Category Archives: World Opinion

Putting Vizag on the global map

Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
V.Vijay Kumar Raju
V.Vijay Kumar Raju

Our focus will be on curbing diabetes, says Lions Club Director

For the first time in the history of Lions Clubs, a city-based person has been elected as the international director to head its global vision and projects. V. Vijay Kumar Raju has catapulted Visakhapatnam to the international map after he was elected to serve a two-year term as a director of Lions Clubs International at the association’s 99 th International Convention held in Fukuoka, Japan, recently.

An active member of the Visakhapatnam Samarasya Lions Club of District 316 A since 1996, he has held many offices within the association. Mr. Raju is the first from coastal AP and second from the State to be a part of the Board of Lions Clubs International. He has also served the Indian Air Force and is presently running nine educational institutions and three private firms. Mr. Raju, who will be in-charge of the LCI’s operations, finance and audit committee, will oversee the organisation’s activities and projects in 64 countries.

During his visit to the city, he explained to The Hindu about the organisation’s mission and future projects during the centennial celebrations of service of Lions Club International.

Our mission

“From a global perspective, our focus will be on curbing diabetes. India will be one of the major areas of work for LCI in this aspect. Our mission is to also address areas like cancer, environment, vision and relieving hunger through sustained activities, projects and expansion works,” said Mr. Raju, also a recipient of the Gallantry Award from the President of India. Talking about the organisation’s projects in the region, Mr. Raju said a dialysis centre was coming up on the outskirts of Vijayawada at a cost of Rs. 7 crore. This apart, the organisation is also looking for a land in Visakhapatnam to set up a dialysis centre for which it has approached VUDA. Similar centres will come up in Srikakulam and West Godavari districts, he said. “We are also upgrading the Lions Cancer Hospital at Seethammadhara with an additional outlay of Rs. 20 crore to include state-of-art equipment and amenities,” Mr. Raju added.

Among its other major projects, a comprehensive eye care hospital is coming up at Salur, which will cater to the neighbouring States of Chhattisgarh and Odisha as well. “The project is being developed at the cost of Rs 1.5 crore and the Outpatient Department will be operational in a month’s time. We intend to make it a state-of-the-art facility along the lines of Shankar Netralaya in Chennai,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – July 07th, 2016

AP ties up with US varsity to increase Ongole Bull population

Agriculture, Education, Nature, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Efforts are being made by the state government to increase the population of ‘Ongole bull,’ the pride of Prakasam district, which is on the verge of extinction. The state government tied up with University of Pennsylvania to achieve this objective.

As part of the Milk Mission project of the University of Pennsylvania, the university will make efforts to increase the population of ‘Ongole bull’ and ‘Punganuru cow’ through artificial insemination (IVF) procedures, special chief secretary (Animal Husbandry department) Manmohan Singh has said.

“The breed of Ongole bull is on the verge of extinction, hence the government had joined hands with Pennsylvania University,” he added.

The Punganuru cattle, a popular dwarf cow breed, which are being reared mainly in government livestock farms, are also on the verge of extinction, with some 60 odd animals remaining. The University of Pennsylvania team will also work towards increasing the population of this rare breed of cow.

The government, which had recently entered into an agreement with the Milk Mission project of the University of Pennsylvania, on Tuesday formed a six-member experts’ panel headed by Andhra Pradesh Livestock Development Agency (APLDA) CEO Dr PD Kondala Rao.

The panel will work in coordination with the Pennsylvania University for implementing the project in the state.

According to officials of the animal husbandry department, the university will help the state in enhancing milk production and cattle population in the state. As per the agreement, the university experts will impart training to farmers to enhance milk production, livestock population and transfer technology to increase cattle population.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / July 06th, 2016

Kalachakra museum turns into ‘Venuvanam’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
The five gazebos that stand in the front yard of the Kalachakra museum have brought the much-need sheen to the place. —Photo: By Arrangement
The five gazebos that stand in the front yard of the Kalachakra museum have brought the much-need sheen to the place. —Photo: By Arrangement

Bodhi tree rehabilitated and large wall adorned with mural art

A bodhi tree, sapling of which was planted by the Dalai Lama who visited Amaravati town in 2006 to open Kalachakra, was almost dead six months ago.

“My first reaction was to dig a pit around the tree and water it. The area in front of the tree was being used for parking of vehicles with no respect for the place. The new project we designed was to close the place and develop a meditation area here. The tree has been rehabilitated and it looks very healthy, surrounded by eight granite pillars symbolising Ashtanga Margam, the eight-fold path in Buddhism,” said Amareswara Galla, Curator and International Heritage Advisor, Amaravati Ancient Town.

The long-neglected Kalachakra museum, proposed to be renamed as Amaravati Heritage Centre and Museum, is bursting with life. A large carving of the Dharma Chakra has been installed in front of the bodhi tree. Five gazebos have been constructed in front of the tree using traditional pentals representing Buddha’s first sermon to his five disciples after he attained enlightenment. The large wall has been transformed with mural art and the whole area has been aesthetically designed.

‘Venuvanam’, which was formally inaugurated by MLA K. Sridhar on Saturday, was the cynosure of all eyes.

International standards

Monks in maroon robes offered prayers at the tree during the inaugural.

The MLA said that though it was a small pilot project it had set the benchmark for international standards that would become the hallmark of the ancient Amaravati town.

The once-sleepy town is buzzing with activity with Tourism and other officials are set on the task of reviving the old world charm of the place that attracted Buddhists in a big way.

A heritage walk and a tourism circuit are among projects planned for this region.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – June 26th, 2016

Volvo opens India’s biggest car showroom in city

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
Volvo cars at a showroom. —FILE PHOTO
Volvo cars at a showroom. —FILE PHOTO

Launch of hybrid car in India next month, says group Vice-President (Asia Pacific)

Here is another landmark for Vijayawada, the base capital of Andhra Pradesh. Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo opened its biggest car showroom-cum-service centre on the outskirts of the city on Monday.

The 26,000-sq. ft three-storey iconic building with Scandinavian ambience assumes significance as it was opened on the day when 15 government departments were shifted from Hyderabad to Vijayawada as part of the bifurcation exercise. The current growth and prospects in the region will work well for the company, according to Volvo officials.

Speaking after launching the showroom here, Volvo Cars Group Vice-President, Asia Pacific, Jari Kohonen, said the company was doing extremely well in India and looking at 20 to 25 per cent growth in sales this fiscal. “While continuing the existing models, we plan to launch the hybrid plug-in car next month in India. We also have plans to display the XS 90 hybrid car in Vijayawada soon,” Mr. Jari said.

Among the variety of Volvo models, luxury SUVs are the most-sought-after cars in India, according to Tom Von Bonsdorff, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India.

“Luxury SUVs would largely help us in achieving our targets here. They are most popular,” said Mr. Tom. The company claims to have 20 per cent market share in the cars segment in the State.

Prospective customers from Amaravati

While the brand has good patronage, especially from customers in Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada and other places, new enquiries are coming from Vijayawada and Amaravati, says Manoj Krishna, dealer principal, Volvo Vijayawada. “There is a lot of interest visible in Vijayawada and surrounds, especially from the Amaravati capital region where a lot of disposable incomes are seen. We are currently selling 100 cars per annum and we expect to double the number in the coming two years,” Mr. Manoj said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – June 28th, 2016

City singer figures in ‘wonder’ book, gives father the credit

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

SriTarakANDHRA23jun2016

Visakhapatnam  :

WHAT could be the best gift a man could get on the Father’s day when his son has attempted to enter Limca Book of records, India Book of Records and has received an approval to enter the Wonder Book of Records.

Composer and non-stop performer of 20 patriotic songs in 20  languages, including Nepali, English, French and German, in 65 minutes, Sri Tarak dedicated this achievement to his dad, on the occasion of the Father’s Day on Sunday.

The singer is a music and short film director, Big FM’s Vizag Idol 2013, promotional singer of Telugu movies like Baahubali, Temper and Nannaku Prematho, performed for events like Visakha Utsav and winner of 14 Inter-college singers championship. Passionate about singing from childhood, Sri Tarak aspires for an Oscar.

The hall echoed with melodious numbers like “My India so beautiful.. My India so strong.. My India so Virtuous…Calls to her sons.” The duration of each song ranged from 3 to 5 minutes. The patriotic numbers composed and sung by him swayed the audience.

The panel of coordinators were Narender Goud, India chief co-ordinator of Genius Book of Records and Wonder Book of Records, Swarna Sree, chief co-ordinator of Wonder Book of Records (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), N Shilpa, chief co-ordinator of Golden Star World Record Forum (AP) and Siva Prasad, chief co-ordinator of World Records. Appreciating the efforts and the dream of Tarak, Narender Goud said: “There is no one in the world who holds a record to sing continuously in different languages. Tarak has made us and his parents proud and I wish him to fly high to attain his goals.”

Tarak who turned emotional after being approved by Wonder Book of Records, said,

“My parents, teachers and God are my inspiration and whatever I achieve in life is for them. This is my first step and I would strive hard to fulfil my dreams and make my parents proud.” The CD of all his composed songs was released by minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Sunday.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / June 20th, 2016

Singapore consortium to have 58 p.c. stake

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, World Opinion

The Singapore-based consortium, which submitted its Swiss challenge proposal for the construction of Amaravati Seed Capital in an extent of over 1,600 acres, will be given an equity share of 58 per cent in the project.

Earlier, it was proposed to share the revenue equally between the consortium and the Amaravati Development Corporation, which was called Capital City Development and Management Corporation, a special purpose vehicle floated by the government. According to the latest discussions, the share of the ADC now will be 42 per cent, mostly in the form of land.

The revenue from the project will be shared in the ratio of 58:42 between the consortium, comprising Asendas, Singbridge, and Sembcorp Development Ltd., and the Singapore government with 74.5 per cent share in the consortium and the ADC respectively.

Final decision today?

“Chief Secretary, who is the Chairman of Infrastructure Authority, called for a meeting with Secretaries of five to six departments to consider all aspects on Wednesday. A final decision on accepting the Swiss challenge proposal is possible tomorrow,” sources said.

Once the proposal submitted by the consortium, which had been fine tuned after several rounds of discussions to meet the norms, is cleared, it will enter into an agreement with the ADC. The proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet for its approval. Once the proposal is approved, it will be put in the public domain and invite better proposal from any competitor. If a competitor submits a better proposal, the consortium will have to match it to bag the project.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by M.L.Melly Maitreyi / Hyderaba – June 22nd, 2016

Brazil keen on saving the Ongole bull

Agriculture, World Opinion
Ongole bull, the pride of Prakasam district.
Ongole bull, the pride of Prakasam district.

The species is a favourite of farmers in the South American country

Better days are ahead for the indigenous breed of the Ongole bull, which is on the verge of extinction in the land of its origin with Brazil evincing keen interest in transferring technology for improving the productivity of the majestic cattle.

The pure breed of Ongole cattle ( Bos indicus ) is fast becoming extinct in the land of its origin, even as some of the finest Ongole cattle are reared in Brazil for dairy products.

Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, who himself led an Indian delegation to a cattle expo at Uberaba in Brazil, revealed this to The Hindu here on Sunday.

‘Sister city’

The Mayor of Uberaba city in Brazil, Paulo Piau, had offered to develop Ongole as a “sister city,” Dr. Rao said, adding: “the Mayor had promised to come with a Memorandum of Understanding to further cooperation in cattle breeding between the two prominent members of the BRICS.”

The number of the Ongole breed of cattle had dwindled to fewer than 2 lakh over a period as against 16 crore heads of Ongole cattle in that South American nation now, he said. Brazilians have a great affinity for the Ongole cattle and wanted to do their part in rearing the docile animal in the original tract between the Gundlakamma and Musi rivers, he explained, adding “one will be astonished to note that the milk yield of the Ongole cow is between 20 and 30 litres in Brazil where the farmers milk the animals thrice a day.”

“Though we are sentimentally attached to the Ongole bull, not enough has been done to exploit it economically,” he observed and exhorted the farmers to go for scientific farming for better results.

Collaborative project with U.S. varsity

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Whip in Parliament Y.V. Subba Reddy, who was also part of the delegation which visited Uberaba for the ExpoZebu recently, told The Hindu that Brazil had also nurtured the Gir cow of Gujarat and some of its features could be cross-bred for better results. The government had also embarked on the collaborative “Milk Mission Project” with the University of Pennsylvania to make dairy farming sustainable and realise the goal of stepping up growth in the agriculture sector.

The species is a favourite of farmers in the South American country, says Kodela

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Ongole – June 20th, 2016

Guizhou-Andhra Pradesh link shows rising clout of provincial power

Business & Economy, World Opinion
Photo shows the Guizhou International Investment Corporation team in Visakhapatnam. Photo: Special Arrangement
Photo shows the Guizhou International Investment Corporation team in Visakhapatnam. Photo: Special Arrangement

“Love Indian culture more than Indians do. Do not impose, but align with the flow. Change only what you can.”

An infra company based in the southwest province of Guizhou — known for its role in Mao Zedong’s Long March — has emerged as one of the prime investors in Andhra Pradesh, showcasing the role of Chinese provinces and Indian States in driving a new phase of India-China ties.

The Guizhou International Investment Corporation (GIIC) is undertaking the Detailed Master Plan for infrastructure in Amaravati, Andhra’s new capital, and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s pet project.

Geography has played a major role in turning GIIC into an infra heavyweight. Extensive tunnelling, bridge construction and power generation was required for lifting development in coal-rich Guizhou — a province mostly known for its hills and hollows. The company became well known for building a tunnel that established Guizhou’s new link with the famed Stilwell road, which once routed military supplies to Chongqing from India during World War II. The Stilwell road is now the backbone of the proposed Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor.

In a freewheeling conversation with The Hindu, Zhang Zhao, vice-chairman of the GIIC explained how Chinese companies were teaming up for a deeper economic engagement with India. “A symbiotic relationship has indeed emerged between China and India. Chinese companies have developed capacities, out of their own reform experience, which India requires,” says the GIIC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). But, Mr. Zhang stressed that understanding and appreciating each other’s distinct business cultures is also an equally formidable barrier.

As a result his message to his employees and Chinese partners is to engage India with humility and respect, rooted in Confucian principles. “Love Indian culture more than Indians do. Do not impose, but align with the flow. Change only what you can,” Mr. Zhang observed. Consequently, the company and its partners are consciously aligning with New Delhi’s flagship Make-in-India campaign to channel investment flows.

Like many others in Guizhou’s business circles, Mr. Zhao draws inspiration from Wang Yangmin. The fifteenth century philosopher and practitioner stretched the Confucian tradition to emphasise that theoretical knowledge was useless without its application to resolve real-life problems. Another revered figure is Deng Xiaoping, the architect of reforms, who guided China out of the trauma of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

The GIIC’s forays in Andhra have triggered a “collegiate approach” among Chinese businesses, wanting to invest in India. “We cannot do everything ourselves. For example we need partners in the development of ports, which Andhra requires, or real estate, which has not been our expertise. So we looked for allies within and outside Guizhou, and our effort to build teams have yielded satisfactory results,” observes Binod Singh, a senior advisor to GIIC.

The synergetic approach, pursued by local Chinese enterprises, is already making headway in India. Negotiations have reached an advanced stage between the Guizhou Kailin Group and India’s Coromandel International Limited for establishing a $1 billion fertilizer plant in the Kakinada Special Economic Zone.

Real estate investment in India could ride on the model of Garland City, a massive undertaking of “affordable housing” in Guiyang, where four lakh people reside in a dense, but neatly planned cluster of vertical structures. “This is the scale of operations that India needs and we are ready for it,” says Mr. Zhao, scanning the area, with considerable pride, from the rooftop of a 72 floor building that towers over the City. The project is the result of a partnership between the Guizhou Architecture Institute, and the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), the state-owned civil engineering giant.

The Chinese consortium approach could also work in the development of a building-material park in the Vijayawada airport area, which could cater to the bulk of Andhra’s construction material needs, says Mr. Singh.

Analysts point out that growing tie between Guizhou and Andhra Pradesh demonstrate the rise of Chinese provinces and Indian states as the core drivers of Sino-Indian ties. Earlier in a conversation with The Hindu, former Indian ambassador to China Ashok Kantha acknowledged that New Delhi-Beijing ties were being rapidly decentralised. “Chief Ministers are taking ownership of the relationship with China. New projects are coming up, and specific initiatives are being taken,” he observed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Atul Aneja / Guiyang (SouthWest China) – June 05th, 2016

Campaign in the U.S. to promote Andhra Pradesh

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRT Society) CEO Ravikumar Vemuri who was kick-started his 25-day tour from Texas, US, to promote Andhra Pradesh as an apt place for investment, said Telugu people from all fields took part in the campaign.

So far Houston, Dallas in Texas and Georgia in Atlanta were covered. He said a large number of Telugu people from IT, medical fields, including CEOs of companies, are being addressed during the campaign.

The campaign will be held in all 21 cities of the United States.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – June 03rd, 2016

V-C releases book on metaheuristic applications

Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Science & Technology, World Opinion
JNTUK Vice-Chancellor V.S.S. Kumar releasing a book titled ‘Metaheuristic Applications to Speech Enhancement’ in Kakinada on Wednesday. —Photo: Special Arrangement.
JNTUK Vice-Chancellor V.S.S. Kumar releasing a book titled ‘Metaheuristic Applications to Speech Enhancement’ in Kakinada on Wednesday. —Photo: Special Arrangement.

Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK) V.S.S. Kumar released a book titled Metaheuristic applications to speech enhancement penned by Prajna Kunche in association with Professor K.V.V.S. Reddy at a programme held here on Wednesday.

Ms. Prajna did her Ph.D. from Andhra University in metaheuristic applications and Springer, international publisher of science, technology and medicine, came forward to publish her thesis for worldwide release.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Kumar congratulated Ms. Prajna on the venture and called upon the research scholars to focus on getting their thesis papers published so that they could be useful to future generations. “We must feel proud of Ms. Prajna as the publisher of international repute came forward to publish her thesis. This makes the book get circulated to all the technological universities worldwide and come in handy for the students who are undertaking research in the subject,” he said.

Thanking her research guides Prof. K.V.V.S. Reddy and G. Samba Siva Rao for encouraging her to complete the project work in a short period, Ms. Prajna said that the Springer international journal first published her thesis in its website and going by the response the firm decided to bring out the printed version.

“Presently, I am the technical reviewer for Springer international journal of speech technology and Springer pattern analysis and applications. I am getting invites from universities of international repute to deliver talks on speech technology,” she said.

Rector of the JNTUK B. Prabhakara Rao, senior faculty members, Ms. Prajna’s parents K.S. Vara Prasad (Principal, Andhra Polytechnic) and Krishna Kumari (lecturer in Botany, ASD Government Degree College) were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Kakinada – June 02nd, 2016