The rising star of Indian badminton, P.V . Sindhu of Hyderabad, continued her remarkable run on Sunday when she won the Macau Open Grand Prix.
In the final, World No.11 Sindhu, seeded first at the tournament, registered a brisk 21-15, 21-12 victory against seventh-seeded Canadian Michelle Li.
Sindhu was in dominant form right from the start of the match. In the first game, Sindhu reeled off several winners to take a 7-0 within just two minutes of the start of play before Li gathered her wits.
But the lanky shuttler -one of badminton’s most promising players -refused to relent against the World No.30.
Despite her opponent clawing her way back to 69, Sindhu took the first game 21-15 in only 16 minutes.
Compared to the first, the second game started on a slightly even note with both players going neck and neck for the first few minutes.
Li was more dominant closer to the net while Sindhu was the stronger player at the baseline.
With the scores level on 5-5, Sindhu broke the deadlock to go into the lead and was soon placed comfortably at 11-6. From there, the World No.11 did not ease up on the momentum as she piled on the points, showing better control to emerge champion in the lop-sided encounter.
According to chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, at whose academy in Gachibowli Sindhu trains, they worked on Sindhu’s game after she pulled out of the China Open. “At the Academy, we worked extensively on speed and aggression while preparing her for the tournament and she executed it well in Macau,“ Gopi said.
Sindhu enjoyed a phenomenal year in 2013.
After winning the Grand Prix Gold title in Malaysia in May, she went on to become the first woman’s singles medalwinner at the World Championships in August.
It was also India’s first singles medal at the Worlds after Prakash Padukone’s bronze in 1983.
She was then conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award after which, she enjoyed great success at the Indian Badminton League. Sindhu captained the Lucknow-based Awadhe Warriors into the final, where they eventually lost to the Saina Nehwal-led Hyderabad Hotshots.
With this victory, Sindhu cements her place as the next big thing in Indian badminton after the reigning queen, Saina.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports> Others Sports / DC / Vijay Anand / December 02nd, 2013
The Andhra Pradesh circle of the postal department has drawn up plans to improve public services by adopting modern technology. For the first time in the country, it is set to implement a pilot scheme that facilitates the electronic monitoring of letter box clearance.
Developed by the software section of the postal department, the technology involves a handheld device which will transfer the data electronically to the Central Data Centre, providing details of the number of letter boxes opened and those cleared at any given time.
Each time the letter box is opened, the information is transmitted to the Data Centre, indicating the time and the number of times the letter box has been opened, the Chief Post Master General of the Andhra Pradesh circle, B V Sudhakar said.
The department had conducted a survey and found that there were several letter boxes which were almost empty while some others were overflowing with letters for want of clearance on time.
The hand-held devices will be given to postmen who, while clearing the letter box, will feed the data, the official explained. Earlier, the department had no way of knowing whether a letter box had been opened or not. There have been complaints from the public that letters did not reach on time.
The scheme, currently undergoing trials with satisfactory results, will be launched in the second week of December. The postmen will start using these handheld devices. Once it is successful, the technology will be replicated across India, Sudhakar said.
At a later stage, solar panels will be fitted to the letter boxes, which will record the movement of the door whenever it is opened. On opening, a signal will be transmitted to the central data centre.
Nearly 75 lakh mails are cleared all over the state every day, including 20 lakh in the city. Majority of them are business mails.
Across the country, 1.72 crore mails are cleared daily. The state circle is handling Speed Post, registered post, money orders, besides others. In addition, it is also handling Aadhaar cards and has delivered approximately 5.5 crores of Aadhaar cards statewide.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / DHNS – Hyderabad, November 28th, 2013
The J&K Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has honoured Dr K Balagopal, a human rights activist and lawyer from Andhra Pradesh, with Robert Thorp Award-2013, posthumously, for his contribution in highlighting the human rights issues in Jammu and Kashmir.
The JKCCS every year confers Robert Thorp Award to persons who have shown exemplary courage and contributed to the achievement of civil society and political rights of the people of J&K. The award was received by his colleague, Prof Babaiah on Tuesday.
The award is given in memory of Robert Thorp, a young British Army officer, who arrived in Kashmir in 1865 and fought for the right of self-determination of Kashmir.
He was killed in 1868 by forces of Maharaja Gulab Singh, a feudal ruler of Kashmir, for highlighting the miseries of Kashmiris in international media.
Dr Kandala Balagopal, born on June 10,1952, was a trained Mathematician and taught at Kakatiya University in Andhra Pradesh. An uncompromising human rights activist, Balagopal broke away from the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC), with which he was associated from 1980s, on the issue of violence perpetrated by the erstwhile CPI-ML Peoples War.
During his visits to Kashmir, Balagopal worked actively for human rights in Kashmir and wrote numerous articles on Kashmir issue, questioning Indian occupation in Kashmir.
Fifth child of a middle class Telugu Brahmin couple, his education happened in various towns across AP owing to his father’s occupation. After pre-university education at Kavali and BSc in Tirupati, he took an MSc and PhD in Mathematics from the Regional Engineering College in Warangal before proceeding to Delhi for a post-doctoral at the Indian Statistical Institute. He returned to Warangal in 1981, where he started teaching Maths at the Kakatiya University. This was also the time when he decided on social activism and joined the APCLC, which he left after two decades to form Human Rights Forum.
Balagopal, who played a commendable role in exposing the institutional impunity enjoyed by the Indian military force and his unflinching support for the right of self determination of people of Jammu and Kashmir, died of lung aspiration following bleeding of stomach ulcer in Hyderabad on October 8, 2009.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / November 29th, 2013
Abdul Khayum Khan, an IPS officer of the 1981 batch, has been appointed as Director General of the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Currently Vice-Chairman and Managing Director (VC&MD) of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), he had also held additional charge as ACB Director General (DG) for the past few days, after the appointment of B. Prasada Rao as Andhra Pradesh’s Director General of Police.
In a minor exercise on Thursday, the government appointed Khan as the regular DG of the ACB and posted 1988 batch IPS officer J. Purnachandra Rao as VC&MD of APSRTC. Chief Secretary P. K. Mohanty issued an order to this effect on Thursday evening.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Sijihaya / November 28th, 2013
Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces Command Vice Admiral SPS Cheema with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Anil Chopra in Visakhapatnam on Friday. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
As part of the three-day visit to Eastern Naval Command, Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces Command Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, arrived in the Port City on Thursday.
He along with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra visited the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory and went around the naval ships and related establishments, here on Friday. Vice Admiral SPS Cheema is scheduled to leave the city on Sunday.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Staff Reporter / Visakhapatnam – November 30th, 2013
Cadbury India signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday (November 27) to set up a chocolate manufacturing facility at Sri City Special Economic Zone in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
“Spread across 134 acre, it will be the company’s largest manufacturing facility in Asia-Pacific region,” said Manu Anand, Managing Director, Cadbury India.
He expects the first phase of the project to be completed by mid-2015. Cadbury India will invest Rs 1,000 crore and produce around 100,000 tonne of Cadbury chocolates annually.
Though Anand did not provide details of the total investment on the entire project, expected to be completed in four phases by 2020.
“The plant will ultimately have an annual capacity of 250,000 tonnes and directly employ 1600 people,” he added.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who spoke at the MoU signing ceremony, said the project would also benefit some 400,000 farmers in the region as it will need about 500,000 litre of milk and 100 tonne of sugar per day.
The signatories to the MoU were Anand on behalf of Cadbury India and the state’s Principal Secretary, Industries, K. Pradeep Chandra. Major Industries Minister J. Geeta Reddy and a number of other ministers also attended. Sri City lies about 55 kms north of Chennai.
The Andhra Pradesh unit will be Cadbury India’s seventh manufacturing facility in India. Some other global chocolate manufacturers in India are also eyeing opportunities for setting up manufacturing. Cadbury India is part of Mondelez International group of companies. Some of its key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, Bournvita, 5 Star, Perk, Bourneville, Halls, Tang and Oreo.
source: http://www.businesstoday.intoday.in / Business Today / Home> Biz Wrap> Corporate> Story / by E. Kumar Sharma / November 27th, 2013
Hari D. Upadhyaya, Principal Scientist (Groundnut) and Head of Gene Bank at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, has received the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America.
He received the award at the society’s annual meeting held at Tampa in Florida (the USA) recently.
He received the award for his “significant and original basic and applied research contributions in crop science and total impact of contributions on crop science”, an Icrisat statement said here on Thursday.
Upadhyaya is a practical plant breeder and has developed a large number of early-maturing, high-yielding, drought tolerant, and aflatoxin contamination resistant groundnut breeding lines.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by The Hindu Bureau , kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in / Hyderabad – November 28th, 2013
Khusrau espies Shirin bathing, a page from the ‘Khamsa-e-Nizami’ book. / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Bearing excellent paintings, richly illuminated and gilded, the fine-bound manuscripts at Salar Jung Museum are real treasures.
Salar Jung Museum contains some ‘valuable books of art’— illustrated manuscripts — of Persian and Deccani languages. Bearing excellent paintings, richly illuminated and gilded, fine-bound and owned once by royal personages the Museum’s manuscripts are real treasures.
Manuscript illustration was greatly prized by Mughal emperors, their nobles and Deccani Sultans. Akbar who had 100 artists – painters, illuminators, scribes, book binders – in his atelier had many manuscripts including Hamza Nama, Ramayana, Mahabharata illustrated. His principal noble at Ahmedabad, Khan Khanan, built up a world class library containing illustrated manuscripts. Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, who ruled Golconda from 1550 to 1580, had set up a studio in his palace for calligraphers, painters, gilders and book binders and had manuscripts of fine quality produced.
‘The art books’ of the royal workshops form a priceless heritage, “at times of regal splendour…. and always a joy to behold” (Karl Khandalavala).
Of Salar Jung Museum’s famous illustrated manuscripts, a description of four books is attempted here. They are: Tuhfe-e-Sami, Majalis-ul-ushshaq, Khamsa-e-nizami, and Diwan-e-sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
1. Tuhfe-e-Sami: The author of this 229-folio Persian manuscripts is Prince Sam Mirza (1517-76), son of Shah Ismail, the founder of Safavid dynasty in Persia. Prince Sam Mirza dedicated Tuhfa containing biographies of poets, painters, calligrgaphers and other learned men to his brother Shah Tahmasp (1524-76), the ruler of Persia who, however, put ‘Sam’ to death in 1576 when he rebelled against him. The manuscript is gilded and highly ornamented. Done in Shirazi style of Persia the Thufa’s ten miniatures “are of excellent quality and very colourful with charming colour contrast’’ (Karl Khandalavala).
The manuscript scripted in fine Nastaliq bears a seal of the year of A.D. 1651 of one Mustafa Khan Lari, who was probably a Golconda noble.
2. Majalis-ul-ushshaq ( Assemblies of lovers): Purchased by Sir Salar Jung I (1829-83), ‘Majalis-ul-ushshaq’ is an account in Persian of the Sufi saints being in love with women and men. Sufi doctrines explain that to experience the beauty of the ‘unseen’ God the first step is the worldly love – love of women and men. The power and course of such love as experienced by some Sufi saints is depicted in majority of the 71 miniatures contained in the manuscript.
The book has a lot of gold used in decorating its 237 folios, headings and borders. The painting style of its miniatures is of Shirazi school of Persia.
The author of this manuscript is Mansur bin Baiqara (1469-1506) who wrote it in 1552. The script is good Nastaliq and the scribe is Amir-al-katib.
3. Khamsa-e-nizami: The Khamsa (five-piece verse collection) of the poet Nizami, a Persian poet, is one of the most famous Persian works and there are numerous illustrated copies of it in Persian and Mughal schools of painting. The Mughal style Museum’s Khamsa was purchased in 1739 for the library of Nawab Munirddoulah Wakil-us-sultan (Prime Minister). It consists of five ‘mathnavis’ (long poems) dealing with the stories of Laila-Majnun, Khusrau-Shirin, King Behraum Gaur, Sikandar and Sufism.
It contains five unwans (title pages), gilded and highly ornamented. Its 325 creamish folios are gold sprinkled. Its eleven full-page miniatures show animals, brilliantly drawn and figures, finely painted. Dated A.D.1618, the scribe of Khamsa is Fatah Muhammed bin Moulana Sahib Katib and the script is good Nastaliq.
The manuscript bears the seal of Lutfullah khan, a noble of Mughal family, who appears to have died in Golconda when Aurangazeb was engaged in conquering the fort.
4. Diwan-e-sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah: Written in ‘Zubane-deccani’ by Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah who ruled from Golconda between 1581 and 1611 is regarded as the earliest poet in Deccani language(Urdu). He founded the city of Hyderabad and built the famous Charminar. His ‘Diwan’(odes) deals with subjects like sports and games, royal palaces, seasons and description of his 17 mistresses.
Dated 1595, the Diwan has eight miniatures, all gems of miniature art. It was written by Moulana Zainuddin, Khushnawis (calligrapher) of the Sultan. The paper used is gold sprinkled. The script is excellent Thulth. It has 138 handsome folios.
Deputy Keeper (Retd.), Salar Jung Museum
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by B. Kotaiah / September 19th, 2013
Ragala Venkata Rahul wins two gold medals at the Commonwealth Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship in Penang
Ragala Venkata Rahul, 17, lived up to the expectations with yet another impressive performance, winning two gold medals in the youth and junior categories at the ongoing Commonwealth Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship in Penang (Malaysia) on Friday afternoon.
Rahul has won gold in the 77-kg category with a combined effort of 301 kg (140 in snatch and 160 in clean and jerk). The A.P. boy came up with similar efforts in both the categories to clinch the honours.
“I am delighted. My coaches are expecting better results after my recent performances in international meets. So, there was a little bit of pressure, but thanks to the support of the entire Indian contingent, I could pull of a gold medal,” says a beaming Rahul, a student of A.P. Sports School, Hakimpet.
Rahul looks at the latest gold as a “huge morale-booster” for the coming year in which some big events are lined up like the 2014 Asian Games.
“I hope to continue my good work till that mega event and come back home with a medal,” says the shy weightlifter.
“Competition is tough at this level, and it is never easy to win gold in any Asian meet, as every country looks to this event as a preparatory event for the major events ahead,” he says, thanking his mentor and secretary of A.P. Weightlifting Association Badeti Venkatramaiah (also in Penang as a technical official).
Rahul bagged a gold medal in the 77-kg category with a combined lift of 310 kg at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing (China) after winning three gold in the Asian Youth Championship early this year. His other notable performances include two medals in the IWF Youth Boys World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, early this year.
A.P. Sports School weightlifting coach Surmise Achou Singh of Manipur, who fine-tuned Rahul’s raw talent in the company of his deputy Pachipala Manikyalu, is not surprised.
“Rahul is a potential medallist in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He has all the qualities to be a world-class weightlifter, and more exposure at the highest level will only help to improve his performances,” attests the 67-year-old proud coach.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – November 29th, 2013
Mohammad Ahmed with the silver medal he won at the recent Asian Rowing Championship, at the Hussainsagar in Hyderabad on Tuesday. — Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
After a silver at the Asian Rowing Championship – the latest addition to the many feathers in his cap, this 20-year-old has set his sights on greater glory
For a sport dominated by personnel from the Services, 20-year-old local boy Mohammed Ahmed has managed to surprise, and delight all. He is now virtually the non-playing captain of the coxed eights Indian rowing team.
His recent silver in the Asian Rowing Championship in China shone bright in his smile as he returned to the Hussainsagar on Tuesday.
The son of Mohammed Ismail, a meat-seller from Kavadiguda, Ahmed took to the sport after one of his routine trips to the lake along with his father three years ago. Dronacharya Ismail Baig suggested the boy take up rowing. What ensued was rowing’s gain.
Ahmed won gold in the Kolkata Senior Nationals in the coxed four event, bronze in the Hyderabad Nationals in the coxed eight team and later a silver in the Asian championship later on in Korea. All these vindicated the faith shown by Baig, the untiring coach who has been shaping the destiny of most rowers in Hyderabad for close to 13 years now.
“I am enjoying every moment. Thanks to Ismail sir, I can now dream big,” the shy youngster says, even as he proudly displays his medal to his famed coach.
What exactly is this young rower’s role in a coxed eights event?
“Well, he is like a guide, telling the teammates when to accelerate in the course, how the conditions are at a given time. Otherwise, the rowers will be busy unleashing their power to keep up the pace. It is a very demanding job. Though he doesn’t row, it requires high levels of focus,” Mr. Baig says.
Ahmed, who adores cricketer Virat Kohli (he even tries to sport a similar hairstyle), plays cricket and badminton to relax after hard work in the waters. A student of St. Antony’s High School, this shy rower was only recently drafted into the CRPF, and will be reporting for duty next week.
“My next big target is to win a medal in the next year’s Asian Games and then think about the Olympics. I owe everything to my coach sir and to the Federation officials for backing me up,” Ahmed signs off.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – October 01st, 2013
