Category Archives: Records, All

Telangana becomes first State to make gender education compulsory

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

GenderEqualityTELANGANA11jan2016

The book discusses gender in its composite form without limiting itself to crime against women.

Telangana has become the first State to introduce compulsory gender education at the graduate level; without repeating gender stereotypes in its bilingual textbook titled, ‘Towards a World of Equals.’

The book introduced on a pilot basis in engineering colleges affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU-Hyderabad) discusses gender in its composite form without limiting itself to crime against women. From information on unacknowledged women writers of Telangana to problems of sex selection and women’s work in politics and economics, the book attempts to cover it all.

It also touches upon complex subjects like female-centric history and male-female relationships.

Structured in simple language and form to suit under-graduates, the book discusses different strands of women’s movements across the world, introducing students to political movements of Afro-American, Caribbean, African, Dalit and minority women.

And coupled with the book is a collection of visual teaching tools which include documentary films.

The book is being taught over 14 weeks in a semester at the rate of two classes per week.

Credits earned in the end semester examination add up to students’ GPAs.

A nine-member, all-women, panel which drafted the syllabus and developed its content has already held four training workshops for groups of 15 to 40 teachers and is expected to take up yet another session this week.

What makes the textbook interesting is the gamut of reactions and classroom discussions which it attempts to generate. For instance, in its first chapter on Socialisation, the book hints at initiating a discussion in the classroom on “Are boys taught household work while growing up? Discuss your experiences at home.”

Optimistic
Editors of the textbook published by the Telugu Academy are optimistic about the results.

“We have received a lot of good feedback from teachers,” said A. Suneetha, one of the editors.

The book discusses construction of gender stereotypes through pictures on male and female hairstyles, clothing and discussions on popular songs like ‘Kolaveri’, advertisements and films.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Nikhila Henry / Hyderabad – January 11th, 2016

Book on Telangana movement and State formation released

About Telangana, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao released a book titled “Telangana Udyamala Charitra – Rashtra Avirbhavam” (history of Telangana movements and State formation) written by V. Prakash, founder of Acharya Jayashankar Study Centre and political analyst.

Advisor to Government K.V. Ramanachary, Minister G. Jagadish Reddy, State Planning Board Vice Chairman S. Niranjan Reddy, legislators K. Prabhakar Reddy and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and family members of Mr. Prakash were present on the occasion. Complimenting Mr. Prakash for penning the book, the Chief Minister said it was a great attempt to compile the history of Telangana movement.

‘Comprehensive’

“Nobody in the past had penned the Telangana movement so comprehensively as Mr. Prakash did now.

He was a witness to many incidents during the movement and studied them thoroughly,” the Chief Minister said adding that it would be a must read book for the future generations. Stating that Mr. Prakash’s book would also be useful as reference material to many competitive examinations to be held by the Telangana State Public Service Commission in the future, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao felt that it should be in the libraries in the State as well as colleges and high school libraries.

“The book reflects several aspects related to the movement as it is,” the Chief Minister said and expressed his wish that the writer pen many more good books in future.

The Chief Minister felicitated Mr. Prakash and his wife Swarupa Rani on the occasion. The writer dedicated his book to Mr. Chandrasekhar and his wife Shobha.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – January 05th, 2016

KITS Warangal students bag award

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) award for the best student-project of the 2014-15 batch was given to KITS Warangal students – V. Sri Raga Madhuri, V. Shiva Prasad, K. Srikanth Reddy and T. Pratheek Reddy –for their project titled ‘Design and Development of Vertical Rotary Parking System’.

V. Rajanna, TCS vice-president and regional head, gave away the award to students. The project was done by students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of Technology & Science, Warangal. The award comprises a gold medal, a certificate and a cash price of Rs. 20,000.

TCS Best Student-Project Award is presented to one project each nominated by colleges with which the TCS has signed an MoU. The award aims at promoting creativity and socially useful projects. Management members and secretary Capt. V. Lakshmikantha Rao congratulated the winners.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Warangal – December 30th, 2015

Award for UoH student

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Shaikshavali, PhD Scholar in the School of Engineering Sciences and Technology (SEST) at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), has won the best poster award for his presentation on “Graphene Oxide Assisted Reduction of Metal Precursors to form Graphene/Metal Oxide Composites and their Application in Energy Storage” at the 4th Nano Today conference held at Dubai.

This is the third such international best poster award he secured during his PhD studies. He will be submitting his PhD thesis on Nano Science and Technology under the supervision of Dr. V.V.S.S. Srikanth.

Organised by Elsevier, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, and the journal Nano Today, the conference seeks to bring together researchers interested in nano-science and nanotechnology.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – December 14th, 2015

Sindhu seizes Macau Open title for third time

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
A file Photo of P.V.Sindhu
A file Photo of P.V.Sindhu

Sindhu produced a dominating game to notch up a 21-9 21-23 21-14 win against sixth seed Mitani in a women’s singles match.

Two-time defending champion P. V. Sindhu completed a hat-trick of women’s singles title at the $ 120,000 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold after defeating Japan’s Minatsu Mitani in the finals here today.

Sindhu produced a dominating game to notch up a 21-9 21-23 21-14 win against sixth seed Mitani in a women’s singles match that lasted an hour and six minutes here.

World No. 12 Indian dished out some superb strokes and acute angled returns to bamboozle the Japanese, besides making some sound judgements at the baseline to get across Mitani, who struggled to keep the shuttle inside the court. Sindhu dominated the proceedings right from the start as she rode on the errors of Mitani to reach 11-5 at the break.

Mitani came up with an aggressive rally and sealed it with a down the line smash but she failed to curb her errors and most of her returns went wide and long to allow Sindhu lead 17-6 in a jiffy.

Sindhu, on the other hand, was mostly accurate with her smashes and drops as she lead 19—9. The Indian came up with some acute angled returns to trouble Mitani and reached the game point with a smash. The Japanese then went wide to hand over the first game to Sindhu.

After the change of sides, Sindhu once again started on a confident note but she also began missing the lines and Mitani lead 4—2. The Indian checked her unforced errors and came up with stunning smashes to wrest the lead and move to 7—4.

Sindhu made a few wrong judgements at the baseline and also found the net to allow Mitani to surge ahead. At 10—9, Mitani produced her first winner —— a cross court smash —— which left a stretched Sindhu stranded to go into the break with two—point lead.

Mitani started off with a service fault but the Japanese came up with accurate placements which caught Sindhu off guard. But the Indian kept breathing down her neck and clawed back at 16—16.

The duo moved neck—and—neck till 19—19 when Sindhu made an important line judgement to move to match point. But she sent the shuttle long next. A delicate net point once again gave Sindhu a 21—20 match point but Mitani saved again. Sindhu next hit long to give the game point to Mitani, who grabbed the opportunity after the Indian netted following a long engrossing rally.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / PTI / Macau – November 29th, 2015

Centre gives nod for Rs 338 cr bio-medical research centre in city

Records, All, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

A National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research (NARF) will be set up here by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal of the department of health research in the ministry of health and family welfare for setting up of the facility at a cost of Rs 338.58 crores. The resource center is expected to be functional by 2018-19.

The institution will be the first of its kind for quality laboratory for basic and applied biomedical research in the country.

It will be developed as a world-class facility for breeding and housing of animals such as primates, cabines and other specialized models such as transgenic and knockout rodents required for testing of various R&D products.

The facility will create, develop and provide access to a range of laboratory animals and related technological resources for advancement of biomedical research in the country, mainly to facilitate research in medical colleges, research and academic institutions, universities and biotech/bio-pharma companies.

The facility will also provide training facilities for personnel in the specialized areas in the field of biomedical research.

The state government has allotted 102.69 acres of land at Genome Valley, Hyderabad, free of cost, to the ICMR for establishment of National Animal Resource Facility (NARF) for Biomedical Research.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / November 19th, 2015

Two universities celebrate Diwali the Dravidian way

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

On Diwali day, as most celebrated the festival with lit diyas and crackers, students of two State universities in Telangana held festivities of a different sort. Amidst fireworks, they mourned the death of Narakasura, whom they held in the esteem of a Dravidian king and nature lover.

In a reversal of traditional Diwali beliefs, students held that Naraka, the Asura killed on Diwali day, was not demonic as portrayed in the popular myth. According to an alternate lore, Narakasura was a Dravidian emperor who had ruled a massive kingdom that was destroyed in Aryan invasion.

Naraka, according to this interpretation is also believed to be of Dalit lineage thereby making mourning ceremonies of his death, the apt celebration on Diwali, at least for a section.

While the origin of the lore is not dated, a section of Adivasies and Dalits in Karimnagar and Khammam districts worship Narakasura, students who held the commemoration pointed out. As a reflection of this belief, in Osmania University (OU), Hyderabad and Kakatiya University (KU), Warangal, close to fifty students erected idols of Narakasura even as they sang songs to praise the king’s greatness.

Quoting the lore which is based on a re-reading of the popular Diwali myth, students held that Naraka was in fact a scholar who had held several scholastic sessions from time to time in his palace. “He was a nature lover, a son of the soil. His death has to be mourned and his life should be commemorated,” said Naliganti Sharath, a student who participated in commemorating the Asura’s death on OU campus. “My family always narrated stories of Narakasura as a celestial power which had saved children from deadly diseases. We do not celebrate Diwali,” said Rajesh, a student of Kakatiya University.

Interestingly, the students who held alternate Diwali celebrations under the banner of Dalit, Bahujan, Adivasi Students Union of OU and KU had also held similar commemorations during Dasara. “Students have been commemorating Ravana during Dasara celebrations. These alternate festivities are meant to re-read popular histories and myths. Asuras are not considered evil by everyone as it is possible to read them as representatives of Dravida and Dalit culture,” said Prof. Kancha Ilaiah, former faculty member of Osmania University who participated in the festivities.

Most such readings are based on scholarship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who had written extensively on re-reading history. While Osmania University has been witnessing alternate Narakasura commemoration day, for the past four years, it was the first time that Kakatiya University held such festivities.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Nikhila Henry / Hyderabad – November 12th, 2015

T-Hub promises to assist start-ups

Records, All, Science & Technology
The vibrant and innovative interiors of the T-Hub reflecting the working ambiance that will greet young entrepreneurs on November 5 when the largest incubator in the country will inaugurated.— Photo: Mohammed Yousuf
The vibrant and innovative interiors of the T-Hub reflecting the working ambiance that will greet young entrepreneurs on November 5 when the largest incubator in the country will inaugurated.— Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

It was an incomplete structure, abandoned due to fund crunch. In six months, it has been transformed into a futuristic incubation centre for start-ups, and could pave the way for many such structures, including some on other continents.

‘Catalyst’, the first building in the city to house Telangana Hub or T-Hub on IIIT-Hyderabad campus, is a sprawling 70,000 square-foot structure. It promises to provide assistance to 400 entities at various stages of incubation.

Those start-ups screened by the T-Hub committee will be allowed to use the space and amenities like high-speed internet, at a nominal cost, IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao said on Friday, a week before industrialist Ratan Tata inaugurates it.

Mr. Rao held an interaction with the media at Catalyst to provide a glimpse into the building that will serve as the first phase of T-Hub.

The second phase of T-Hub in the city is set to come up at Raidurgam, Mr. Rao announced, adding that an initial fund of Rs. 10 crore has been set aside to help start-ups. He also said that T-Hub’s branches would be opened in other countries.

Mr. Gokul Krishna of W Design Studios, which designed the building, pointed out some unique features, including the use of shipping containers as mezzanine floors (a floor between two floors).

Seating in the building is categorised according to the stage at which a start-up is. Mr. Rao informed that 200 start-ups have already been screened and will be moved in shortly.

The start-ups screened by the T-Hub committee will be allowed to use the space and amenities like high-speed Internet, at a nominal cost IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Staff Reporter / November 01st, 2015

Osmania surgeons pull off a miracle

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Conduct auto-transplantation of liver successfully to save life of a 24-year-old security guard

It was a desperate last ditch attempt by surgeons of State-run Osmania General Hosptial (OGH) here in Hyderabad that saved the life of a 24-year-old security guard, Naga Raju from Khammam. The surgeons extracted his liver, preserved it for hours, removed his blocked and underdeveloped hepatic blood vessels and then reconstructed them with artificial grafts and transplanted the same liver back into his body.

Post surgery, the doctors and parents of Naga Raju kept fingers crossed! As fate would have it, after a fortnight, Naga Raju made a near perfect recovery.

“We lost all hope because private hospitals here had given up on my son. In fact, the doctors at OGH also made it clear that the surgery was risky because such a procedure was unheard of and never attempted before,” recalls Alivellu, the mother of Naga Raju.

On their part, the Government doctors at OGH have maintained that other than one instance in Canada, they have not come across many instances of this procedure, which is technically known as Auto-Transplantation of Liver.

“The youngster had Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS), which is blockage of veins that carry blood from the liver. He had to undergo liver transplantation and was in the waiting list. But it was taking time to get a donor liver and his condition was worsening by the day. Removing his liver, reconstructing the blood vessels was the last option,” says Head, Surgical Gastroenterology, Dr. Ch. Madhusudhan.

According to doctors, the prevalence of BCS is one among one million individuals. In addition to blocked blood vessels of the liver, the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC), the large vein that carries blood from lower part of the body to the heart, was also blocked. This caused complete occlusion of hepatic veins that drain the liver.

“The very fact that he has survived for 23 years itself is a miracle. His body had adjusted and over a period of time,” says Superintendent, OGH, Dr. C. G. Rahuram.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by M. Sai Gopal / Hyderabad – October 30th, 2015

Babejhari merits its place in history

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All
Atram Rajubai of Babejhari vaguely remembers Kumram Bheem as a fiery youngster back in the 1940s.– Photo: S. Harpal Singh
Atram Rajubai of Babejhari vaguely remembers Kumram Bheem as a fiery youngster back in the 1940s.– Photo: S. Harpal Singh

The village of Jodeghat may have rightly become synonymous with the struggle for rights on forest land waged by legendary Gond rebel Kumra Bheemu, now famously known as Kumram Bheem, in the late 1930s and in 1940s as he attained martyrdom there. There, however, is another lesser known village of Babejhari located on the same Kerameri highlands in Adilabad district which needs to get its due recognition as it was the centre of Bheem’s activities for almost the entire period of the struggle against the Nizam’s forest and land policy.

The Babejhari and Jodeghat incidents find a mention in the research paper of social anthropologist Urmila Pingle titled ‘C. von. Furer-Haimendorf: Half a century of his imprint on Tribal Welfare in Andhra Pradesh’. Though brief, this is by far the most authentic of the accounts pertaining to Kumram Bheem and his times as Ms. Pingle had been an associate of professor Haimendorf and evidently got to know of the events through him.

According to the researcher, the rebellion of Kumram Bheem was a result of the forest conservancy move of the Nizam’s government which included eviction of human habitations from forests. Kumram Bheem’s was a small rebellion called Babejhari, named after the village in which it occurred, she notes.

Bheem evidently chose to settle at Babejhari for its seclusion after all his lands in his native village in Asifabad went under illegal occupation of non-tribals. It was at this village that he raised the issue of jal, jangal and jameen and untiringly campaigned for the rights to forest lands in the neighbouring villages in 1939 and 1940.

His new home, nevertheless, was not to be that as he and others who had arrived at Babejhari were forcibly evicted and their huts were razed. At this juncture, Bheem and his dedicated band of Adivasis migrated to Jodeghat where they cleared some forest land for cultivation.

The forest guards turned out to be a difficult lot as they demanded huge bribes from the tribals for tilling forest clearings. Without bribes, they refused to honour even a written permission issued by no less than the Nizam himself to the Adivasis to cultivate 57 acres in Jodeghat.

As the Gond leader refused to evacuate the habitation under pressure from the forest officials, he had to face the consequences. In an unequal battle on September 1, 1940 he and 15 others lost their lives.

Following the Nizam government’s forest conservancy move, Kumram Bheem settled at Babejhari and it was here that he raised the issue of jal, jangal and jameen

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by S.Harpal Singh / October 27th, 2015