Monthly Archives: October 2013

After a glorious first season, Black is back for more

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Muralidhar Kesari / The Hindu
Muralidhar Kesari / The Hindu

Black is back, he proudly announces.

Muralidhar Kesari, the man who gave us ‘Black’ — the popular singing talent show for the visually challenged — is busy shaping the new season of the unique concept. The show will go on air next week.

Named after the Amitabh Bachchan-Rani Mukherjee starrer, ‘Black’ was well-received in its first season, says Mr. Kesari.

“It is designed for the 8-15 year age group and will be spread over 26 episodes,” he says. Mr. Kesari’s team had scouted for talent in nearly 60 institutes meant for the visually challenged across the State and narrowed down on 14 who would be vying for the show’s top honours. “It has been a learning experience — the way these students perceive the world in general and also the world of music,” he says.

From making documentaries on missile programmes to a one-of-a-kind music show, Mr. Kesari has come a long way.

Before ‘Black’, he had handled around 1,500 online episodes of various shows for different Telugu channels. Some of the more popular shows he was associated with included ‘Yahoo’ and ‘Smile Raja Smile’. He was also online director for four seasons of the extremely popular ‘Padutha Thiyaga’. While the Telugu entertainment channel scenario has remained transfixed on comedies, tragedies and fun shows, ‘Black’ is in a niche of its own. Jhansi who anchored the earlier season, will be the anchor for the new series of the show.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 21st, 2013

e-auction of hair fetches Rs. 107 crore for TTD

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams earned Rs. 107 crore on Thursday through e-auction of human hair. It is estimated that over 64,760 kg of hair was disposed of in the auction.

In the temple’s history, informed sources said, this was the second highest-ever return recorded from auctioning of human hair, the first being Rs.130 crore earned last June. Meanwhile, a devotee from Chennai, who wished to remain anonymous, on Friday donated a golden Salagrama haram (necklace) worth Rs. 3 crore to the Tirumala temple.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by G.P. Shukla / Tirumala – May 25th, 2013

Mahbubnagar girl excels in Telugu, bags gold medal

Education, Records, All
Graduates celebrating after receiving their degrees and medals at the XVth convocation of the University of Hyderabad at Gachibowli in Hyderabad on Tuesday | A Suresh Kumar
Graduates celebrating after receiving their degrees and medals at the XVth convocation of the University of Hyderabad at Gachibowli in Hyderabad on Tuesday | A Suresh Kumar

A graduate from Nawabpet mandal of Mahabubnagar was the star of the show at the 15th convocation ceremony of University of Hyderabad held at the Brahma Kumaris Shanti Sarovar, Global Peace Auditorium on Tuesday.

A Bharathi, who received a gold medal in the 5-year Integrated Master’s programme in Telugu, is the first one from her village to pursue higher education in a university. However, Bharathi wants to pursue higher studies and become a politician. “I am extremely proud. I want to study further, get a good job and settle down in life. But my dream is to become a politician and work for poor,” stated Bharathi.

As many as 140 PhDs and 95 gold medals were awarded by governor ESL Narasimhan, the chief rector of the university and was the guest of honour. Honorary Doctorates were awarded KG Subramanyan, Prof Michael Victor Berry, Prof Andre Beteille, Prof Satish C Maheshwari, and activist Aruna Roy in absentia.

During the address, T V Ramakrishnan, professor emeritus, Banaras Hindu University said, “This swadhyaya may help you accept the society, make you a rebel or it may make you see futility. Whatever it does, it will affect you strongly”.  Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, vice chancellor of UoH, presented a report on the university. H Hanumantha Rao, chancellor, UoH presided over the convocation.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / October 02nd, 2013

Hyderabad’s first bicycle station to be launched tomorrow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Sports

Hyderabad :

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC) will jointly launch a bike station at Gachibowli on Sunday. A cycling event would also be flagged off by governor ESL Narasimhan on the day.

Apart from the bike station labelled Bicyclone 2013, cycling would be flagged off by the governor ESL Narasimhan.

Announcing this at a press conference on Friday, GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu, along with AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) executive director Rahul Bojja and HBC chairman DV Manohar, said the bike station opposite the biodiversity complex was built by the municipal corporation while the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) contributed 300 bicycles for it. The HBC has come forward to operate the bike station on a non-profit basis, he said.

The commissioner said HMR was planning to set up bike stations at all metro stations. These stations would have state-of-the-art facilities such as card swipe technology for releasing bikes, rest rooms, change facilities, lockers and food court with adequate seating. Office-bound commuters getting down at metro stations can borrow a bicycle from the bike station to go to their workplace and return the bike when returning to catch a train at any metro station. The bike stations will be manned 24/7 by specially trained staff, dedicated support vehicles and mechanics, Krishna Babu said.

“The ‘Cycle to Work’ is aimed at transforming the commuting culture in our city by reducing vehicular pollution as well as traffic congestion. Our target groups are corporate companies, government employees, individuals, specialist cycling organizations and residential communities in the surrounding areas,” the commissioner said.

He said that eight tracks would be developed covering various IT company zones. While APIIC would construct 40 km of the total 60 km proposed cycling track, the rest would be constructed by the GHMC.

including Hitec City MMTS station to InOrbit Mall (MMTS Railway Station, Cyber towers, Mindspace, ILabs ), Shilpakala Vedika to Shilpakala Vedika (Shilpakalavedika, CII green business centre, Kondapur, Botanical Gardens, Gachibowli Junction, Quality Inn , Mindspace circle), Shilpakalavedika to Cybergateway (Shilpakalavedika, CII Green Business centre, Mahindra Satyam, Dell, Cybergateway), Ayyappa Society to Cyber Towers (Neeru’s Emphoria, Right Turn, Left Turn, YSR Statue, Meridian School Jn, Cyber Towers),Madhapur PS to Madhapur PS (Madhapur PS, Durgam Cheruvu, ILabs, Mindspace, Cybergateway, Nandini Cafe, Madhapur Petrol bunk),Madhapur PS to Madhapur PS (Madhapaur PS, Durgam Cheruuvu, ILABS, Mindspace, Cybergateway, Madhapur Petrol Bunk, Madhapur PS), Raidurgam SEZ to Raidurgam SEZ (Raidurgan SEZ, R Ministry College, Cyberabad Police Comm, Gachibowli Junction, IDBI Bank, Infosys, Wipro Junction, Rejenta One, HPS/ OAKRIDGE, Raidurgam SEZ), IDBI Bank to Hitex (IDBI Bank Gachibowli stadium, University of Hyd, DLF, Adithya Sarovar, Kondapur Junction, Kothaguda, Shilpa Park, Novotel, Hitex).

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation / TNN / September 28th, 2013

New technology to instantly convert solar energy into electricity

Science & Technology

A Vijayawada-based solar energy equipment manufacturer, Jyothi Solar Power Projects has claimed that by using two new technologies together with the existing photo-voltaic (PV) panel system, 91 per cent of the Sun’s energy could be converted into electrical power.

At a meeting to showcase the technologies here on Saturday, P. Lakshminarayana, Director-Technical of the company said they had applied for patents.

They include ‘Twintin’, a system based on sensors that could synchronise PV panels with the Sun’s movement, thus capturing maximum heat and a Multi-Junctional Device (MJD) with Nano technology that could instantly convert solar energy into electrical power.

Asked about when the product would be available in the market, he said it would be a few more months for the necessary approvals and stamp of recognition to come. “We have already got patent approvals by the Indian Research Association,” he stated. Government of India would get royalty for 20 years for the first international research patent (Space Solar Exploratory Research). In two months, the company’s technical team would prove the technology by generating 40 megawatts of solar power in the presence of scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA. A young scientist with Jyothi Solar Power Projects, Prasanna Kumar said the cost would work out to between Rs. 1 and 1.2 lakh per kilowatt of electrical power produced. Currently, he said between 14 and 16 per cent of solar energy was converted into electrical power in India.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 12th, 2013

From Broadway to Bollywood

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion
Pragathi Yadhati / The Hindu
Pragathi Yadhati / The Hindu

Anantapur-born Pragathi Yadhati has carved out a niche for herself in the world of theatre in New York and has set her sights on cinema

From the drought-prone district of Anantapur where she was born to the State capital of Andhra Pradesh where she did her schooling and a bit of college, to USA, the land of opportunity, her life has progressed just the way she wanted, and for which she slogged.

Pragathi Yadhati has carved out a niche for herself in the world of theatre in New York ever since she landed on the shores of America in 2009.

People started taking note of her and she got several offers to work in the movies, but she could not take them up for a while because of some rules pertaining to those in the US on a student visa.

This lissom lass has attended classical dance classes ever since she was four years old and today, she can boast of formal training in Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Dimsa, apart from Hip Hop, Theatre dance and basics of Salsa, Rumba, Cha Cha and Belly Dance. Her theatrical expression and skills were honed with lessons in ‘method acting’ from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the ‘Meisner technique’ from Mathew Corozine Studio Theatre.

But when regulations permitted, she signed on the dotted line and put on her dancing shoes to star as Sonia in Ooops … A Desi ! directed by Jenner Jose, a Mallu from Mumbai, but naturalised in America.

Packaged as a cool romance, she says, the fast pace of the 120 minute-long entertainer will ensure audience attention is riveted on the screen.

Among others, the film stars Beuali Shah and Adnan Khalid. When it premiered at the Times Square in New York last week, most critics sat up and took note. Here in India for the premiere, ahead of its release on August 2, she couldn’t wait to taste her favourite dish – mom’s ‘mamidikaya pappu’ (a dal and mango dish) and minced no words to say how badly she missed it the past three-and-a-half years in a distant land. Pragathi is quietly confident about her career moves and she says she’s willing to work hard to showcase her acting skills.

“I started with Bollywood and am open to Telugu films because I want to prove myself. But my sights are set on Hollywood,” this ‘Indian Princess’, as she is called in New York, signs off.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Suresh Krishnamoorthy / Hyderabad – July 24th, 2013

Style gurus to groom city designers

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Fashion designer P. Srinivasa Rao./ Photo: V.Raju / The Hindu
Fashion designer P. Srinivasa Rao./ Photo: V.Raju / The Hindu

Women in the coastal belt are very enterprising, says Pattur

The city has high potential for exploring fashion designing. All we need is a new line of thinking; say Sri Nivas Rao Pattur and Rajasekhar Narayan, fashions designers of repute. They were roped in by the city-based Samana Institute for Design Studies (SIDS) as faculty members.

Fashion Designer, Rajshekhar Narayan./ Photo: V. Raju / The Hindu
Fashion Designer, Rajshekhar Narayan./ Photo: V. Raju / The Hindu

Mr. Pattur is the chief mentor-cum-Director of the institute while Mr. Narayan will equip budding designers at the institute with latest knowledge and trends in fashion designing across the world.

Focus

“To make the local youth employable is essential, especially in the light of their rapid migration to bigger cities in search of greener pastures. The focus must now be laid on small cities,” says Mr. Pattur.

Emphasising on the need for creating work locally, Mr. Pattur says the efforts should be in a direction to transform the ‘local’ into ‘glocal’. “Women in this coastal belt are very enterprising. We must build up on our strengths, hand-hold them through this journey towards a successful path,” says Mr. Pattur.

Mr. Narayana, who is a product of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, believes in the magical success of hard work coupled with commitment.

“There is no elevator to success. Our focus has been on imparting quality design education. The best thing about the current fashion scenario is that you get very good stuff here in India itself and one need not travel abroad for shopping for good apparel. Moreover, people are developing good taste and that gives chance to everyone in this field to showcase their talent,” he says.

Quiz him about the prospects for fashion designers and he says: “There is a lot of positivity around. I can see it going only in one direction – up…up…and above”.

The fact that there is a need to give something new every day to the current day fashionist as does not deter the duo. “The only way to usher in change is to educate the local designers and we are here to set the ball rolling for the much-needed transformation in the local fashion scenario,” says the duo.

Mr. Pattur and Mr. Narayan have been made part of the SIDS to impart world-class coaching to students in fashion apparel designing.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – May 19th, 2013

India-born Watsa led Fairfax consortium to buy BlackBerry for $4.7 billion

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology, World Opinion
BlackBerry Q10 / The Hindu
BlackBerry Q10 / The Hindu

New Delhi :

BlackBerry Limited today announced it has signed a letter of intent agreement under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence.

Hyderabad-born Prem Watsa is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, based in Toronto. Often called the “Canadian Warren Buffett” he is an alumnus of the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

The letter of intent contemplates a transaction in which BlackBerry shareholders would receive $9 in cash for each share of BlackBerry they hold, in a transaction valued at approximately $4.7 billion. The consortium would acquire for cash all of the outstanding shares of BlackBerry not held by Fairfax. Fairfax, which owns approximately 10 percent of BlackBerry’s common shares, intends to contribute the shares of BlackBerry it currently holds into the transaction.

The BlackBerry Board of Directors, acting on the recommendation of a special committee of the board of directors, approved the terms of the LOI under which the consortium, which is seeking financing from BofA Merrill Lynch and BMO Capital Markets, would acquire BlackBerry and take the company private subject to a number of conditions, including due diligence, negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement and customary regulatory approvals.

The Special Committee, chaired by Director Tim Dattels, was formed in August 2013 to review strategic alternatives for the company. J.P. Morgan and Perella Weinberg are acting as financial advisors and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Torys LLP are acting as legal advisors.

Diligence is expected to be complete by November 4, 2013. The agreement is on a non-exclusive basis. If BlackBerry enters into any agreement providing for an alternative transaction with a person with whom discussions were held before or during the diligence period, then BlackBerry shall pay Fairfax a fee of $0.30 per BlackBerry share, provided, however, that no such fee shall be payable if the consortium shall have reduced the price offered below $9.00 per share without the approval of the board of directors of BlackBerry. In the event that a definitive agreement is signed with Fairfax the termination fee will increase to $0.50 per share.

Barbara Stymiest, Chair of BlackBerry’s Board of Directors, said: “The Special Committee is seeking the best available outcome for the Company’s constituents, including for shareholders. Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium.”

Prem Watsa, Chairman and CEO of Fairfax, said: “We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees. We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.”

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Info-Tech / by the Hindu Bureau / New Delhi – September 24th, 2013

Vizag boy bags award at HMUN

Education, Records, All, World Opinion
Saketh Roy, a student of class XI, displaying his award that he won at the Harward Model United Nations, held in Hyderabad recently. / Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
Saketh Roy, a student of class XI, displaying his award that he won at the Harward Model United Nations, held in Hyderabad recently. / Photo: K.R. Deepak / The Hindu

A class XI student of Timpany School Saketh Roy bagged the Best Delegate award at the Model United Nations conducted by Harvard University in Hyderabad recently. Over 1,250 students from 130 schools belonging to nine countries participated. The Model United Nations is an annual feature to recognise and encourage talent in youth in the direction of International awareness and personality development.

As a prelude to the Assembly a message from Secretary General of United Nations Ban Ki Moon was read and the speakers included Chairperson of the Noble prize winning Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change R. K. Pachauri, Jerry Martin, founder of Jerry Martin project, Beena Laksmi Nepram and Birad Rajaram Yajnik among others.

Saketh participated as an individual delegate and represented Poland in the Assembly. The subject of debate was the situation in Europe after the World War II. The delegates were made to travel back in time to a situation after the war and form policies to ensure lasting peace in Europe as well as deal with the arrival of atomic and nuclear weapons. Saketh says, “The level of debate was so high and I am very glad that I got to interact with some of the best minds.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Staff Reporter / Visakhapatnam – September 03rd, 2013

Vijayawada airport expansion plan cleared

Business & Economy

Land allotments for various industrial projects, research institutes

The much delayed expansion of Vijayawada airport will gain momentum with the State Cabinet approving the proposal to acquire 492 acres and hand it over to the Airport Authority of India as per the MoU entered with it.

The Council of Ministers who met here on Friday cleared the proposal to sanction Rs.110.91 crore for the land acquisition.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy cleared several proposals for land allotment to various industrial projects, research institutes, educational institutions and development works and approved recruitment to about 5,000 posts, including those on contract basis in several governments departments – Transport, Finance, Anti-Corruption Bureau while a major chunk of posts will be for new power projects to be set up by Genco.

Later giving the details, Information and Public Relations Minister D.K. Aruna told media persons that 498 acres of government land would be handed over to Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation for setting up an industrial park at Jayanthipuram near Jaggaiahpeta in Krishna district and another one in 176 acres in Pellakuru mandal of Nellore district.

Land for three Leather Parks in Balamuru mandal (25 acres) of Krishna district, Kantepalli village (40 acres) in Karimnagar district and Ghanpur (25 acres) in Warangal district was also approved.

Ms. Aruna said that the Cabinet cleared allotment of 132 acres land for 765 kv sub-station at Manubolu in Nellore district; 32 acres of land to National Rural Energy Development Corporation for the wind power project at Racherla village of Kurnool and nine acres of land for the Planning and Architecture institute in Vijayawada.

The Cabinet approved 1,105 posts of engineers and administrative staff in new power projects to be set up by AP Genco, 392 posts in State Transport department and 47 posts in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, including four Joint Directors, 14 DSPs and 20 Inspectors among others.

Clearance was also given for 2,825 additional teacher posts in Residential schools in Scheduled areas under Rajiv Vidya Mission, 38 posts in State Information Commission, 24 posts in Finance department for implementation of 10 PRC recommendations and 28 posts in State Property Tax Board for speedy resolution of tax disputes.

Teaching and non-teaching posts were cleared for Vikrama Simhapuri university in Nellore, Shatavahana University in Karimnagar and 31 posts for PG Centre to be set up Narsapur in Medak.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – September 21st, 2013