Indur Bharathi general secretary Meka Ramaswami submitting a memorandum to Collector Yogitha Rana, in Nizamabad on Saturday.— Photo: K.V. RAMANA
Dasarathi Krishnamachary and Vattikota Alwar Swami, fighters of Telangana Liberation Movement, were kept in custody here
Meka Ramaswami, general secretary of Indur Bharathi, a literary and cultural organisation, appealed to District Collector Yogitha Rana to develop the cell in which the fighters of Telangana Liberation Movement – Dasarathi Krishnamachary and Vattikota Alwar Swami – were kept in custody during their incarceration at Quilla jail by the Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan.
In a memorandum submitted to the Collector here on Saturday, he urged the administration to install life-size portraits of the two stalwarts who laid down their lives for people. The cell should be spruced up and developed into a national monument, he said.
Mr. Ramaswami also requested Ms. Rana to use her good offices to set up a permanent library on municipal or government land to enable people to read the duo’s literature and also to conduct research on them.
He thanked the Collector for her positive response to the twin demands.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Nizamambad – April 17th, 2016
Writer, poet and multi-talented academic tutor at Sunderland University in the UK, Ragasudha Vinjamuri, has completed transcribing ancient palm-leaf folios in Telugu.
The palm-leaf folios have been in the British Library since 1942 and, after a three-year effort, Ragasudha completed the transcription providing a new insight into the life and work of the twelfth century theologian and philosopher Acharya Ramanuja.
The work, in the form of Satakam, will be released in the British parliament on May 10 on the occasion of the 999th birth anniversary of Ramanujacharya. British parliament member Bob Blackman will preside over the function.
Ragasudha is a writer, poet, journalist and founder of Sanskruthi Centre for Cultural Excellence. She has also popularised folk dances such as Koya and Lambadi to a wider audience in the UK.
Ragasudha came across the palm-leaf folios through the curator of South Indian languages at British Library, Nalini Persad, who asked the former to look through the folios.
Some folios were badly damaged and needed Ragasudha to extensively research and identify the missing content from those broken folios. She could ascertain the author of the work with the help of scholars in India. It took more than three years for completing the entire transcription. “I am glad to transcribe the palm-leaf folios that were in the possession of British Library, ascertained by scholars and historians to be about 300 years old,” she said. Vinjamuri now wants to bring into light some mythological characters that received little attention.
Ragasudha researched various texts and puranas and is now planning to bring out the story of characters like Lord Krishna’s daughter, Lord Shiva’s daughter and King Dasaratha’s daughter in dance form, titled ‘Unknown Daughters’.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / by Express News Service / April 11th, 2016
South Central Railway (SCR) has set a record of sorts by bagging All India Performance Efficiency Shields in six disciplines for the year 2015-16. General Manager-SCR Ravindra Gupta attributed the achievements to the commitment and duty-mindedness of the work force.
The six disciplines include those for comprehensive healthcare, stores, civil engineering, commercial, safety and environment management. With this, SCR made its mark at the national-level, on Indian Railways. The awards are to be presented by Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu at the Central function of the Railway Week celebrations by Indian Railways on April 16 at Bhubaneswar.
General Manager-SCR, Ravindra Gupta attributed the success to the commitment of the work force. It was their zeal that led to the SCR attaining such results, by overcoming challenges, he said, addressing a large gathering of railway officers, staff and their family members at the 61st Railway Week Zonal-level celebrations held here on Monday.
Later, Mr. Gupta gave away 164 individual awards to officers and staff, 31 Efficiency Shields to departments and divisions, seven group awards and two special awards.
The function came to an end with the General Manager’s Efficiency Shield for over all best performance going to Secunderabad Division.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 12th, 2016
Two days after the University of Hyderabad secured fourth place among the best educational institutions in the country, a student, B Prasuna, brought laurels to the varsity, bagging first rank in the CSIR-NET exam on Wednesday. This is not the first time 21-year-old Prasuna has passed the exam with good rankings. She had bagged the 64th rank when she first took the exam in December 2014.
One might think the young student would have immersed herself neck-deep into books preparing for the exams, but Prasuna said that she spent time engaging in discussions with mathematicians from across the country at the Annual Foundation School in Pune, rather than deciphering a mathematical problem or understanding a formula.
And this, perhaps, is the formula to score the first rank at the national level in the CSIR-NET exam. The result came as a surprise to the integrated Masters student from the UoH.
“I didn’t expect a place among the top ranks, let alone the first rank. But I surely knew that I wrote better than the last time.” She solved the paper to score 158 out of 200.
Prasuna has no secret formula for her success. “I didn’t prepare specifically for the exam.
In fact, around the same time, (December 2015), I was in Pune to attend a programme at the Annual Foundation School. It is a school where students pursuing Mathematics go for advanced training. I was busy there,” recalls Prasuna.
“Those discussions helped me the most. It was more about understanding the subject rather than practice for the exam. That is also what my professors always told me,” she added. Prasuna’s advice to those preparing for the exam is the same. “Don’t study particularly for the exam,” she opined.
Prasuna loves to read fiction, non-fiction and autobiographies. She would pursue PhD at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and hopes to become a professor.
An integrated Masters student from UoH, B Prasuna, scored all India first rank in CSIR-NET exam conducted in December-2015
She bagged 64th rank when she took the exam for the first time in December -2014
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / April 07th, 2016
The mango orchard of Guda Narsimha Reddy in Karimnagar. I EXPRESS PHOTO
Karimnagar :
At a time when the farming community is in dire straits over the drought conditions, here is a progressive farmer who is reaping dividends by making the most of organic farming methods.
Meet the forty-four year Guda Narsimha Reddy of Katukur village in Bheemdeverapalli mandal, whose success mantra in getting a good yield in his mango crop is simple – use cow urine, dung and organic fertilisers.
Narsimha Reddy rears Gir cows brought from Gujarat in his orchard. He collects the cow urine in a storage tank and through drip irrigation and supplies the same to the mango trees as a substitute for water. For the specific purpose of storing cow urine, he constructed a 450-liter sump at his cow shed in the mango orchard. And he uses the cow dung too for farming. He burns the dried dung cakes under the mango trees once a month to kill pests.
Setting aside traditional farming, he adopted new methods like drip irrigation, organic cultivation and pruning the trees after plucking mangoes. Since last five years, he is cultivating mango crop in 10 acres and has raised about 500 mango trees. With his systematic water management and usage of organic fertilisers, he has become an inspiration to other farmers.
Surprisingly, other farmers in the village are also having mango orchards but they are not exceeding three tonnes per acre of produce, in view of the prevailing dry spell. However, Reddy has overcome such hurdles and succeeded in raising a robust crop of Banganapalli variety and exports it to Delhi and Nagpur every year.
Speaking to Express, Narsimha Reddy said presently his crop yield is 10 tonnes per acre, and he plans to increase it to 15 tonnes. This year, he claims to have spent just Rs.1 lakh for crop cultivation, and earned returns over Rs.18 lakh.
Katukur village is an upland area with no water sources, except for borewells that have to be dug hundreds of feet. Though he had finished graduation, since childhood, he had a passion for cultivation.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Naveen Kumar Tallam / April 08th, 2016
Reddy Ratnakar Reddy showing his collection of rocks and tools at his residence in Warangal onThursday.— Photo: M. Murali
Reddy Ratnakar Reddy, a teacher at a private college, has travelled extensively in Warangal and collected artefacts of historical value
For many of us, a piece of rock doesn’t mean anything. But for Reddy Ratnakar Reddy, a teacher at a private B.Ed college here, it’s a source of education and research.
The 40-year-old Ratnakar Reddy, who developed interest in studying history, travelled the entire district excavating the buried past. In the process, he collected innumerable items, mostly rocks, fossils and tools, believed to have been used by pre-historic men in the course of evolution.
Mr. Ratnakar Reddy found pre-historic places and animal and tree fossils at Buttaigudem in Eturunagaram mandal, cave paintings at Vargal near Medak district, coloured rock beads, menhirs, cist, kern circles at Konne village in Bachannapet mandal in Warangal and grinding stones and grooves at Ramachandrapur village in the same mandal. A huge rock avenue was spotted by him at Kodavatur village as well.
“The habit of digging into the past, literally, is inherited from my father, Buchi Reddy, who is a curious person. Since the announcement of separate Telangana in 2009, I took interest in digging out unknown facts about Telangana, particularly the Warangal district,” he told The Hindu .
He turned his house into a minim archaeology museum with the items he collected during his tours all over the district.
Among the most enchanting findings of Mr. Ratnakar Reddy are musical stones at Chunchunkota hillocks in Cheriyal mandal. “There is a long stone with 60 capsules which was perhaps used as a musical instrument. If you hit the stone, it emits a musical note. There are petroglyphs as well,” he explained.
How does he establish the veracity and authenticity of his findings? Mr. Ratnakar Reddy has been in touch with archaeology and history experts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and surfs internet to learn more about his findings.
“There is an amazing history attached to She Stones found at Wanaparthy village in Lingala Ghanpur mandal and so also the rock cut burials there,” he said.
He wishes to write a book about his findings thus securing a page for himself in the history of Warangal.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao / Jangaon(Warangal District) / April 01st, 2016
An Indian-American professor hailing from Mahbubnagar district in Telangana has been selected for the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Roster for his achievements in the field of pharmacy.
Rajender R Aparasu is the first pharmacy faculty member at the University of Houston selected to be the candidate roster of the Fulbright Specialist Programme, which helps US faculty share their academic expertise and develop linkages with non-US institutions on curriculum, assessment, faculty development and research training.
The Fulbright programme, which is funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves to promote international engagement of academic scholarship and build linkages between the US and overseas institutions. “There are very few Fulbright Specialists in pharmacy, I am really honoured to be selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster,” said Aparasu.
This is a great opportunity to offer my expertise in developing professional and graduate pharmacy programmes that involve pharmaceutical health outcomes and policy,” said Aparasu, whose five-year term runs through 2021.
Aparasu completed his school education in Hyderabad, and got his B Pharm degree from Kakatiya University in Warangal. He studied M Pharm at Jadavpur University in Kolkata and obtained Ph D in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Louisiana-Monroe in the USA and joined UHCOP in 2006 after serving as a faculty at the South Dakota State University for more than a decade.
His primary areas of expertise include pharmacoepidemiology, geriatrics, psychopharmacology and evidence-based medicine.
Aparasu’s current research project, supported by an R01 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is evaluating safety profiles of anticholinergic medications in the elderly nursing home residents.“Dr Aparasu’s selection as a Fulbright Specialist validates his professional accomplishments and enhances our the institutional profile. I am glad he now joins such a select group of outstanding US academicians and scholars that will soon engage in collaborative endeavours,” said Jaime Ortiz, UH vice provost for Global Strategies and Studies.
Aparasu has authored or coauthored nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and seven book chapters. He was made Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association (FAPhA) for his exemplary professional achievements and contribution to the pharmacy profession.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / April 03rd, 2016
The copper and lead coins found during an excavation at Pazzur archaeological site in Nalgonda district on Wednesday. Photo: Singam Venkataramana / The Hindu
The coins belonged to Mahatalavara, feudal lords who ruled parts of Telangana under Satavahana
The archaeology officials excavating the early historic site located between Pazzur-Yarragaddagudem villages unearthed one copper and two lead coins probably belonging to Satavahana and post-Satavahana period.
“Mahatalavara, a feudatory family that ruled parts of Telangana under Satavahana and also during post-Satavahana period, had minted these coins, the archaeology officials said.
The archaeologists identified the coin belongs to Mahatavalaras since the two lead coins were having horse symbol on obverse side. They could not identify the symbol on other side of these coins. The copper coin was rusted and they could not identify anything on it.
Speaking to The Hindu , Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums, P. Nagaraju said that they would send both the lead coins and copper coin for chemical treatment to further identify the symbols on them.
Conarium rod
They have also unearthed a crystal-made 0.06 cm long conarium rod, which the ancient women used for decoration of bindi on their forehead. And they have also found big size bangles made of shell.
Retired Chief Curator Yerramraju Bhanu Murthy said that they had also found similar coins at Dulikatta, Peddankuru, Kotilingala in Karimnagar district and Phangiri, Yeleshwaram in Nalgonda district.
Mr. Bhanu Murthy said that after finding these coins they came to a conclusion that Mahathalavaras also ruled Pazzur area apart from above places.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by T. Karnakar Reddy / Nalgonda – April 07th, 2016
The accidental discovery of Thorium deposits by the Geological Survey on India in Bayyaram of Khammam district has taken the government by surprise. The Thorium reserves were earlier found only in sea coast area of Andhra Pradesh. This surprise information came to light when the government had commissioned the Geological Survey of India to survey Bayyaram to estimate the quality and quantity of iron ore available there for setting up a steel plant. Thorium is used as fuel in nuclear plants.
The state government is planning to seek the help of Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) to make further studies on the quantity and quality of Thorium available in Bayyaram. It will also ask the AMD to find out whether Thorium reserves are available in any other part of the state, besides Bayyaram.
‘’Thorium is available in the sea coast area in AP from Srikakulam to Nellore district. It will be found in beach sand,” official sources told Express on Saturday. Meanwhile, the official sources said that the GSI survey on iron ore availability was continuing in Bayyaram area. The report of GSI on iron ore is likely to be available in the coming months. Setting up of steel plant by the Central government in Bayyaram will be decided only after the GSI report is out.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / April 03rd, 2016
Sunaina Singh, Vice-Chancellor, English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad has been unanimously elected as Vice President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi for a period of three years.
The ICCR Constitution provides for three Vice Presidents out of whom two are elected by the General Assembly. Prabhat Shukla, former Ambassador is the other dignitary who was elected as Vice President while Dr. Jai Shankar, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India is ex-officio third vice-president of the Council.
ICCR president Prof. Lokesh Chandra conducted the General assembly and the Governing Board meetings recently, a press release said.
Prof. Sunaina Singh’s election adds another feather to her career as an academic and as one of the few woman Vice Chancellors of a Central University in India today. She is the first and only Indian woman to have headed the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, a bi-national organization and has rich experience of academic administration at both the national as well as at the international levels.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is a body functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and its mandate includes participation in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes relating to India’s External Cultural relations and to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – March 31st, 2016
