Ustad Zakir Hussain inspects his father Ustad Alla Rakha Khan’s tabla set which he has donated for Rahul Bose’s charity auction
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> big-picture>photo / by Hemant Padalkar / Agency: DNA / Tuesday – February 11th, 2014
Indian business leader, scientist and philanthropist Dr Yusuf Hamied on Monday announced a major financial donation to the Royal Society of Chemistry, the world’s leading chemistry community, to support an innovative chemistry education programme for school students in India.
Dr Hamied, who is the chairperson of the generic pharmaceuticals company Cipla and has pioneered the model of producing affordable medicines for patients in developing countries, is donating Rs eight crore to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme.
The programme will be managed by the Royal Society of Chemistry in partnership with the UK’s Salters Institute and leading Indian academic institutes to enhance the skills and knowledge of Indian chemistry teachers and inspire students to study chemistry at university.
Over the next five years, the programme aims to equip 8,000 teachers across India with the specialist knowledge and skills to deliver exciting and engaging chemistry lessons, and to pass this knowledge on to their colleagues. It will also provide 1,600 of the brightest chemistry students from all backgrounds with places at chemistry camps to motivate them to reach the necessary standards to study chemistry at university.
Dr Hamied said: “I am very pleased to be working in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry to support the Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme. I believe the programme will make a real difference to the education and experience of students studying chemistry in schools across India.”
Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr Robert Parker, said: “We are delighted to be working with Dr Hamied and grateful for his generous donation to enable us bring together leading organisations from the UK and India to deliver this education programme and make a real impact.” Dr Hamied added: “To inspire the next generation of great Indian scientists we must equip our teachers with the specialist knowledge and practical skills they need to show their students that chemistry is a fascinating.”
Just as teachers pass on their knowledge to their pupils, the programme will support the most talented chemistry teachers in India to train their colleagues to deliver informative and exciting chemistry lessons – a “train the trainer” approach. I am very pleased to support this sustainable model for teacher training which will allow the programme to reach thousands of teachers across the country.” Dr Hamied said: “An inspiring chemistry education isn’t just about excellent teachers.
We need to encourage and motivate the best students to achieve the knowledge and skills they need to go on to study chemistry at university and eventually, to make a strong contribution to India’s success. This isn’t just about getting the best grades – we also need students to develop problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills. That is why I am also very pleased that this joint initiative will support the best students – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – to take part in chemistry camps at leading academic institutions and experience a true taste of chemistry at university.”
Dr Simon Campbell, former president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and personal friend of Dr Hamied, said: “This unique programme is a significant educational investment with great potential to train the skilled chemists that will be vital for India’s growth and social wellbeing.”
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / Bangalore – DHNS / February 10th, 2014
J A K Tareen, former professor of the University of Mysore, has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri Award, in recognition of his contribution to the field of education and literature.
Professor Tareen is the fourth professor from the Mysore University to have received the national award. He has now joined the elite club of eminent personalities of Mysore such as C D Narasimhaiah, U R Ananthamurthy and Javare Gowda.
He is also the first professor from the science faculty of UoM to receive such an award. Tareen, who has served as the vice-chancellor of the Kashmir University, hails from Mysore where he did his schooling and received master’s and PhD degrees.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mysore> Padma Shri / TNN / February 03rd, 2014
The missing link is finally here. M.A. Qaiyum, noted historian, could not hold back his surprise when he recently came across the 450-year-old copper coin minted during the rule of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. Curiously, the historian stumbled upon the rare coin on an Old City pavement.
Coins of the third Qutb Shahi king, Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, had been conspicuous by their absence. Even the A.P State Museum, which boasts thousands of copper coins of the erstwhile rulers, drew a blank when it came to those dating back to 1550-80 when Ibrahim Qutb Shah ruled.
“It’s a rare find, as coins of that period are not available in the museum,” says Mr. Qaiyum, who got it for a song.
Inscription
What adds substance to the coin is the legible inscription on it. The obverse side has the name, ‘Sultan Ibrahim Quli’, inscribed, and the reverse sports the legend, ‘Ghulam-e-Murtuza Ali’.
The coin, which weighs about 12 gm, represents an excellent piece of calligraphy. The style is quite similar to the Arabic inscriptions seen on the Qutb Shahi tombs.
According to numismatists, only six coins of the Ibrahim Qutb Shah period are available as of now.
But, it is not known as to what legend they bear and when they were issued.
The 6 coin, published by Hurmuz Kaus, an ancient coin collector, is of small size and bears the legend, ‘Juloose Jaiz Ibrahim Quli’, on the obverse and ‘Sadatmand-e-Ali’on the reverse . The coin was issued from the Golconda Mint in 1565 A.D.
The recently discovered coin bears the distinct legend of the ruler, Ibrahim Qutb Shah, in Arabic style. Scholars believe him to be the first Sultan to issue coins in his own name in the Qutb Shahi dynasty.
But, many do not subscribe to this view, as only one coin of Subhan Quli and four coins of Jamsheed Quli, the immediate predecessors of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, are available.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. S. Ifthekhar / Hyderabad – February 09th, 2014
Zakir Hussain’s annual tribute to his abbaji on the day he passed away (February 3), is a day-long a musical marathon. The event is known to bring together musicians of eclectic styles each year. Last year, the Grammy-nominated banjo player Bela Fleck and jazz/bluegrass double bass player Edgar Myer had come down. This year, Khol drummers from Kolkata, the Panchratna Sanai Tafa Mandal from Nagar and gospel percussionist Lil John Roberts from the US will feature in this cultural happening.
For Zakir though, the event transcends the memory of his father. “It’s not then about my father. This is about a celebration of the art that he represented and he loved and the passion that he had for his culture. So, it’s nice to celebrate that culture and the effect that music had on our lives.”
While a show of this length can be exhausting, he is quite clear that performing is his lifeblood. “I actually feel elated when I play. I’ve arrived on stage tired and left the stage replenished. Playing music is the easiest thing. It’s not the hardest thing. That’s because we love doing it. It’s all the other paraphernalia that tires you out. Packing bags, arriving at the airport, going through security, fighting about excess baggage… All that stuff. The travel part of the touring is tiring. The performance is really the most fun part of the whole day. It inspires us to be able to deal with all the other stuff that goes on,” he says, continuing, “Music is really having a great renaissance time in india. Lots of young musicians are finally being noticed and focussed upon.”
He also elaborates on what playing solo and with a group of musicians means to him. “Playing the tabla solo, I am sharing with people centuries of this particular tradition, ragas, that I have learned and grown up with. Whenever I play a solo gig, I draw on memories of great maestros of the past. In my mind, I go, ‘okay, this is from this past maestro, this from that maestro’ and I bring that same piece of music that existed ages ago, into the present moment. Playing solo is fun but when I play live in a group, I enjoy the challenge of bouncing ideas off other musicians. Playing live is also different when you play with a singer or play only instrumentals in a group. When I play with a singer I need a particular pitch, it’s got to be in a particular way so as not to overpower the vocals. You won’t play the same as with a ghazal player than how you’d play with a sitar player. ”
While jamming and improvisations might be what fuels him, he also feels that live shows are a form of theatre. “Some of the performances at the Grammys this year were like theatre productions. That whole thing emerged since Michael Jackson’s Thriller. To me, he really pioneered that art… It requires much more production than say, a camera close up of Keith Urban playing the guitar compared to a Madonna doing Like a Virgin. You’ve got to get in your costume, you’ve got to be in the right place on the stage at the right time when the spot comes on ‘x’ area of the stage and then perform without a hint of self-consciousness,” he concludes.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Music> Zakir Hussain / by Reagan Gavin Rasquinha, TNN / February 01st, 2014
They are men of extreme contrasts. J. Arun Kumar has tattoos, rides a Harley Davidson besides his other cars, is outspoken and during his playing days was a flamboyant opener. On the other end is Mansur Ali Khan, who is soft-spoken, an anachronism considering he was a medium pacer in his heydays.
But together, they have struck a wonderful tandem as coaches with the Karnataka cricket team that reaped the benefits of their expertise and won the Ranji Trophy defeating Maharashtra in the final at Hyderabad, last week.
Arun, ‘JAK’ to his friends, and Mansur, ‘MAK’ being his nickname, have had an association even during their days as key players for Karnataka. The duo shared rooms and now as coaches – Arun handles ‘batting’ and Mansur supervises ‘bowling’ – their old rapport is very much intact while they also consciously avoid treading on each other’s toes.
The State had many heroes in batting led by K.L. Rahul (1033 runs) while Karun Nair, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Amit Verma and Ganesh Satish, all played their relevant parts. Similiarly, the bowlers too prospered and if Karnataka registered seven outright victories, it is thanks to the effort of speedster Abhimanyu Mithun (41 wickets), H.S. Sharath, skipper R. Vinay Kumar, S. Arvind and Shreyas Gopal. It would be prudent to hear from Arun and Mansur about the manner in which they extracted the best out of the team.
Jak’s prescription
Confidence the key
“At the start of the season, while we were looking at under-25 players I did look at talent, but I also wanted these players to have the necessary confidence.
I didn’t want players to step in and while facing Harbhajan Singh, think, ‘oh my god, I am playing against Harbhajan.’ I wanted the players to play their natural styles without getting overwhelmed.”
An arm around the shoulder
“The players are already under tremendous pressure and as a coach you are expected to reduce that and make them feel at ease. You cannot tell them, ‘you better get runs or get wickets’ and make them struggle even more. As a coach I had many one-on-one sessions with the players before the season and got to understand them better. I encouraged them a lot.”
A matter of trust
“When MAK and I took over last year there wasn’t much time to work on the players but this year we had time. I felt that among the players the trust-factor was not much and we worked on that, I made them enjoy each other’s success. Dropping a player is the hardest thing but we made sure that we explained to the player concerned about why he was dropped because we believed in ‘horses for courses’ and that determined our team composition. Once that was made clear even the dropped players were cheering the squad from the outside and that camaraderie within the team is the biggest take-away I cherish.”
Mak’s measured words
Practice makes perfect
“Initially the bowlers were not clear in their minds and I worked on that. In the pre-season training, I made them aware of their strengths and at practise I told them to pitch it 10 feet from the batting crease and make the batsman play. I told them that if they could get it consistently there, they have more chances of getting wickets.
Mithun is an in-swing bowler and I told him to bowl four deliveries of in-swing and do a variation for the fifth – it could be a yorker, a bouncer, an away-swinger. Told him and the other fast bowlers to use the bouncer as a surprise weapon, like once in three overs and all that helped. I also used a speed-gun at training and that added more value as there was competition between the fast bowlers.”
Spinning some wickets
“The usual role of spinners is to keep it tight but I had chats with Anil Kumble and he said: ‘Even if they go for runs its okay as long as they get wickets.’ When we had sessions in the nets I made the spinners bowl 120 deliveries because in match situations they are expected to bowl 20 overs and if they could do that at training then they are well prepared and can cope with the pressure. I worked on these aspects with bowlers like Shreyas Gopal and Abrar Kazi. For instance with Shreyas, I focussed on his leg-spin and told him to give four deliveries of leg-spin per over and then work on a variation like googly in the other deliveries.”
Jak the friend
“JAK and I go a long way back. We kept it simple, he would watch the batsmen and also conduct close-in catching practice while I monitored the bowlers and also gave high-catches to fielders in the deep. I look forward to working with JAK in the coming years too.”
K.C. VIJAYA KUMAR
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K. C. Vijaya Kumar / Mondyay – February 10th, 2014
When Oscar laureate A.R. Rahman flew down to Kozhikode recently, it was not for a music programme but to see the amazing transformation brought about in a government school.
In a programme masterminded by school authorities under the guidance of the local MLA, the 120-year-old Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls in Nadakav, which mostly teaches children from society’s weaker sections, has been upgraded to international standards.
In the spacious new auditorium, Rahman recalled how he met old friends K.E. Faizal and wife Shabana in New York where they told him about how the Faizal-Shabana Foundation had spent Rs. 15 crore on a school project in Kerala. That’s when Rahman decided he wanted to visit the school and see for himself the transformation.
Kerala’s achievements in the education sector, particularly in democratising it, have been remarkable. Its success in bringing education within the reach of the poorest children has made its literacy rate among the highest in the country. And now, this unique collaboration between MLA Pradeep Kumar and a private foundation has emerged as another development model for education in the country.
What was once just another government school now boasts of facilities unheard of in similar schools — an astro-turf playground, super-smart classrooms, computers, and a state-of the-art science lab, among other facilities. Pradeep Kumar, the CPI (M) MLA for Kozhikode, says his mission was to have a world-class school that would still be affordable to ordinary people. The state’s Planning Board came up with a project titled Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions or PRISM.
World-class it certainly is. Infosys provided 150 computers, and ISRO gave a high-tech science lab. From the government and the MLA’s local area development fund came Rs. 7 crore. For the rest, NRI tycoon Faizal and Shabana stepped in with Rs.15 crore from the Faizal-Shabana Foundation. The plan was provided by Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK). Rahman, obviously impressed by what he saw, has announced the support of Rahman Foundation in Chennai for a music school that he immediately inaugurated. Interestingly, the school’s facilities are open to the people of the neighbourhood.
The school is a superb example of government-private participation in the education sector, and a rare instance where bitter political foes — the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front — played equally productive roles. The project was initiated by Pradeep Kumar when the LDF government was in power and it was completed under the UDF government.
The Nadakav school is a promising chapter in the attempt to resist the commercialisation of education that threatens to make high-class education unaffordable to everybody but the very rich. It is also a heartening attempt to lift the sagging image of government schools and make them more attractive to students who are migrating in large numbers to private schools that boast of attractive infrastructure and ambience. It has often been noted that better infrastructure and facilities could improve both morale and quality of education in government schools.
Meanwhile, Pradeep Kumar has turned his attention to two other government schools in his constituency, but finding benevolent sponsors is not easy. Work has begun in the Government Higher Secondary School of Karaparamba with a small allocation from the MLA’s local area development fund, and the search is on for other funds to complete the work.
At a time when education standards are falling appallingly across the country, this unique public-private model might be just the shot in the arm that government schools need.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Sunday Magazine / by R. Madhavan Nair / February 08th, 2014
Sayed Muzaffar Hussain Burney, a former civil servant who also served as governor in various states, has passed away. He was 90.
Burney, suffering from old age related ailments, died on Friday night, a member of his family said.
Burney was an officer of the Indian Administrative Services of the Orissa cadre where he went on to become the Chief Secretary of the State.
He served as the governor of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and some north-eastern States.
He was also the Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi from 1990 to 1995.
Burney was a member and later chairman of the Fourth and Fifth Minority Commissions from 1988 to 1992.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by PTI / New Delhi – February 08th, 2014
Former India star Abbas Ali Baig, who was in the city on Saturday to receive a Lifetime Achievement award from Rotary Club of Madras East, is disappointed the way the Indians are faring in the ongoing series in New Zealand.
The former all-rounder, who played 10 Test matches from 1959-69 and forged a famous friendship with the late MAK Pataudi and ML Jaisimha, is unhappy with the application showed by the batsmen, the skipper’s selection of spinners although he thinks the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have it in them to turn the corner. It’s on these two that Baig is pinning hopes for the future.
“I think along with Pujara, Kohli is the best man for the job. Kohli to me is the biggest asset that Indian cricket has. He can change the complexion of the game single-handedly. So if he puts his head down and spends time in the middle, it will of great help to the team,” said Baid, who was known for his classy right-handed stroke-play.
“I think Pujara will be the key man. He has a penchant for big scores, possesses a good technique and also has the ability to play a wide range of shots. Pujara will have a big role to play,” said Baig, who scored a century on Test debut against England in Manchester in 1959.
On the other hand, Baig agreed with former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe that India should have fielded off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin instead of left-armer Ravindra Jadeja.
“I agree with Crowe, an off-spinner would have been a better choice when you have a couple of left-handers in the opposition. Ashwin was down a bit in the ODIs and I guess that’s why he was not picked.”
Baig was not very hopeful of India’s chances of saving the first Test in Auckland, although he said there is a chance if they can build partnerships. They still have a lot of runs to score. Overall, the performance has been disappointing. It will be interesting to see how they approach the game. Yes, they need big partnerships.”
Skipper MS Dhoni is an excellent finisher but has not been able to play that role in the ODI series. Is his match-winning ability on the wane? “He is still capable of saving the side and play a long innings as he has done in past. In the last two or three games he has not been able to live up to that expectation.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cricket> News / by Ashok Venugopal / ENS – Chennai / February 09th, 2014
Sometimes, a simplistic gauging of skills through numbers is insufficient. Take for instance, Mohammed Shami’s in the first innings– 28-6-95-1. Someone who hasn’t seen him bowl would grossly understate him and his craft. That he was profusely unlucky on the first morning dissipates into thin vacuum in the final stock-checking of history through numbers. The number of times he beat the bat and the catches dropped won’t be factored in.
Young bowlers react differently to it. Most would be wide-eyed and desperate. Some turn petulant and fidgety. Some are beset with doubts. A few, though, would simply remain unflustered. Shami conforms to the latter group. For all the lack of luck in the first innings, Shami remained impervious to it. If any, he just improvised on his bowling.
He pitched the ball a couple of centimeters further to the batsmen, almost a drivable length but not quite drivable. And he was faster by a few yards and he swung the ball both ways. And this time round, he got a wicket off the last ball of the first over. The delivery that pinged Hamish Rutherford wasn’t any magical but simply perfect. It pitched on middle and snuck back just onto his pads.
His next wicket—again off the last ball of an over—came off smart planning. He mixed his length to Peter Fulton before eventually snapping him up with a routine half-volley. In the first over, he tempted him to drive whereas in the second, he pushed him onto the back-foot with short-of-length balls shaping into his body. Fulton, with a tendency to keep his feet static, drove from the crease and edged to Ravindra Jadeja at short-cover.
He almost consumed Ross Taylor with the first ball of his next over, only for the edge to fall short of the gully. Three balls later, an inside edge saved him from being trapped adjacent. He tested his technique as well temperament, and the latter survived more by default than design. His four overs before lunch set the tone for India’s belated comeback. “No doubt he is a match-winner. His quality to take wickets in bunches is what decides him from a good bowler to a really, really good bowler” Zaheer Khan said later.
After lunch, too, he steamed in and harassed Taylor, who by then had shed his intentions to attack. But for the odd ball that strayed down, Taylor shut-shop completely. And he was lucky that he wasn’t subject to embarrassment like Corey Anderson. Shami took most of the balls away from him before he made one snake back. Anderson was caught unawares and the balls sneaked through the gate.
And for the first time in the series, India’s bowlers demonstrated pack mentality. Shami was duly supplemented by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. Even Jadeja, wasteful hitherto, strangled the batsmen.
Scoreboard
New Zealand (1st innings) 503. India (1st innings, overnight 130-4) Rohit b Boult 72, Rahane c Taylor b Southee 26, Dhoni c Watling b Wagner 10, Jadeja (not out) 30, Zaheer c Watling b Wagner 14, Ishant c Boult b Southee 0, Shami c Fulton b Wagner 2, Extras (b-5, lb-6, w-3, nb-3) 17, Total (10 wickets, 60 overs) 202. Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-3, 3-10, 4-51, 5-138, 6-138, 7-167, 8-188, 9-189. Bowling: Boult 17-2-38-3, Southee 19-6-38-3, Anderson 5-0-29-0, Wagner 11-0-64-4, Sodhi 6-0-13-0, Williamson 2-0-9-0.
New Zealand (2nd innings) Fulton c Jadeja b Shami 5, Rutherford lbw Shami 0, Williamson c Jadeja b Zaheer 3, Taylor c Rahane b Zaheeer 41, B McCullum (run out) 1, Anderson b Shami 2, Watling b Ishant 11, Southee c Pujara b Jadeja 14, Sodhi c Rohit b Ishant 0, Wagner c Jadeja b Ishant 14, Boult (not out) 7, Extras (b-4, w-1, nb-2) 7, Total (all out; 41.2 overs) 105. Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-9, 3-11, 4-15, 5-25, 6-63, 7-78, 8-78, 9-80. Bowling: Shami 12-1-37-3, Zaheer 9-2-23-2, Ishant 10.2-3-28-3, Jadeja 9-4-10-1, Rohit 1-0-3-0.
India (2nd Innings) Vijay c Watling b Southee 13, Dhawan (batting) 49, Pujara (batting) 22, Extras (w-1, nb-2) 3, Total (one wicket; 25 overs) 87. Fall of wicket: 1-36. Bowling: Boult 6-0-28-0, Southee 5-0-18-1, Wagner 6-2-11-0, Anderson 3-0-8-0, Sodhi 4-1-17-0, Williamson 1-0-5-0.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cricket> News / by Sandeep G. / ENS – Chennai / February 09th, 2014