Category Archives: Records, All

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

GHIAL bags Assocham CSR excellence award

Business & Economy, Records, All

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), the operating company of Hyderabad’s  Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has bagged Assocham’s  CSR excellence award.

The award for 2013-14 recognises “outstanding corporate social responsible” activities undertaken by the company. The selection jury is chaired by former chief justice of India V.N Khare, said a statement by GHIAL.

“The award is indeed an honour and reflects our best of efforts and spirit in giving back to the society. As a responsible corporate citizen, GHIAL has been displaying a committed endeavour and a concerted approach in taking CSR activities to the threshold of the target communities,” said GHIAL CEO S.G.K. Kishore.

“The award reaffirms our mission to become a sustainable and responsible organisation,” he added.

source: http://www.business-standarad.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Business-Economy / by IANS / Hyderabad – March 23rd, 2014

India must raise its knowledge capital, says economist R. Radhakrishna

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All
R. Radhakrishna, economist and Chairman and Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies. / The Hindu

R. Radhakrishna, economist and Chairman and Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies. / The Hindu

“India’s contribution to world knowledge creation is about three per cent, while China’s share has risen from one per cent to over 10 per cent in the last few decades.”

New Delhi :  

Since basic research is a public good, government funding for basic research is important, said R. Radhakrishna, economist and Chairman and Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.

Radhakrishna was speaking during his inaugural address as chief guest at an international conference on Applied Econometrics. The conference was organised by Hyderabad-based ICFAI Business School (IBS) in collaboration with Delhi’s The Indian Econometric Society.

Citing the famous welfare economist Arthur Cecil Pigou, Radhakrishna said that all research is either fruit-bearing, as in the case of applied research, or light-bearing, as in the case of basic research.

Capital for growth

In his address on scientific and statistical methods, Radhakrishna, who is also former Chairman of the National Statistical Commission, spoke about how the accumulation of knowledge is as important as the accumulation of capital for economic growth and development.

He said that the share of India’s contribution to world knowledge creation is about three per cent today, while China’s share has risen from one per cent to over 10 per cent in the last few decades. This has important implications on economic growth and stability.

Thus, the country needs to focus on research and development even more.

Over seventy academicians and scholars from reputed institutes and universities across the country participated in the conference.

Technical sessions were conducted in Financial Economics, Industrial Economics, Development Economics, International Economics and Monetary Economics.

Session chairs and presenters of technical papers included researchers from International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi; Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune; Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani; Indian Institutes of Technology at Kanpur, Kharagpur and Hyderabad; Central Universities of Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad; Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; University of Mumbai; Institute of Public Enterprises, Hyderabad and many others.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home / by The Hindu Bureau / New Delhi – March 23rd, 2014

30 knee replacements held at Srikara

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

Srikara Hospitals, Secunderabad claimed to have conducted 30 knee replacement surgeries on 20 patients on March 12. Of these 20 patients, 10 underwent replacement surgeries for both the knees while the remaining underwent surgeries for one knee each.

Knee replacement surgeon Dr. Akhil Dadi said the patients requested for surgeries on the day because it was an ‘auspicious’ day and fee was not charged.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / March 19th, 2014

Osmania Medical College team wins Hyderabad round

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

UnionBankHF30mar2014

Hyderabad :

A team from the Osmania Medical College pipped five other short-listed teams at the regional round of Cerebrations, The Hindu Business Line Corporate Quiz 2014, held here on Tuesday.

The winning duo, brothers Syed Murtuza Hashmi and Syed Mustafa Hashmi, first and fourth-year students at the medical college, took early lead and managed to retain it, with the team from Reckitt Benckiser coming a close second and Sai Constructions at the third place.

Of the 20 teams that took part in the quiz, six were short-listed after they fielded a general elimination round of 25 questions.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News  / The Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad – March 18th, 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

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

ShvethaHF25mar2014

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

Sahitya Puraskar for Nalimela Bhaskar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Noted poet Nalimela Bhaskar, who can write and speak in 14 Indian languages, has been selected for the Kendra Sahitya Puraskar (National Literary Award) for translating the Malayalam novel ‘Smaraka Silagal’ into Telugu as ‘Smaraka Silalu’ in 2010. It is the story of souls narrating their woes to each other at a burial ground.

The award, to be presented to Bhaskar soon, carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Bhaskar (58), who hails from a tiny village called Narayanpur in Karimnagar district, told Express here on Tuesday that he got interested in literature when he was studying in IX class and he used to read books in the local Srirama library. He was working as a lecturer in a dregree college, from which job he was forced to seek voluntary retirement due to ill health in 2011.

He said he would like to dedicate his award to the state and people of Telangana. He added that the award should inspire young poets and writers in the state.

Bhaskar is the second person in the state to have won the award in the translation category. In the past, former prime minister PV Narsimha Rao received the award for translating the Telugu novel ‘Veyyi Padugalu’ written by Vishwanatha Satyanarayana into Hindi as ‘Sahasraphan’. Earlier, he had also received the Telugu Academy Award  in the literature category.  Bhasker, who has got Ph.Ds in Malayalm, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada, has 17 literary works like novels, poetries and songs and ‘Telangana Padakosham’ (dictionary) to his credit.

He had translated the award-winning book ‘Smaraka Silalu’ on behalf of the ‘Kendra Sahitya Academy’, he said. His house resembles a small library, with all the shelves filled with books.

distinctions

■ Second person from the state after former PM late PV Narasimha Rao to win the award

■ Bhaskar won the award for translating Malayalam novel ‘Smaraka Silalu’ into Telugu with the same name

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Karimnagar / March 12th, 2014

NATS vows to nurture Telugu children in US into world leaders

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
North America Telugu Society president Gangadhar Desu talking to The Hindu in Vijayawada on Tuesday. / Photo. Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu
North America Telugu Society president Gangadhar Desu talking to The Hindu in Vijayawada on Tuesday. / Photo. Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

We are bringing out a series of books in English on Telugu people, culture, says its president

There is no dearth of role models for them. Telugu children living in North America have success stories like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Global coordinator of Lead India 2020 Hari Krishna Eppanapally, elected representatives like Upendra J.Chivukula, deputy speaker of New Jersey Assembly and Katragadda Aruna Miller, member of the Maryland House of Delegates, to look up to.

And lucky for them there is the North America Telugu Society (NATS) to nurture them into ‘world leaders’. The society has taken up career assistance programmes for Telugu youth.

NATS is now inviting not only successful Telugus, but successful Indians, to deliver talks. The society is also bringing out a series of books in English on Telugu people, their culture and history to take the initiative forward.

The person behind the initiative is none other than the Vijayawada-born Gangadhar Desu, the CEO of Neighbour Care chain of pharmacy stores who has been elected president of NATS for the next two years. Mr. Gangadhar did his schooling in SKPPV Hindu High School, One Town, and intermediate in K.B.N.College. He did his B.Pharma in Manipal College of Pharmacy and M.Pharma in Long Island, New York. “Satya Nadella is a couple of years senior to me,” he said recalling life on the campus.

Starting his career as a pharmacist Mr. Gangadhar, with a licence to work in any of the North Eastern States of the United States became the head of the Mergers and Acquisitions of Eckerds pharmacy in a short time. He then quit and started his own chain of pharmacy stores.

Diverse cultures

“The Telugu children here are exposed to diverse cultures, but it will be difficult for them to be world leaders unless they learn about their own roots,” Mr. Gangadhar said. The society took over 400 teachers from Andhra Pradesh to the United States to train children in various performance arts last year.

Mr. Gangadhar has high hopes for the Indian children of North America. “Five per cent of the Fortune 500 companies are run by Indians today. This will increase to 10 per cent by 2020. Indians were doing extremely well in politics too.

The Hindu Indians are being wooed by both the Republicans and the Democrats. Tulasi Gabbard of Samoan origin made news when she took oath on the Bhagvad Gita. Tulasi, who grew up in a multi-cultural, multi-religious household is a practising Hindu and yet another role model for the children, Mr. Gangadhar said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – March 13th, 2014