-third of the people over 65 years of age are affected by disabling hearing loss in India. With this new launch Amplifon India is all set to bridge the gap of healthcare in the hearing loss segment.

source: http://www.pharmabiz.com / PharmaBiz.com / Home> News> Hospitals & Clinics  / by Pharmabiz Bureau , Hyderabad / Friday – March 14th, 2014

Will to fight poverty: Hyderabad girl makes it to ‘Forbes 30 under 30 list’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

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Hyderabad:

Twenty-six-year-old Svetha Janumpalli didn’t go to “Stanford or any of the big schools”. Neither was she born with a silver spoon. Her father from Jadcherla, a small town in Mahbubnagar district, went to the US on a scholarship while her mother, who’s from Gadwal, studied only till Class VI.

“My father moved to the US in the ’70s, but the department he was studying in closed down; so he set up a repair business to earn a living. My mother used to work for an insurance company, and when my father’s profits were negative, my mother supported the family. We are three sisters and I was pretty young at that time. But we used to joke that we would get new jeans only during holidays,” says Svetha, who was born in the US.

Mentioned in the annual lists of ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ social entrepreneurs, PartyCorps, Changemakers and the Clinton Global Initiative (2012), here is Svetha, years later, heading an organisation that the international press states is the “the world’s favourite anti-poverty device”.

And that device, where one “can save a child for the cost of a pair of shoe” is called New Incentives. Founded by Svetha at 23, it is a non-profit organisation dedicated to Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) — poor women are given money to visit HIV clinics or children are given money to go to schools.
As an experiment, Svetha moved to Nigeria two weeks back to prove that this model can work in a country that needs it the most. More than three million people living in Nigeria are affected with AIDS and one out of three mothers transmits this virus to their child. “So I am here for a year. And if the model works successfully, it will be easier to replicate it in other countries, including India.”
Svetha had set up the organisation in San Francisco after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2008. Till date, her organisation has been able to help around 400 mothers and their families and she hopes to take the number to 1000. “There are   free clinics in Nigeria, but when the time spent by a woman at a clinic results in her losing money, why would she come to the clinic? And that’s where the CCT model helps.”
Svetha travelled to India with her mother frequently till 2009, and it was during one of these visits that she came across drastic poverty levels. “The idea to start New Incentives came after the realisation that there are many in India who have resources and if divided well, they can be used to help the poor.” She had tested the pilot projects in a few villages in Andhra Pradesh.
Svetha is not sure where she will be heading to after Nigeria. “My fiancé is from Nepal and he might want to stay there after marriage. I love India and San Francisco, so I am not sure where I’ll be staying next”.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC / by Anusha Dhiman / March 22nd, 2014

Vizag women boxers make a mark

Sports
The team of boxers - Sarjubala, M. Venkatesh, Monica Saun, N. Swapnapriya and A. Punyavathi of Waltair Division of East Coast Railway -- who won medals at the recent All India Railway Annual Boxing Championship held in Agra, posing for a photograph in Visakhapatnam /. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
The team of boxers – Sarjubala, M. Venkatesh, Monica Saun, N. Swapnapriya and A. Punyavathi of Waltair Division of East Coast Railway — who won medals at the recent All India Railway Annual Boxing Championship held in Agra, posing for a photograph in Visakhapatnam /. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

Bag medals at All India Railway Boxing Championship

Boxing, hitherto regarded as a macho sport, is gaining popularity among women in Visakhapatnam. There are quite a few boxers in the city who have proved their mettle at national and international competitions and bagged gold, silver, and bronze medals and brought laurels to the city.

Four women boxers of Waltair Division, two from the city and one each from Uttarakhand and Manipur, have bagged medals at the 68th Men and 7th Women All India Railway Boxing Championship-2014 that concluded on March 8 at Agra.

The girls exuded confidence as they recalled how the sport helped them in securing a job and in their career.

Monica Saum of Uttarakhand draws inspiration from her father, an Army boxer.

Though her brother is doing MBBS, she took up boxing just to prove that girls are second to none in any field.

“Women need to be encouraged to take up this sport,” she says and advises girls to come out of their shells. Apart from being a means of self-defence, medals will give them an advantage over others in securing jobs.

She already has five gold medals – four at the junior-level and one at the senior-level – besides a silver medal at the Asian Championship in Mongolia.

N. Swapna Priya of Vizag, who won a gold medal at Agra, developed a passion for the sport after watching it at the Afro Asia Games. She got a job in the Railways in 2007 under the sports quota and there was no looking back for her ever since. Punyavathi of Vizag won a silver medal in the Agra championships.

Sarjubala of Manipur, who won a bronze at Agra, had bagged two gold medals in the Chennai Nationals and two gold and two silver medals at the junior-level in the past.

Ch. Adinarayana and Sundu Rao bagged silver medals, while M. Venkatesh bagged a bronze at Agra. Sundu Rao plans to open a boxing club at the Railway Stadium to train aspirants from the city.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by B. Madhu Gopal / Visakhapatnam – March 14th, 2014