Category Archives: Records, All

A story lost in the mists of time grabs limelight

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

A village called ‘Military Madhavaram’ sparked off the idea and it was but natural for an astute filmmaker called Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi to narrate its story in the form of a film called ‘Kanche’ that got attention at the national-level and got nominated as the Best Regional Film.

Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi popularly known as Krish directed the award winning Telugu feature film "Kanche".- Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam
Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi popularly known as Krish directed the award winning Telugu feature film “Kanche”.- Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

“I am so happy that an untold story bagged national attention. From this village alone, about 2,000 people fought for the allied forces in World War II, all over Asia. Each one of them is a story and I wish I could narrate each of them the way I did, in ‘Kanche’, produced by my father Sai Babu Jagarlamudi and my friend Y. Rajeev Reddy,” is what Krish, as the filmmaker is popular, had to say once he got news of the award. The film has Pragya Jaiswal and Varun Tej in the lead.

‘Military Madhavaram’ per se dates around from the 17th century and history says that the then King Pusapati Madhava Verma Brahma of the Gajapati dynasty ruling the Deccan and Orissa regions built a fort in Arugolanu village about 6 km from Madhavaram to protect his kingdom from enemies. He deployed soldiers from northern Andhra to this fort and provided them with agricultural land and housing sites.

According to senior citizens, Mahatma Gandhi once visited this village and a war memorial like the Amar Jawan Stupa at India Gate has been built in the memory of the soldiers from this village who sacrificed their life for the nation.

The village is called ‘Military Madhavaram’ because atleast one person from each family has worked in the military. Agriculture apart, an ambition for most of the youth is to join the armed forces, the filmmaker recalled, speaking about ‘Kanche’.

The nearest rail heads are Tadepalligudem and Nidadavolu. Asked about what sparked off the idea of making a film with this theme, Krish said, “No one really is aware that a whopping 25 lakh Indian soldiers fought in the World War II, the biggest event that changed the economic, political and power scenario of the world. I was keen on telling the world that India played a major role in this gigantic war.”

Since morning, the filmmaker’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing and his office is full of bouquets from people like Nandamuri Balakrishna, Prakash Raj and filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, to name just a few !

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Suresh Krishnamoorthy / Hyderabad – March 29th, 2016

Meet world’s youngest girl to climb Mt Everest

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Malavath Purna happens to be the youngest girl to scale the Mount Everest.
Malavath Purna happens to be the youngest girl to scale the Mount Everest.

Jodhpur :

There definitely is no comparison between Mount Everest and the vast stretches of desert in Jaisalmer. Yet, both of these geographical highlights on Earth have been etched in the memory of Malavath Purna, who happens to be the youngest girl to scale the Mount Everest.

Talking to TOI here on the sidelines of 65th All India Police Games Volleyball cluster 2015-16, she said that she is equally impressed with the vastness and might of both the places, and is quite awed with the very feeling of being at the Indo-Pak border, which made her even more proud of her feat.

Many treks have been charted since the historic ascent of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norway scaling Mount Everest in 1953. However, scaling of this Himalayan peak by Malavath Purna on May 25, 2014 was an altogether different achievement. This has set a record of a ‘new age new scale’. Purna became the youngest girl (at a mere 13 years and 11 months) in the world to reach the pinnacle of the 8,848 metres high Mount Everest. Hailing from a small village ‘Pakala’ in Nizamabad district of Telangana, she is the younger child of the farm labourers Lakshmi and Devidas while her elder brother is pursuing an engineering degree.

However, this mountaineer who made headlines ever since her feat, is now focusing on her studies and wants to be an IPS officer just like her real life idol and motivation R S Praveen Kumar, secretary, Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society.

Candidly, she shared as to how her parents are now proud to flaunt their diligent daughter. Purna, while advocating following a strict discipline and cleanliness measures by mountaineers said that she took the Tiber North Col Route or the North Ridge which happens to be less crowded.

“I was fortunate enough to be allowed to scale the peak at that age since now both Nepal and China are enforcing the age limits for various reasons including those aimed at eliminating risks taken by the younger and less experienced enthusiasts and also to reduce the litter,” said Purna adding that she had undertaken enough trekking training in mountains of Ladakh and Darjeeling. However, nothing had actually prepared her for braving the minus 60 degree celsius temperature of Mount Everest.

Focusing on her own studies and motivating children to pursue hard work for achieving their goals at present, she recollects treading off the beaten path while being accompanied by Sandhana Palli Anand on that glorious day of May 25 when her 52-day-long expedition culminated in a world record at about 5.55 am. “We were amongst 150 children who were originally selected for adventure sports and 20 of us were sent to the premier Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling and the two of us with a higher endurance were sent for Mt Everest expedition in April that year,” she retraced.

It was the 10 commandment of ‘never give up’ recited in her school every day that made her continue climbing the peak despite the initial sight of six bodies of mountaineers shaking her very soul.”

Long trekking hours, acclimatization and then bad weather were all actually a motivation to not give up before hoisting the National Flag at Mt Everest and even offering a salute to B R Ambedkar,” said Purna even as she expressed her gratitude for all that Telangana showered upon her after her accomplishment.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Jaipur / by Jatinder Kaur Tur, TNN / March 27th, 2016

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport bags award

Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

RGIA has been winning Skytrax Awards for the last seven years in various categories.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) managed and operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has bagged the Skytrax ‘Best Regional Airport in India and Central Asia Award’.

RGIA has been winning Skytrax Awards for the last seven years in various categories.

SGK Kishore, CEO, GHIAL, said:

It is a moment of great honour and pride that Hyderabad Airport has again been crowned with Skytrax Award, this time as ‘Best Regional Airport in India and Central Asia’.

We have been consistently endeavouring to make our airport a place of delight for our passengers. Hence, aligning our vision with our honourable Prime Minister’s Digital India programme, we became the first airport in India to implement end-to-end seamless e-boarding process for our passengers.

On environment front also, we are harnessing solar power to meet our airport’s energy requirement during peak day hour with our 5MW solar power plant at the airport. We have robust passenger feedback mechanism and we ensure that our passenger’s comfort is kept at on our top priority.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – March 23rd, 2016

L&TMRH Coffee Table book gets award

Business & Economy, Records, All

L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited – Coffee Table Book has bagged the prestigious ABCI Silver Award under the Prestige Publications category, at the 55th Annual Awards Contest, organized by the Association of Business Communicators of India (ABCI) at an awards night in Mumbai last week.

L&TMRH Coffee Table Book bagged the honours for the clarity of its communication, design, vibrancy of expression and for demonstrating that the strength of an organisation is its people.

The book is a grand compilation of the major achievements of the company with a theme of “One Team One Dream” since its inception, aesthetically designed, highlighting the importance of PPP, various events, people, vendors and project related information with project photographs, a press release said.

The ABCI is the oldest and largest of communication body in India.

This year, over 120 organizations representing private sector companies, PSUs and communication agencies had submitted a total of 1425 entries.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – March 22nd, 2016

Plea for inclusion of martyr’s life history in school curriculum

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
ZP chairperson Tula Uma, CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy at the Telangana Armed Struggle martyr Anabheri Prabhakar’s 69th death anniversary in Karimnagar on Monday.-Photo: By arrangement.
ZP chairperson Tula Uma, CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy at the Telangana Armed Struggle martyr Anabheri Prabhakar’s 69th death anniversary in Karimnagar on Monday.-Photo: By arrangement.

Zilla Parishad chairperson Tula Uma on Monday said that they urged the State government to include the life history of Telangana armed struggle martyr Anabheri Prabhakar in the school curriculum.

Participating in the 69th death anniversary of Anabheri Prabhakar here on Monday, she said that they also urged the government to install the statue of Prabhakar on Tank bund and conduct his birth and death anniversaries as State festivals to inspire the present generation.

Recollecting the supreme sacrifice made by Anabheri for the liberation of Telangana State from the clutches of Nizam rulers, CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy urged the government to include the life history of Prabhakar in the school curriculum.

He said that Anabheri Prabhakar along with 10 others were killed in encounter by the Nizam on March 14, 1948 in Karimnagar district. He demanded that the government celebrate the Telangana Liberation day on September 17 as State festival officially as the Telangana was liberated from Nizam rulers on September 17, 1948. Earlier, the CPI leaders and ZP chairperson paid rich tributes to Anabheri Prabhakar by garlanding his statue.

The CPI district secretary K Ramgopal Reddy, town secretary P Raju, state council leader K Shoba Rani, B Ashok, P Kedari and others were also present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Karimnagar -March 15th, 2016

State, Maharashtra sign historic accord

About Telangana, Amazing Feats, Leaders, Records, All
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (right) and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis exchanging the agreement on the Godavari projects in Mumbai on Tuesday.– Photo: PTI
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (right) and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis exchanging the agreement on the Godavari projects in Mumbai on Tuesday.– Photo: PTI

Chief Ministers of both States ink pact on inter-State board on Godavari projects like Lendi, Lower Penganga, Pranahita which include barrages at Chanakha-Korata, Rajapet, Penpahad and the newly-proposed Medigadda.

Chief Ministers of Telangana and Maharashtra K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Devendra Fadnavis, respectively, unveiled a new chapter in the inter-State relations in the country by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Mumbai on Tuesday for establishing an inter-State water board on Godavari projects.

The agreement is expected to end decades of discord between the two States on utilisation of water of the Godavari and its tributaries and pave the pay for the two States to take up and complete irrigation projects which have been mired in disputes all these years, particularly pending projects such as Lendi, Lower Penganga, Pranahita which include barrages at Chanakha-Korata, Rajapet, Penpahad and the newly-proposed Medigadda.

MilestoneTELAN12mar2016

The proposed inter-State board to be headed by the two Chief Minister alternatively every year would help work out mutually-agreeable specifications on the construction of Medigadda barrage as part of the Kaleshwaram project and a component of the redesigned Pranahita-Chevella project.

The barrage would allow irrigation of 16.4 lakh acres in Telangana and over 50,000 acres in some tribal areas of Maharashtra with the help of four small lift irrigation schemes.

A meeting of the new board likely to be held in a fortnight’s time would decide the height, full reservoir level (FRL), of the Tummidihatti and Medigadda barrages. The FRL of barrage near Tummidihatti is likely to be 148 meters while that of Medigadda could be anywhere between 100 and 103 meters.

Speaking after inking the bilateral document, Mr. Fadnavis said they had agreed for the pact with Telangana after the neighbouring State had explained and convinced it about various possibilities on taking up the two barrages on which Maharashtra had serious objections. “It’s a historic agreement by all means when several States are at loggerheads on issues related to river waters,” Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.

“We are ready to take up construction of Medigadda barrage, if given a go-ahead by Maharashtra, immediately even as talks could continue on deciding the height of the barrage at mutually agreeable level. However, my request to Maharashtra is to keep in mind that higher the storage capacity of the barrage larger the benefits to farmers of both the States, without causing much submergence”, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.

KCR extends invite to Fadnavis

He invited Mr. Fadnavis, Water Resources Minister of Maharashtra G.D. Mahajan to Hyderabad for the next meeting of the inter-State board to discuss and decide upon the levels of Medigadda and Tummidihatti barrages.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister recollected that efforts were on between Maharashtra and the then combined Andhra Pradesh States for an agreement on Godavari waters since October 1975.

“When neighbouring countries could have good relations, why can’t two States have such ties,” the Maharashtra Chief Minister asked stating that the agreement would benefit the people of both Maharashtra and Telangana.

It’s a historic agreement by all means when several States are at loggerheads on issues related to river waters.

K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana.

When neighbouring countries can have good relations, why can’t two States have such ties?

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by B. Chandrasekhar / March 09th, 2016

TSRTC bags mileage award

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

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation that operates about 10,500 buses post its bifurcation from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State RTC, consumes an estimated 6 lakh litres of high speed diesel (HSD) to transport slightly-over 90 lakh passengers every day.

While it may initially appear as if the huge buses that occupy more than the road width across the State may be guzzling HSD, it is interesting to note that with some coordination between drivers and the backroom boys who keep the engines, the brakes and the clutch plates particularly, the corporation’s buses manage to get over 5 km per litre (KMPL) of diesel.

A feather on the TSRTC’s cap within a year of bifurcation is that it bagged two prestigious awards among the 60 State Road Transport Undertakings across the country – the highest KMPL award for mofussil services by extracting a record 5.46 KMPL in the category of a fleet strength of 4,001-10,000 buses.

It also got the runner-up award for maximum improvement of fuel efficiency in the same category for 2014-15, up from 5.41 to 5.46 KMPL, said Managing Director G.V. Ramana Rao.

When contacted, Executive Director-Engineering and Secretary to the Board, M. Ravinder said that the fuel bill per day itself works out to approximately Rs. 3 crore a day, including the 24 per cent sales tax that the corporation is forced to pay.

For the past two decades or so, even while it was the erstwhile APSRTC, there has been a consistent demand pending with the Government of India for a reduction in sales tax. Being a part of the Indian Railways, South Central Railway runs its trains by paying only 4 per cent sales tax for the HSD it consumes.

Practically every senior officer repeats this fact, wishing for a windfall every time the price of HSD is increased!

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Suresh Krishnamoorthy / Hyderabad – March 08th, 2016

RGIA third best airport

Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has been declared as the third best airport in the world, in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category, by the Airports Council International.

It is for the seventh year in a row that the facility, operated and managed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, is being featured among the world’s top three airports in the Council’s ASQ ranking.

The award will be presented at the ASQ awards ceremony in April as a part of the 2016 ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly in Gold Coast, Australia.

“It is a moment of great pride for us… we thank our passengers for keeping the faith in us”, GHIAL CEO S.G.K. Kishore said in a release.

The award also enhances the visibility of the city, furthering the ‘Brand Hyderabad’ initiative of Telangana government.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – March 02nd, 2016

Second Century Settlement Unearthed Near Nalgonda

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

Hyderabad :

Recent excavations conducted by the department of Archaeology and Museums (DAM) have revealed evidence of yet another ancient settlement in Nalgonda district.

The latest site is located in Pajjur village, about 12 km from Nalgonda and 80 km away from Phanigiri Buddhist site, where the department had unearthed extensive Buddhist relics dating back to the 2nd century AD and 4th century AD. A team of archaeologists, who started excavations at Pajjur on February 18, found several pottery shreds and terracotta figures. After digging up to three layers, they have found an underlying brick structure too apart from several coloured beads, shell bangles, toys and female terracotta figures.

“On one of the pottery piece, it was written ‘Buddhasa’ in Brahmi script. But it is too early to call it a Buddhist site. Our investigations reveal that the site should date back to the first and third century AD,” said an official.

Beads and terracotta figures collected by archaeologists from Pajjur village in Nalgonda district
Beads and terracotta figures collected by archaeologists from Pajjur village in Nalgonda district

In fact, the archaeologists had conducted a preliminary surface excavation at Pajjur in 2003 but with Phanigiri Buddhist site gaining prominence, this site was left unattended. The proposal to conduct further excavations was approved by Central Advisory Board Of Archaeology (CABA) recently after the department conducted a surface examination of the site and forwarded the proposal to Delhi.

Confirming the same, NR Visalatchy, director, DAM, said a ground survey was conducted recently to find surface evidence which had suggested an underlying settlement.

“It is a huge area of up to 40 acres. We had problems in convincing the local farmers about the extent of land needed for excavations. We have taken up work on around 3-4 acres. The surface has been disturbed a lot. Just for agricultural purpose alone, around four feet of earth has been removed. We have found a lot of pottery shreds there,” she said.

According to her, there is no evidence so far to suggest that it is a Buddhist site.

“We are exploring the possibilities. The construction needs to be studied scientifically. The structure looks like a wall more than a Stupa. Whether it is part of a Vihara complex will be revealed during further investigation. Unlike the bricks seen in Viharas, these bricks are extremely of light weight. All the analysis needs to be done,” she explained.

At Phanigiri, the hillock which draws its name from the shape that resembles a snake-hood, the department had excavated structural remains in four aspidal Chaityagrihas, eight votive stupas (both circular and square), a maha stupa, a stone-pillared congregation hall with 64 pillars, three viharas with thick brick walls, sculptured panels, Brahmi inscriptions belonging to Satavahana and Ikshvaku dynasties, coins of Mahatalavarasa, Satavahana, Ikshvaku kings and even Roman coins and Persian pottery were found.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telanagana / by Rahul V. Pisharody / February 29th, 2016

Prestigious honour for OU academic

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

Dr. C. Manoharachary, senior scientist of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), was recently awarded ‘Indian Phytopathological Society Recognition Award’ for the year 2015 in recognition of his services to the field of plant pathology.

The Indian Phytopathological Society conferred the prestigious honour on him in New Delhi recently, informed a press release from Dr. Pratibha Sharma, secretary of the society.

Dr. Manocharachary did his post doctoral work in Germany. An acknowledged academic in his own right, Prof. Manoharachary specialises in biodiversity, taxonomy, conservation and bioprospecting of fungi, plant pathogens, microbes, mycorrhizae, lichens, medicinal plants, besides others. He discovered 20 new genera, 120 new species and 500 new additions of fungi.

He guided 50 PhDs, published 540 research papers in reputed national and international journals, besides authoring 28 books.

Dr. Manoharachary served the Osmania University in various capacities for over 40 years.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – February 26th, 2016