Monthly Archives: June 2014

A long wait for the last two autographs to complete Sachin’s sketch

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

VenkateshTELAN19jun2014

In the last three years, Venkatesh Kandunoori and his friends have travelled to eight States with his large sketch of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and collected 98 autographs of national and international personalities on it. All that’s left are autographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. After getting these, Venkatesh plans to present the painting to President Pranab Mukherjee.

However, after spending forty days in the Capital, Venkatesh has still not got an appointment with either leader. While Mr. Modi is expected to return from Bhutan by Tuesday, Ms. Gandhi is leaving for the United States for medical treatment and will only return after three weeks.

“I started on this sketch just before the cricket World Cup in 2011. It took me six months to complete it. In the last three years, I have spent Rs. 5 lakh travelling and approaching renowned persons to sign my painting. I financed this by selling other works of mine,” Venkatesh told The Hindu .

The four-and-a-half foot portrait of the legend is surrounded by national symbols and smaller sketches of personalities linked to cricket, Sachin or the nation.

These include former cricket captains Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, national and spiritual personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Sathya Sai Baba, India’s first cricket captain C.K. Nayudu, Sachin’s first coach Ramakant Achrekar, cricketers Don Bradman and Vivian Richards.

It also features the Indian Koh-i-noor Diamond on the British crown.

“This,” according to Venkatesh, “symbolises that even though we don’t have the diamond with us these people are our koh-i-noors.”

Those who autographed this epic painting include President Mukherjee, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, social activist Anna Hazare, musicians Lata Mangeshkar and A.R. Rahman, the 2011 Indian cricket team which includes Sachin himself and film stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai.

The person who played the most hard to get so far, was Mr. Kalam. “It took me two years to get his autograph. Finally, I got it during this visit to Delhi… Travelling everywhere by train, I spent sleepless nights protecting the painting. I have done this to attract government and the public to support and fund sports,” explained Venkatesh who is currently put up with friends in Saket.

A student of the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University in Hyderabad, Venkatesh has also created a realist statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The foot-tall brass statue, which has ‘UNITY’ embossed on its base in silver, resembles Soviet-style statues with flowing garments and chiselled expressions.

“I have already planned my next work. It will be a timeline of Indian History from 3000 BC. But first, I need these two autographs to complete a century and give it to the President. I have already spent Rs. 60,000 in Delhi. A taxi, to transport this painting to and from various offices, in order to get an appointment with the leaders, costs Rs. 2000 a day. But I won’t give up,” he told The Hindu

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> New Delhi / by Phiroze L. Vincent / New Delhi – June 16th, 2014

MLA’s nephew bags rank in civil services

Education, Records, All

Mushraf Al Farooqi, nephew of YSR Congress MLA of Kadapa S.B. Amzath Basha, excelled in civil services by securing 80th rank.

Son of Assistant Commissioner of Excise, Murtuza Al Farooqi, who is settled in Hyderabad, Mushraf is an engineering graduate from Chennai and took coaching in IAS Academy in New Delhi. He is keen on opting for IAS.

DSP of CID in Tirupati, Yeddula Vijay, 31, who was a student of St. Joseph High School in Kadapa, secured 263rd rank in civil services. Vijay, son of Yeddula Samuel, senior manager in Union Bank of India, Nellore, passed MBBS from Kurnool Medical College.

He was selected in APPSC Group I and served earlier as DSP of Mancherial in Adilabad district.

Kommisetty Muralidhar of Power House Street in Proddatur, who secured the 406th rank in civil services, is an M. Tech. in Computer Science from IIT, Chennai.

Son of Ramprasad, sanitary supervisor in Proddatur municipality, and Gopalamma, a teacher, Muralidhar was selected to IFS in results announced in January this year.

Actor Telangana Shakuntala dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Actor Telangana Shakuntala. / Wikipedia
Actor Telangana Shakuntala. / Wikipedia

Popularly known as “Swarnakka” in Tamil filmdom as she portrayed a villainous role in that name in the Vikram-starrer “Dhool”

Popular Tollywood character actress Telangana Shakuntala passed away on Saturday following a cardiac arrest at her home in Hyderabad.

The 63-year-old was rushed to a private hospital in the early hours and was declared “brought dead”, family sources said.

She is survived by two children.

Shakuntala acted in more than 70 films, including a few in Tamil, industry sources said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Cinema Plus / PTI / Hyderabad – June 14th, 2014

Hyderabad girl tops UPSC in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

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

Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: jharkhandstatenews.com)
Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: jharkhandstatenews.com)

Hyderabad:

Hyderabad girl Krithika Jyotsna Mishra bagged the 30th rank and topped the Union Public Service Commission civil services exam, 2013, in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. She bagged the 30th rank among 1,122 persons selected this year by the UPSC for IAS, IPS, IFS and other Central services. Thirty-five other candidates from the two states have made it to the big league this year.

Following Kritika is S. Krishna Aditya, who bagged the 99th rank to become one of the two from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to make it to the top 100. Kona Vamsi Krishna bagged 103rd rank while Siva Prakash Devaraju came 114th in the civil services exam. E. Saicharan Tejaswi was ranked 124th while Ravali Priya G. came 161st. This is also the first UPSC result after the change in the pattern of examination.

Gopal Krishna, director, Brain Tree, said, “The changed pattern favours students with a humanities background. Though most of students are from engineering background they have performed very well.”

Krithika is the daughter of IFS officer and former principal chief conservator of forests for Telangana S.B.L. Mishra. Her brother Kartikeya Mishra is the CMD of CPDCL North Zone.

Senior IAS officer Hiralal Samariya’s son, Peeyush Samariya, qualified for the civil services with 165th rank. He had earlier qualified for IRS and is currently Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Education / DC Correspondent / June 13th, 2014

Telangana Govt plans to make Hyderabad as e-hardware hub

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

The Telangana Government is planning to make Hyderabad as the hub of Electronic System Design Manufacturing (ESDM).

Telangana IT Minister K Taraka Rama Rao has said the Government would initiate measures to attract investments into the two ESDM clusters at e-City Manufacturing Cluster and Maheshwaram Science Park.

While the former is envisaged in an extent of 602 acres, the Science Park would come up on 310 acres, Harpreet Singh, Secretary (IT and Communication Department), said here in a statement.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News / by K.V.Kurmanath / Hyderabad – June 12th, 2014

Madhusudanachari to be 1st Speaker of Telangana Assembly

Leaders, Records, All

Hyderabad :

TRS legislator from Bhoopalapalli,S Madhusudanachari, will be named speaker of the Telangana Assembly on Tuesday as all parties, including the Congress, TDP, YSRCP and Left parties unanimously supported his candidature on Monday.

Pro-tem speaker K Jana Reddy will announce Madhusudanachari’s election in the Assembly after two MIM members – Akbaruddin Owaisi (Chandrayanagutta) and Mumtaz Ahmad Khan (Yakutpura), both of whom were not present in the House on Monday – take oath on Tuesday.

Even as the ruling TRS is looking to nominate its Medak legislator Padma Devender Reddy to the deputy speaker’s post, TDP floor leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao told TOI that the opposition parties were demanding the post for one of their members. Sources said the deputy speaker issue will be decided at an all-party meeting convened by chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday.

A student of Kakatiya University, 58-year-old Madhusudanachari is a post-graduate in English literature. He joined active politics in 1982 and was TDP MLA from Bhoopalapalli between 1994 and 1999. He is one of the founder members of the TRS when it was launched in 2001. Contesting on the TRS ticket, he lost to Gandra Venkataramana Reddy of the Congress in 2009. However, he trounced Reddy in the just concluded Assembly polls.

“It is a great honour to be the presiding officer of the first Assembly of Telangana. I will discharge my duties with a sense of balance,” Madhusudanachari told TOI. When he filed his nomination at Assembly secretary Raja Sadaram’s chamber, Madhusudanachari was accompanied by the CM and the leaders of the opposition parties including J Geeta Reddy (Congress), Dayakar Rao (TDP), P Venkateswaraulu (YSRCP), Sunnam Rajaih (CPM), and Devarkonda Ravindra (CPI).

Earlier in the day, governor ESL Narasimhan administered the oath to Jana Reddy as pro-tem speaker at Raj Bhavan at 9.30 am. The first day session of the Assembly was convened at 11 am when 117 of the total 119 members took oath. While most of them took the oath in Telugu in the name of God, some like Geetha Reddy (Congress), Padmvathi Uttam Kumar Reddy (Congress), Rekha Naik (TRS), and Shakeel Ahmed (TRS) preferred to take it in English. All MIM members stuck to Urdu, while Raja Singh (BJP) was the only member to take the oath in Hindi.

The House was adjourned at 1 pm following which the CM convened a meeting with the floor leaders of the opposition parties to arrive at a consensus over Madhusudanachari’s candidature as speaker. Tuesday has been earmarked for the election of the speaker and deputy speaker while the governor is scheduled to address the joint session of the Assembly and Council on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the House will take up the debate on the motion on vote of thanks to the governor when the opposition members are expected to take the government to task over the farm loan waiver scheme.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / June 10th, 2014

Famous tracker called to trap Icrisat Panther

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Panther caught on camera at Icrisat (Photo: DC)
Panther caught on camera at Icrisat (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad:

Nehru Zoological Park veterinary officials and tiger specialist Nawab Shafath Ali Khan were called in to tranquilise the panther on prowl at Icrisat (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) in Patancheru.

Though the panther was caught on the camera-trap set up by wildlife officials, it has managed to avoid capture.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Mallikarjuna Rao said, “We have stepped up our efforts to catch it. We are also taking the help of Shafath Ali Khan to track the animal.”

Mr Khan has been involved in tranqualising man-eaters in various parts of the country. Mr Rao added, “The animal rescue van from Nehru Zoological park has been kept at Icrisat. A veterinary team, led by Dr Srinivas, which has expertise in tranquilisation has also been deployed.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / June 11th, 2014

Momentous event

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

A special cover on late Qadir Ali Baig and a brilliant monologue by Rashmi Seth marked the 10th anniversary of the Foundation

It was indeed an honour for theatre fraternity when a special postal cover was released on June 3, at Salarjung Museum, in memory of Qader Ali Baig on the occasion of his 30th death anniversary.

launch of postal cover
launch of postal cover

The occasion of the launch of the Special Cover was also to mark ten years of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation.

Director of Postal Services, Radhika Chakravarthy said, “India Post honours famous personalities whose contribution is exemplary and it is a befitting tribute to late Mirza Qadir Ali Baig sahab.”

Acknowledging the unique honour, Mohammad Ali Baig said, “This tribute would provide further inspiration and motivation to us as well as rest of the country’s theatre fraternity.”

Special occasionA scene from the play 'Dhoop Ka Tukda'
Special occasionA scene from the play ‘Dhoop Ka Tukda’

Play by Rashmi Seth

The event was followed by a moving performance by veteran actress Rashmi Seth in the play Dhoop ka Tukda , which had the packed audience follow her in total silence. Seth acted in late Qadir Ali Baig’s several socially-meaningful plays in the 1970s and 80s like Aadhey Adhurey , Burf ki Minaar and has also featured in Mohammad Ali Baig’s epic spectacles Resham ki Dor , Taramati , Quli: Dilon ka Shahzaada and Savaan-e-Hayat . Her performance was an apt tribute to the doyen.

Dhoop ka Tukda , written by Nirmal Verma, is about a woman, separated from her husband, dwelling on her pathos, memories, the trials and tribulations in her life and her search for hope. Rashmi Seth excelled in the 40-minute monologue, maintaining the walk and body language of an aged, arthritis-afflicted woman who has gone through a lot in life, her tremulous voice modulation bringing out her misery evocatively. Subhash Gupta as the silent man in the park spoke with his expressions, though immersed all the time reading a newspaper. The play was produced by Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation and directed by Rashmi Seth.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / June 06th, 2014

Mallapur sets an example with solar lighting

Uncategorized

A tribal resident proudly displays her possession of the solar fan and battery at Mallapur village in Adilabad distirct.-/ PHOTO: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu
A tribal resident proudly displays her possession of the solar fan and battery at Mallapur village in Adilabad distirct.-/ PHOTO: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu

Even the faces of the tribal people of Mallapur light up whenever they display their solar home lighting. The lights were acquired thanks to a novel initiative by the NGO, Dhan Foundation, the National Bank for Rural and Agriculture Development, the Indo-German watershed development project and the Deccan Grameen Bank.

Villagers are proud on their village having becoming the first in Telangana to have solar home lighting and revel in the fact that they did not have to pay any money to acquire the same.

This village in Indervelli mandal with 82 houses has already established itself as a model village by managing local watershed to maximum advantage, implementing prohibition and banning tobacco etc. It is the resolve of the tribal villagers, mostly Gonds, to bring in development that has apparently enthused funding agencies to ground the solar home lighting scheme here.

“We are running a fan for the first time,” declares a rather shy Durva Mahadubai pointing towards the table fan and the battery. “The lighting is also helpful especially when there is no power,” she adds.

The solar lighting is of special significance in tribal habitations in remote areas which experience a lot of power cuts more so during the summer months. The solar tube lights provided under the scheme shine bright in the nights negating the impact of power cuts in Mallapur now.

The unit cost of the home lighting, supplied by Sun Fusion Energy Systems, the authorised channel partner of Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd, is Rs. 16,750 which works out to nearly Rs. 14 lakh for solar home lighting for the entire village. Forty per cent of the cost is given as subsidy by NABARD while 30 per cent is given by the Indo-German watershed project and the remaining 30 per cent has been given as loan by the DGB, payable in 5 yearly instalments.

In an earlier initiative in Adilabad district, the Northern Power Distribution Company Limited electrified 20 households each in three tribal hamlets last year through centralised power generation units. The Chief General Manager, NABARD, Jiji Mammen, Chairman DGB, B.R.G. Upadhyaya and Deputy General Manager NABARD, Ranganatha Rao inaugurated the Mallapur project on Saturday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by S. Harpal Singh / Mallapur ( Adilabad District) – June 09th, 2014

Former Odisha secy appointed special envoy of Telengana govt

Leaders

t-ramachandruTELAN08jun2014

Former secretary of the Industries department of Government of Odisha T Ramachandru has been appointed as Special representative of the new Government of Telangana, with Cabinet rank, to coordinate activities between Telangana and Government of India.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao specially chose him considering his experience, knowledge of Delhi functioning and commitment to work for Telangana, sources said.

source: http://www.odishasuntimes.com / Odishs Sun Times / Hme / Odisha Sun Times Bureau / Bhubaneshwar – June 06th, 2014