Category Archives: Records, All

2 Icrisat agri scientists awarded for research

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

Two Icrisat scientists were selected for the institute’s highest award for research, its governing board announced on Tuesday. Dr Mamta Sharma and Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur are joint recipients of the Doreen Margaret Mashler Award, 2018, for significant work in their respective research fields at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Dr Mamta Sharma specializes in epidemiology of plant diseases and pathogens, focusing on disease-resistant breeding in chickpea and pigeonpea, two of ICRISAT’s mandate crops. In 2017, she led the team that developed the Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method to identify a pathogen affecting chickpea and over 500 crops globally. She also established the Center of Excellence on Climate Change Research for Plant Protection to address effects of climate change on insect-pests and diseases.

Dr Sharma’s LAMP method has helped researchers in breeding programs across the globe understand the mechanism of inheritance of resistance.

Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur led an international, multiinstitutional effort, for innovative biotechnology solutions to combat aflatoxin in groundnut using a ‘double-defense’ approach. These include engineering groundnuts to stop Aspergillus flavus ungus by production of small proteins called defensins. In the second approach, the synthesis of aflatoxin by the fungus was shut down using gene-silencing RNA molecules. This breakthrough resulted in resistance to fungal infection as well as remarkably low levels of aflatoxin contamination.

Dr Bhatnagar-Mathur also worked towards successful isolation and characterization of the gene responsible for cytoplasmic male sterility in pigeonpea. As a result, ICRISAT filed its first ever patent in 2016-17. It holds great potential to induce and control male sterility in other crop species, providing male sterile lines for developing scalable hybrid systems.

The award, which includes a plaque and a citation, will be presented during the ICRISAT Governing Board meeting later this year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Sushil Rao / TNN / April 18th, 2018

Saina outshines Sindhu, emerges the golden girl

Agriculture, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Women’s singles gold medallist Saina Nehwal of India poses with her medal and Borobi plush doll. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Saina Nehwal won a second Commonwealth Games women’s singles title in style at the Carrara Sports arena here on Sunday.

The former World No. 1 displayed sheer determination and was aggressive all through as she put to shade the challenge from compatriot and current World No. 3 P.V. Sindhu at 21-18, 23-21 in 56 minutes to grab the gold medal, a feat she first achieved in New Delhi 2010.

However, K. Srikanth could not celebrate his ascent to World No. 1 ranking with a gold medal as he had to be content with the silver after going down to the legendary Lee Chong Wei 19-21, 21-14, 21-4.

Early lead
Saina took to an early lead and built upon it to outfox her rival. The first set saw Saina take a 9-4 lead, paralysing Sindhu at the net and coming up with deafening smashes. It was soon 20-14 and though Sindhu showed signs of revival, she couldn’t salvage the set.

In the second, Sindhu was her usual self and even threatened to take the match into the decider. Sindhu was ahead for most part, but Saina never allowed her to widen the gap before levelling at 20-all.

A tired Saina hung on bravely, overcoming Sindhu who saved one match-point before returning a smash wide. Saina instantly threw her hands up in the air in exultation.

“I will really put this along with my Olympic medal and my World No. 1 ranking. It’s a very emotional moment. I have been waiting for that one great victory after the disappointing loss in Rio 2016 where I had to retire because of my injury and had to go through surgery on my right knee,” said Saina.

On the other hand, Sindhu was happy that it was an all-India final, “The prospect itself was exciting and it is nice that it came true. The second was anyone’s set. I thought I could win it, but it was not to be. However, it is a good game overall and I am happy I tried my best.”

Srikanth began with a sequence of unforced errors and was down 0-5 before rallying his way ahead to eventually take the first set at 21-19. But the Indian was unable to keep up the momentum as he committed silly mistakes to go down without much fight.

Reflecting on the match, the Indian said: “When you are playing against such a great player, you have to be at your best, throughout the match. I started well by taking the first set but I made too many mistakes in my defence in the second and third. I gave him that early lead which I should have avoided.”

Satwik-Chirag bag silver
It was also a silvery finish for Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Chandrasekhar Shetty in the men’s doubles, as they lost to England’s Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge 21-13, 21-16.

Satwik, in partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa, had lost the mixed doubles bronze medal match on Saturday to Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon and Guo Liu Ying 21-19, 21-19, and not as reported in these columns on Sunday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by A. Vinod / Gold Coast – April 15th, 2018

7-year-old Hyderabad boy climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, Travel, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

A 7-year-old boy from Hyderabad scaled the highest peak in Africa, Uhuru peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Samanyu Pothuraju, along with his coach, unfurled the Tricolor at a height of 5,895 meters above the sea level on April 2.

Speaking with ANI, the boy said, “The day was rainy and the road was full of stones. I got afraid, I had leg pains, but I took rest and completed it. I like snow a lot and that is the reason I went to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pawan Kalyan is my favourite hero, my mom promised me that she will make me meet him if I try the world record, now am eagerly waiting to meet him. I will go to Australia peak in next month ending and want to make a record.”

Pothuraju was accompanied by his mother Lavanya, coach Thammineni Bharath, a fellow mountaineer Shangabandi Srujana, and another woman, all hailed from Hyderabad. A local doctor from Tanzania also accompanied them.

Pothuraju’s mother said “I am really very happy as my son tried to achieve a world record. After reaching there, I stopped in my halfway because of my health condition but my son didn’t quit unless until he reaches the destination. I was very much tensed and worried as there were different climate conditions. Our next target is Australia, 10 peaks in May ending and that will also be the record of my son.”

The trek began on March 29 when the team started from the base point. It took about five days for the team to reach the peak.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / ANI / April 16th, 2018

Mess worker’s son scores 991 in Inter exams

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

His mother is a vegetable cutter in the same mess he eats but that didn’t stop him from securing the second highest marks in MPC in Telangana this year.

Student of Narayana College, Hayatnagar, Venkata Sai Chandra with 991 marks is certainly an inspiration for those who come from underprivileged backgrounds to achieve against all odds. A student of Narayana College, Hayathnagar, he said seeing his mother working in the college mess was a big inspiration to study better rather than a let down, which many youngsters consider.

College principal Rama Rao said Sai Chandra was given free education and he proved his worth. Hailing from Mothe mandal near Suryapet, he is now waiting for IIT results and is confident of making it.

Narayana Educational Institutions have recorded highest pass percentage in both junior and senior Intermediate exams with as many as 8 students scoring the State highest mark of 467 in first year and 67 students securing 466 marks in the MPC stream.

In a statement here, director of the group Sharani Narayana said that in the second year exams 3 students scored 992 out of 1000 marks, six scored 991 while 20 students scored 990 marks. In the BPC stream 991 was the highest mark and 13 students scored marks above 988, she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 13th, 2018

Srikanth on top of the world

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Kidambi Srikanth. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

Srikanth thus became only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal, who had occupied the women’s top spot in 2015, to achieve the feat.

K. Srikanth always let his racquet do the talking. Even for all those who are regular to Gopi Academy where the champion shuttler puts in that extra effort to become a better player, he acknowledges the presence of visitors with a smile and gets back to business.

One needs to probe him to get replies since Srikanth is not one of who loves to engage in long conversations.

So, after the 25-year-old scaled the summit of the world men’s singles rankings on Thursday, he just looked at it as just another achievement, gently reminding that he had bigger goals to chase, including the Olympics gold.

“I always believed that if you are consistent in any sport, these things (rankings) automatically will fall in place. Honestly, I never chased them, but was fully aware that if you keep winning titles, you are bound to be there at the top,” said Srikanth.

“To be the No. 1 now after being ranked No. 338 about six years ago is a fabulous journey,” he said.

Inspiration
“Yes, being World No.1 is something which not everyone is able to achieve. That way it will remain one of the special moments of my career and can only be a huge inspiration for better deeds,” said Srikanth, who has had a dream run in the recent past.

He won four Super Series titles and guided India to the team gold in the on-going Commonwealth Games. “Well, my immediate goal is to win the singles gold at the CWG,” he added.

“The ranking is definitely a big load off my shoulders as many people have been asking me about this wherever I go. So, it’s a big relief,” he added.

“This is a big year for Indian badminton and I would be glad to be part of anything that will bring name and fame for us. In the process, winning gold in the Asian Games and the World championship are something which should make anyone proud,” said the 2016 Rio Olympics quarterfinalist.

“I dedicate this feat to my parents, coach Gopi (Chand) Sir, my physio Kiran and all the support staff at the academy and all those who always backed my abilities right through my career,” said Srikanth.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / New Delhi – April 12th, 2018

e-NAM turned Nizamabad yard model for entire nation

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All
Award for efficiency: Irrigation and Marketing Minister T. Harish Rao opening the Sadhimoota scheme at agriculture marketyard in Nizamabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K_V_RAMANA

Marketyard received the e-NAM award from Prime Minister

Irrigation and Marketing Minister T. Harish Rao said the Nizamabad Marketyard ranked number one in the country by extending the best and prompt services to farmers. It received the best e-NAM award from the Prime Minister for its performance, he said here on Tuesday.

After laying the foundation for Karmika Bhavan and opening Sadhimoota (lunch) scheme at agriculture marketyard he told farmers that the TRS government had aimed at providing total assurance to farmers by completing irrigation projects and strengthening the marketing system.

He said e-NAM made the trading system transparent and weighing produce easy. Over 70,000 turmeric bags could be weighed in a single day and be traded nationwide with the help of the system. It was possible with the concerted efforts of all the people, he said adding that no other marketyard had a rest house for women.

“I am very happy to launch the Sadhimoota scheme which provides lunch for just ₹5 to farmers. We need to satiate the hunger of farmers who provide food to all. The district will become green with crops all through the year if the ongoing projects are completed,” he added.

Mr. Harish Rao said that allotment of ₹12,000 crore in the budget for the welfare of farmers was an indication to say that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was committed to the cause of their welfare. The ₹5 lakh insurance for every farmer would be a great support to their families. Being jealous of various welfare schemes introduced for farmers and quick completion of irrigation projects the Congress party was trying to stall them, he alleged.

The Minister assured all possible help from the Government to the oustees of Manchippa Reservoir, whose storage capacity is being increased to 3.5 tmcf. He said red jowar was purchased with ₹100 crore and blackgram, redgram and bengalgram was procured spending ₹14 crore.

Member of Parliament K. Kavitha, MLAs B. Ganesh Gupta, B. Govardhan, A. Jeevan Reddy, MLC V.G. Goud, mayor Akula Sujatha, market committee chairperson K. Divya, Collector M. Ram Mohan Rao and joint collector A. Ravinder Reddy were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Nizambad – April 11th, 2018

Hyderabad forgets its Chanda

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel
Chanda Bai ka Bageecha, the funerary garden built by Mah Laqa Bai for her mother. | Photo Credit: @SERISH NANISETTI

Poet’s 250th birth anniversary passes without celebration

April 7 marked the 250th birth anniversary of poet Mah Laqa Bai Chanda, who has left a lasting impression on Hyderabad and its environs with her social and cultural contributions. However, the event passed without any celebrations.

In the lanes of Moula Ali leading to the hill shrine, there are many blank faces about Mah Laqa Bai Chanda. Only a few older residents call the funerary garden built by Mah Laqa Bai for her mother remember it as Chanda Bai ka Bageecha. Restored with funding from the US Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2010, the small masjid is the only facility that is used by locals for prayers. “Tourists come here to see and ask various questions about the tank, the well and the garden. Many people come to photograph the place,” informed the caretaker of the garden.

“In the true sense, Hyderabad has not really appreciated her daughter. Her contribution was immense. It is on record that she gave away ₹1 crore for educating the girl child. Many of her properties have been taken over and razed. Nobody remembers her jagir in Nampally. But there is fantastic response to the play Mah Laqa Bai Chanda wherever we stage it in the country. That shows her appeal. Unfortunately, Hyderabad has forgotten her,” says director Vinay Varma of Sutradhar wryly.

“We are planning an event woven around Mah Laqa Bai Chanda to mark the 100th anniversary of Osmania University. It was her jagir where the university today stands. She is a role model for women empowerment as she wrote poetry and at the same time, stood on par with the ruling elite,” said Anuradha Reddy of Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage.

Chanda Bai was treated on par with noblemen as she counted the who’s who from the Nizam’s court among her admirers. If Nizam Ali Khan elevated her rank to one where kettledrums were beaten to mark her entry, the prime minister Mir Alum wrote poetry in her honour.

In July 27, 1799, after a triumphant return from the win against Tipu Sultan, Mir Alum organised a splendid party at his mansion. Here, Chanda Bai was the key performer as the British diplomat John Malcolm watched. “The Court of Hyderabad is altered, and the dance and the song no longer prevail. A moody, melancholy sovereign, degraded and dejected nobles, and the impoverished retainers of a fallen Court offer no field for the genius of Chanda; but even yet, changed as she is by eighteen years, she maintains considerable influence, and has the lion’s share of all that is spent in dissipation,” wrote John Malcolm, who was acquainted with Chanda Bai from his earlier stint as a British diplomat. Chanda presented a copy of her collected poems to Malcolm which is now in the British Library.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Serish Nanisetti / Hyderabad – April 07th, 2018

Taekwondo champ sets Guinness World Records

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Vemuri V.S. Prasad holds the record for most full contact elbow strikes in one minute and most full contact knee strikes in three minutes.

Police officer Vemuri Prasad going from strength to strength

At 49, Vemuri V.S. Prasad is another Hyderabadi who has developed a fascination for Guiness World Records in taekwondo. This Senior Intelligence Officer in the Directorate of GST Intelligence (DGGI, Hyderabad) has set two new world records this year, which were ratified recently. He holds the record for most full contact elbow strikes in one minute (176) and most full contact knee strikes in three minutes (180).

Interestingly, Prasad, who is also an avid wildlife photographer, already has three World Records to his name, with the record for most full contact kicks in one hour by a team (20,494 in 2012), most full contact kicks in one hour by a team (37,161 in 2013) and largest taekwondo display with 979 participants (in 2014). He has never really dreamt it big in the sport – like chasing a medal in the Olympics.

“I have been into taekwondo for more than 25 years now. Thanks to grand master Jayanth Reddy, I am still able to pursue my passion at an age when many start thinking of post-retirement plans,” he says.

A black belt (dan-3), Prasad takes pride that his passion for the sport can be termed as an addiction.

Mr. Prasad is a silver medallist in the 2014 Senior National Open Club taekwondo championship (78-84 kg) in Delhi and has also won gold in successive years in the Karate Nationals between 1994-2000. What keeps him motivated to keep going? “It is just my passion for the sport. It gives me all the will power I look for in any aspect of life,” says the soft-spoken police officer.

Standing at an imposing 6’ 3”, he now aims to set a few more world records like most split kicks in one minute (current record is 30) and in spiderman knuckle push-ups (current record is 56 per minute).

“Yes, I am preparing for the international taekwondo champonship this year, but only to have a critical evaluation of where I stand among the best and not to prove a point or two,” he said, signing off the other ‘V.V.S.’ from the City.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – April 05th, 2018

Rare sculpture of Rudrama Devi’s ‘last’ battle discovered

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel
The sculpture showing Kakatiya warrior queen Rudrama Devi in combat with her subordinate chief Kayastha King Ambadeva.

It provides crucial information on the death of warrior queen

A sculptural slab carved in granite that has a life-size portrait of Kakatiya warrior queen Rudrama Devi was discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the sanctum sanctorum of Trikuta temple at Bekkallu village in Siddipet district.

Stating that the discovery has unravelled the mystery of her death, the officials said Rudrama Devi was killed during a war by her own subordinate chief Kayastha King Ambadeva somewhere near Warangal.

During an extensive exploration survey to ascertain the antiquity and architectural ascendancy of ancient shrines that flourished under the celebrated regime of Kakatiyas (11th to 13th century) in both the Telugu States, D. Kanna Babu, Superintending Archaeologist, Temple Survey Project (Southern Region), ASI Chennai, discovered the sculptural slab in which the portrait of Rudrama Devi is carved, a week ago.

“The discovery of the portrait sculpture is a first of its kind that displays a fierce fighting scene between Rudrama Devi and Ambadeva and it stands as a supporting evidence to the recent findings in Telangana,” Mr. Babu said. He said the uniqueness of the sculpture was that it vividly shows Rudrama Devi (A.D. 1262-1289) as a commanding and imperial personality with characteristic gesticulations of a ferocious warrior. “It might answer all the questions and doubts that the historians and archaeologists had about her death since decades. Thanks to the unknown sculptor who left a credible source for us to reconstruct the life history of the queen, particularly her end,” he said.

He said the sculptured panel in a rectangular frame superbly represents the imperial personality of Rudrama Devi who is riding a horse with a sword in her right hand while her left hand holds the reigns.

Describing the sculpture, Mr. Babu said the queen’s arms and wrists are embellished with warrior shields. “She is wearing robes of a male warrior with a waist belt and has her left leg over the hanging pedal while a shield is securing her chest,” he explained.

Ambadeva, the rebellion sub-ordinate chief, is in his war robes with a tightly-fixed lower garment, a waist belt and arm guards.

“He escaped the blows of Rudrama Devi and overpowered the horse and harmed it. The horse falls on its face and Rudrama Devi is surprised of his sudden action of rebel. Finally, Ambadeva kills her and she attains viraswargam,” he said.

The patron and artisan who carved the sculpture acted with far-sightedness who thought that these would serve as commemorative visual aids on Rudrama Devi for her successive generations, he said and added that the queen’s domestic help must have carved the sculpture.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Abhinay Deshpande / Hyderabad – April 08th, 2018

UoH prof. ‘discovers’ two languages

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Publishes paper on endangered languages, giving insight into Walmiki and Malhar

A linguistics professor at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has claimed to have discovered two languages spoken in a few pockets of Odisha and areas bordering Andhra Pradesh.

Panchanan Mohanty, former dean of UoH’s School of Humanities, published a paper in the proceedings of the XX Annual Conference of the Foundation for Endangered Languages, U.K. giving an insight into the two languages. One of them is Walmiki, spoken in Koraput district of Odisha and bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh, and the other, Malhar spoken in a remote, isolated hamlet located 165 km from Bhubaneswar.

Prof. Mohanty claims that Walmiki does not belong to a particular family of languages and its name is also interesting and indicative because the speech community claims descent from the great Indian saint-poet Valmiki. Malhar is spoken by a community consisting of about 75 people, including children, he adds.

“Fortunately, most of them are very fluent in this language because they live isolated from the Odia-speaking neighbours and survive on daily labour and collections from the nearby forest,” he points out.

He says preliminary data collected clearly shows that Malhar belongs to the North Dravidian subgroup of the Dravidian family of languages and has close affinity with the other North Dravidian languages like Malto and Kurux spoken in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.

“The team is trying to find if there are other speakers of Malhar in any of the nearby places apart from documenting both the languages before they become extinct,” he said in a statement from the UoH.

Prof. Mohanty is also the president of Linguistic Society of India and coordinator of the Centre for Endangered Languages and Mother Tongue Studies, UoH.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 07th, 2018