Nalgonda district sanctioned 42 model schools

Education

Komatireddy Prateek Reddy Memorial Foundation to finance construction of college buildings

Forty-two model schools have been sanctioned for Nalgonda district to be built at a cost of Rs.125 crore, Secondary Education Minister K. Parthasarathi disclosed here on Saturday.

He was addressing a public meeting at Government Junior College for Boys after laying the foundation for two buildings to locate the institution as also the vocational college to be financed by the Komatireddy Prateek Reddy Memorial Foundation, floated by Nalgonda MLA K.Venkat Reddy in memory of his son.

The Minister stated that the government had set apart Rs.3,000 crore this year for primary education. He denied that efforts were on to stop fee reimbursement and scholarships for students.

He lauded the Prateek Reddy Foundation’s plan to finance to the extent of 25 per cent construction of government college buildings at Yadagirigutta, Nakrekal, Bhoodan Pochampalli and Samsthan Narayanpur.

Mr. Parthasarathi described Prateek Reddy’s death as ‘unfortunate’ and said it was painful for his good friend Mr. Venkat Reddy to lose a son at a time when parents take pride in seeing their wards grow and come up in life.

Breaks down

Mr. Venkat Reddy, who looked depressed at the meeting, broke down while speaking. He said the foundation would introduce three ambulances on February 15 to be launched by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and take up road safety awareness.

Bhongir MP K. Rajagopal Reddy, who presided, Nalgonda MP G. Sukender Reddy, Nakrekal MLA Ch. Lingaiah, Collector N. Mukteswara Rao, who were among the speakers, urged Mr. Venkat Reddy to overcome his grief and resume his political activity. They noted with happiness that the foundation would provide assistance to poor students.

  • Prateek Reddy Foundation to finance 25 p.c. of construction costs of college buildings
  • Foundation to introduce three ambulances on Feb. 15 to be launched by N. Kiran Kumar Reddy
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  • source: http://www.TheHindu.com / National> Andhra Pradesh / by Correspondent / Nalgonda, February 05th, 2012

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    Dr Reddy’s posts 88% jump in Q3 net profit to Rs 513 cr

    Business & Economy, Science & Technology

    Hyderabad:


    Pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Friday reported a whopping 88 percent growth in consolidated net profit to Rs 513 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2011, on the back of robust Olanzapine sales in the USA.

    The company had posted a net profit of Rs 273.14 crore for the third quarter of the previous fiscal.

    The Hyderabad-based firm’s net income from sales and services rose to Rs 2,769 crore in the third quarter ended December 31, 2011, from Rs 1,899 crore in the same period last fiscal, translating into 46 percent growth, said DRL Managing Director and COO K Satish Reddy.

    “It has been one of the best quarters we have ever had, both in terms of sales as well as profits. It is because of the exclusivity we had on the drug Olanzapine 20 mg, which we launched in October last year in the US market,” Reddy told reporters in a press conference.

    He said revenues from the North American market grew by 120 percent to Rs 1,283 crore from Rs 582 crore in the same quarter last fiscal, with Olanzapine contributing USD 99 million to overall North American revenues.

    Reddy said the USA growth story may continue in this quarter and next quarter as well, as the exclusivity of Olanzapine will continue.

    “At least for the next six months, important launches are coming up and this will continue to drive the growth for the USA market. This quarter also has the benefit of Olanzapine exclusivity. With several good new launches, USA is looking like a good story,” Reddy hoped.

    Olanzapine is used to treat psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Annual sales of  Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa (Olanzapine) amount to around USD 3.2 billion in the US, based on IMS sales data.

    According to Reddy, the strong volume growth in North America was supported by key products such as Lansoprazole, Tacrolimus, Omeprazole Mg OTC and products from its Shreveport facility in USA, besides the launch of Fondaparinux and expansion of its antibiotics portfolio.

    Revenues from Russia and India witnessed a growth of 15 and 16 percent, respectively, to Rs 332 crore and Rs 419 crore in the third quarter of FY’12.

    India sales growth was driven by new product launches such as Stamlo, Reditux, Omez-D and Razo.

    PTI

    source: http://www.ZeeNews.com / Home> News> Companies / Friday, February 03rd, 2012

    IndiaFirst partners with Varun Motors to offer affordable life insurance cover for car buyers

    Business & Economy

    New Delhi:

    Indian private sector life insurer IndiaFirst Life Insurance has launched an easy process of getting a life insurance cover at affordable cost known as AutoLife for car buyers in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh-based state auto dealer Varun Motors.

    Under the agreement between the two parties, the insurance company will first offer bulk insurance to Varun Motors as the master policyholder, IndiaFirst Life Insurance said in a statement.

    The vehicle dealer will then distribute the life cover with every purchase of a vehicle, the statement said.

    This insurance product does not require any documentation, medicals or waiting period and assures speedy settlement of claims within 48 hours, the statement added.

    “Today we are witnessing two quite distinct yet obvious trends — one in the automobile industry and another in life insurance. Both these industries while may seem to be non-related to each other, offer an interesting possibility for synergy,” IndiaFirst Life Insurance Managing Director and CEO P Nandagopal said in the statement.

    IndiaFirst Life Insurance is a joint venture between two Indian public sector banks, Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank and the United Kingdom-based risk, wealth and investment company Legal & General. While Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank hold 44% and 30% stake, respectively, in the company, the British firm has 26% holding.

    source: http://www.banking.contify.com/ Monday, January 30th, 2012

    Changing Culture

    Nri's / Pio's, Sports, , , , , , , , , ,

     

    By Glenn Nelson
    HoopGurlz

     

    Sophia Bhasin’s father played cricket, which is to India what soccer is to nearly every other country in the world, save the U.S. Still, he learned to embrace the new game his daughter picked up in America.

    And obviously so has she.

    Sophia Bhasin didn’t move to the U.S. permanently until she was 8. She didn’t start playing basketball until the seventh grade. But she certainly has become conversant in it.

    Born in Punjab, in northern India, Bhasin has become fluent with the term “triple double,” for example. She has produced seven straight of them for Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.), heading into its game Tuesday night against Rialto (Calif.). During that stretch, she had four straight games with 33, 45, 39 and 38 points.

    Glenn Nelson/ESPN.com

    Shilpa Tummala, whose parents are from India, overcame cultural inhibitions to become the No. 68 prospect in 2012 and a Harvard recruit.

    “I knew I had to step up,” said Bhasin, a Sikh who maintains dual citizenship in the U.S. and India. She did because Angelica Guardado, the team’s 5-foot-10 “post,” good for 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for Cajon’s 29-2 team last season, suffered an ACL tear in December.

    Bhasin’s backcourt mate, 5-5 Dejaunee Brooks, also has stepped forward, averaging a triple-double with 12.6 points, 10.9 assists and 10.4 rebounds. And, oh by the way, coach Mark Lehman has collected his 600th career varsity coaching victory during this magical 19-3 season for Cajon.

    Basketball is not completely alien to India. The country, for example, sent a team to the FIBA 3×3 girls’ tournament in Rimini, Italy, last September. However, there are longstanding beliefs in Asian countries such as India that girls are not to participate so publicly in sports. It’s been a slow road from the mentality on display in “Bend It Like Beckham,” the 2002 film in which Punjabi Sikh parents fight their daughter’s interest in soccer.

    If this year represents a cultural transformation to “Shake It Like Shaq,” Bhasin has company in the vanguard. Shilpa Tummala of St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Ariz.), which is No. 1 in the POWERADE FAB 50, was born in Phoenix, but her parents are Hindus from Andhra Pradesh in South India.

    “Honestly, it wasn’t very common for an Indian girl to be so actively involved in sports,” Tummala said via email. “The fact that I played basketball competitively and devoted so much of my time to basketball shocked many people in my community.”

    Tummala’s devotion to basketball was such that she was ranked the No. 68 prospect in 2012 by ESPN HoopGurlz. That led to her signing to play for Harvard, an ultimate prize for a culture that so stresses academics.

    “I do have family back in India,” Tummala said. “And yes, most of them know that I am going to play basketball in college. They seem to enjoy the fact that I am going to Harvard next year to play basketball. But, I believe, the ‘Harvard’ part is what really excites them as they don’t know much about my basketball career in America.”

    Both Tummala and Bhasin have fathers who became active supporters of their basketball pursuits. Bhasin’s twin brother, Ranjit, was who dragged her into the sport. She became a quick study, mastering for example the advanced skill of creating jump shots off the dribble, an attribute that is the foundation of her 25.2-point scoring average this season.

    Like Tummala, Bhasin has earned a Division I scholarship, also on the East Coast, to Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y.

    “I’m trying a new adventure,” she said of her looming career at LIU.

    Or continuing one.

    Bhasin said she is occasionally asked about her background and frequently is confused for being Mexican, which is not far-fetched for a region that is some 60 percent Latino. But she and Tummala are not as much curiosities to outsiders as much as they are to their own ethnic communities.

    They both even were fascinated by the existence of each other.

    “I think it is awesome that there is another Indian girl playing basketball out there,” Tummala said. “Sports is such a great way to stay active, develop lifelong friendships and learn valuable life lessons. It makes me very proud to know that people of my culture are allowing their children to participate at a high level of competitive athletics. It is not very common, like I said, so the fact that they are opening their minds to the positive aspects of sports makes me very happy. To be honest, outside of my older brother, I don’t know of any other Indians who play competitive basketball.”

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    Glenn Nelson is a senior writer at ESPN.com and the founder of HoopGurlz.com. A graduate of Seattle University and Columbia University, he formerly coached girls’ club basketball, was a co-founder and editor-in-chief of an online sports network, authored a basketball book for kids, has had his photography displayed at the Smithsonian Institute, and was a longtime, national-award-winning newspaper columnist and writer. He can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com.

    source: http://www.espn.go.com / Basketball / by Glenn Nelson, HoopGurlz / originally published, February 01st, 2012

    Kalam asks experts in medicine to develop new technology

    Science & Technology, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    A. P. J. Abdul Kalam , the former President of India inagurating the VICTUS Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery Machine installed at the Maxivision in Hyderabad on Tuesday.Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

    Former President inaugurates laser surgery machine at Maxivision Eye Care

    Former President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam said here on Tuesday that the country’s best talent in the field of medicine should strive to develop innovative technology so that the needy could afford the fruits of modern medicine. On Tuesday, Dr. Kalam inaugurated VICTUS Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery machine at Maxivision Eye Care, Somajiguda.

    “I call upon the Maxivision eye surgeons to form a team of experts who can explore the multidimensional uses of Femtosecond laser in treating various eye ailments. We need to utilise the technology and help people who can’t afford modern medical care,” Dr. Kalam said.

    The former President said that the multiple applications of the Femtosecond laser would help doctors treat a host of eye ailments.

    Immediately after the inauguration, the renowned nuclear scientist also interacted with the eye surgeons of Maxivision and enquired about the newly acquired laser surgery machine.

    The officials of Maxivision said that the new machine had been under test from November 2010.

    Already, the eye surgeons had completed close to 450 eye surgeries by using the new laser machine. The surgeons pointed out that not a single case had reported complications after the surgery.

    The VICTUS platform, essentially, helped doctors conduct cataract, refractive and therapeutic procedures of the eye on a single platform. The laser machine would help surgeons perform computer controlled precise, accurate and reproducible incisions compared to current manual procedures. The success rate for such surgery was 100 per cent, doctors added.

    “This is the first such laser machine in the World and I would like to congratulate Maxivision for this accomplishment,” founder and chairman of GVK, G. V. K. Reddy said.

    Chairman of L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Dr. G. N. Rao, Founder of Maxivision Eye Hospitals, Dr. Kasu Prasad Reddy, Film Producer D. Ramanaidu and several other doctors were present.

    source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff  Reporter / Hyderabad, February 01st, 2012

     

    3 more ITIs soon in north Andhra region

    Business & Economy

    Government is in the process of setting up three more industrial training institutes in north coastal Andhra Pradesh to ensure better technical education and employment opportunities to eligible youth.

    Government is in the process of setting up three more industrial training institutes in north coastal Andhra Pradesh to ensure better technical education and employment opportunities to eligible youth.

    It is learnt that the Chief Minister, Mr N.Kiran Kumar Reddy, is keen to complete the work as part of his efforts to fulfill his earlier promise of providing employment opportunities to 15 lakh unemployed youth across the state in the next three years under his brainchild programme, Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu.

    The departments concerned have already sent proposals to their higher-ups to set up institutes with advanced equipment and qualified faculty to meet the demands of aspirants as well as manpower needs of mushrooming industries in the developing Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.

    According to the deputy director of technical education and employment for Visakhapatnam reg-ion, Mr J.V. Prabhakara Rao, the new training institutes were proposed to be set up at Pydibheem-avaram in Srikakulam, Bhogapuram in Viziana-garam and Achyuthap-uram in Visakhapatnam district. All the proposed areas are located on national highway 16, and are focal points for the existing industries in the three districts.

    The minister for tribal welfare, Mr P. Balaraju, is also making efforts to ext-end technical education to tribal youth and proposing that government set up three more such institutes under the Paderu division of the ITDA.

    source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Regions> Visakhapatnam / by DC Correspondent / January 31st, 2012

    Dance is beyond male and female

    Arts, Culture & Entertainment

    Bhubaneswar:

    How often does one get to see a male dancer presenting a traditional temple dance performed for centuries by women? Not often.

    But when Kala Krishna performed Andhra Natyam in the city last week during the 5th Debaprasad Samman cultural festival, he did set the stage on fire. Such grace and feminity marked the performance that not for a moment the audience felt the difference. And when they realised, they were so overpowered by the performance that they could only ask for more in approbation.

    A line for the uninitiated, Andhra Natyam is a temple dance of Andhra Pradesh. The dance form has a beauty of its own which comes with some of the earthiness, the ruggedness of the traditional folk forms.

    Kala Krishna began his performance with ‘pushpanjali’ in the style of temple rituals. This item was usually performed by Deva Nartakeeda or Devadasis in front of Gods. This was followed by ‘Kaivaram’ in praise of Lord Madhava. The dancer followed it with ‘Navajanardhana Parijatham’ in which he gave an insight into the feminine contradictions of Satyabhama, all melting love one moment for her beloved Lord Krishna and the next an avenging angel brandishing her plait as a whip to beat him with.

    So spontaneous were the presentations of this 60-year-old artiste that the audience refused to believe that a man was staging the character of a woman. Andhra Pradesh-based Kala Krishna is one of the very few dancers in the Andhra Natyam tradition who specialises in stree vesham (female impersonation), particularly performing as Satyabhama.

    A native of Kallepalli, a village in the district of Karimnagar, Kala Krishna was born to a simple farmer couple. While pursuing studies in Bejadanki, Kala Krishna also took part in cultural programmes and always showed a keen interest towards other art forms. An exposure to classical dance came when young Kala Krishna was taken to see Kuchipudi veteran Vedantam Satyanarayana (1967) while on a school trip. Following elder brother’s suggestion, he decided to support his family as a school teacher in Hyderabad where he also shaped the school’s cultural shows.

    At the suggestion of a colleague, 22-year old Kala Krishna began to learn Kuchipudi from Vedantam Jagannatha Sharma, who soon left the city, but not before introducing the youngster to scholar and dance revivalist late Nataraj Ramakrishna who was instrumental in reviving the near-forgotten Andhra Natyam dance form. “My training in Andhra Natyam began at the age of 22. It was difficult for both me and my Guru who gave me intensive training of 12 to 15 hours every day to mould my body to the dance form,” he says.

    Under Ramakrishna, he specialised in ‘Navajanardana Parijatam’, traditionally performed over nine nights in the temples of East Godavari district, based on the life of Lord Krishna and his consort Satyabhama. Made up as the young, beautiful Satyabhama, Kala Krishna began to enthral the audience by dancing the ‘Navajanardana Parijatam’ in 1979. “My debut performance was in the age of 24. The journey since then has been difficult yet amazing,” says Kala Krishna.

    Today, Kala Krishna does perform in male attire as well but is best known for his female impersonation. Did he feel odd about donning a woman’s costume for Andhra Natyam? “Dance is beyond male and female. I simply followed my guru’s orders. Yes, I did feel uncomfortable in a sari. It took me sometime to respond, for my blood to support me in feeling like a woman. Today, I see it more like an acting,” he says.

    With research grants from the Ministry of Culture and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kala Krishna has also undertaken a comparative analysis of Andhra Natyam and Bharatanatyam, and studied Abhinaya techniques in female impersonation. The recipient of many awards, he teaches the dance form at the Telugu University and the University of Hyderabad.

    source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / South> Southern News> Orissa / Express News Service / The New Indian Express / January 31st, 2012

    The 150-yr-old Naan makers of Hyderabad’s Charminar

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

    Hyderabad:

    It was a dish synonymous with the common Hyderabadi’s palate for the last two centuries — soft baked maida with an earthen smell of the tandoor, best accompanied with gracious servings of lamb chops and rich gravy. Any wonder then that 150 years on, the makers of Mughal Naan continue to do brisk business. Their new age patrons who make this possible come from all walks of life – businessmen, corporates and the ubiquitous tourists of Charminar-all eager to buy the naan in bulk.

    And lined up in a row along the Purani Haveli Road, the shops from where these naans come alive have undergone very little interior changes, even as the exteriors spot bright display boards, calling attention to the recipe being prepared inside. “My forefathers had set up shop first near the Charminar Chowk around 200 years ago. But we shifted to this lane some 150 years ago. We are the sixth generation of naan makers in our family,” says Abbas whose Abbasi Naan Shop spots the byline ‘Heritage Shop’ outside.

    A day in the life of these naan makers starts at six in the morning or much earlier, depending on the order for the day and goes up to nine at night. “A major part of our sales is through orders for corporates, or marriage functions. So work timing is irregular, though on an average we work for 2-3 hours at a stretch before taking a break of equal duration,” he explains.

    Each of the half-a-dozen shops here sell close to 3000 naan every day, of which the square variety costing Rs 8 per piece is the favourite among buyers. That’s equal to a cool Rs 24,000 in sales per day, for the staff comprising four workers who handle the tandoor, two men for packaging and two family members who help oversee the delivery and tandoor.

    “We also have five other different shapes such as star, heart, flower etc. The rate depends on which shape the customer prefers,” chips in a worker at the nearby Hussaini Naan Shop.  The tandoor, which occupies place of pride at these shops, can accommodate 42 rotis at any given point of time, and according to Abbas, “It takes just 3-4 minutes for one batch to be made.”

    The Mughal roti is made with maida, oil and a dash of salt, and the recipe has passed on without change over years. Ask them the reason for the same and the response is as heritage as the naan itself, “We haven’t improvised or brought in our own additions yet. Our customers want us to retain the authentic taste of the naan. And we give them just that.”

    source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / South> Andhra Pradesh> Hyderabad / Express News Service / The New Indian Express / January 31st, 2012

     

    Global Engagement Fund Awards

    Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

    The Office of the Provost announces 17 awards from the Global Engagement Fund. This Fund is designed primarily to support projects that collaborate across Schools and disciplines; involve multiple faculty members; engage regions in which Penn has active academic partnerships and collaborative ventures, such as China and India; or represent academic and thematic priorities, such as sustainability or neuroscience.

    Proposals were reviewed by a faculty committee according to criteria of scholarly merit and significance for global research, teaching, and service. The 17 awards encompass 11 of Penn’s 12 Schools and involve engagement with at least 15 countries outside the US.

    Proposals for the next round of funding are due March 2, 2012. The Call for Proposals can be found here.

    The Fall 2011 Global Engagement Fund Awards are:

    Student Activities and Courses

    • Michael Knoll (Law), research seminar on contemporary Islamic finance
    • Carol Muller (SAS), expansion of study abroad program in Grahamstown, South Africa
    • Monroe Price (ASC), seminar on methods of monitoring and evaluation in international development

    Research Projects and Collaborations

    • Linda Aiken (SON), collaboration with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven on the impact of nursing on patient outcomes in sixteen countries
    • Charles Branas (PSOM), expansion of Penn’s engagement in Guatemala
    • Alison Buttenheim (SON), research on the use of incentives to increase participation in Chagas disease control programs
    • Femida Handy (SP2), research on philanthropy in India
    • Michael Levy (PSOM), collaboration with Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and Peru Ministry of Health on control of Chagas disease in Arequipa, Peru
    • Rahul Mangharam (SEAS), collaboration with NIIT University in India on design and development of new machine-to-machine communication protocols
    • Daniel Raff (Wharton), research on the history of the Beijing housing market, 1644-1948

    Conferences

    • Eugenie L. Birch (Design), David Galligan (Vet Med), Mauro Guillen (Wharton), Frederick Scatena (SAS), Marilyn Sommers(SON), Brian Spooner (SAS), Susan Wachter (Wharton), Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World
    • Cherie Kagan (SEAS), Controlling Matter at the Nanoscale
    • Richard Leventhal (SAS), Evaluating the Past, Present, and Future of UNESCO’s Cultural Policy Program

    Distinguished Visiting Scholars

    • Daud Ali (SAS), hosting Prof. R.V.S. Sundaram, from the University of Mysore, to teach Indian language and literature
    • James Ferguson (Vet Med), hosting Profs. Yao Junhu and Jun Luo, from Northwest A&F University, and Prof. Y. Ramana Reddy, from the College of Veterinary Science in Hyderabad, to work with faculty in the Center for Animal Health and Productivity on methods of sustainable ruminant production
    • John Jackson (ASC/SAS), hosting Prof. Tudor Parfitt, from the University of London, a leading interdisciplinary scholar of Africana, African, and Jewish Studies
    • Charlie Johnson (SAS), hosting Prof. Yung Woo Park, from Seoul National University, an expert in nano-bio hybrid structures.

    source: http://www.upenn.com / University of Pennsylvania / Vol. 58, No. 19 / January 24th, 2012

     

    Puttaparthi girl from Oz gets sponsorship for water project

    Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nature, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

    Saideepa Kumar grew up in the little town of Puttaparthi in the Anantapur district in the Rayalaseema region of the state, where water is very scarce. Ten years later, studying for a Master’s in water management in Australia, Ms Kumar has decided to do her research in the same region, where farmers face a constant water crisis. She gave up her career in IT to follow her heart and apply the knowledge gained in Australia to help farmers in her home district.

    “After having worked in the IT sector, I quit my job and enrolled for a Master’s course in water management and undertook my research project in India,” she says, adding that her research study is a joint venture between the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Hyderabad and the University of Melbourne.

    Ms Kumar’ research has been funded by the Australian Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Award. Australia has also witnessed severe drought-like conditions in the past one decade which led them to develop innovative ways to manage scarce water resources. “The study suggest solutions for efficient water use of canal system to address both drought and water logging situations by uniform distribution of water,” said an official.

    The study focuses on the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC) commissioned in 2004 to provide canal water to drought-prone areas around Nandyal in the Rayalaseema region, which has scanty rain and over-exploitation of ground water. Though the canal system initially helped farmers, it also threw up new problems, as the study shows.

    source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Hyderabad / DC / January 23rd, 2012