Monthly Archives: July 2015

They raise funds for cancer patient with Ramzan food

July 2, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Educationmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bengaluru :

Every day, before the sun goes down, Khurrum Sheriff (22) and a bunch of other youngsters flock to the masjid at 3rd Cross, Benson Town. They wait for customers to arrive at their makeshift stall to break their fast. They dish out everything from piping hot samosas, spring rolls and biryani to juices and milk shakes, and ensure that all items are sold.

The money racked up from the sales doesn’t end up in their pockets, instead it’s handed over to the mother of a cancer patient.

This is how several residents of Benson Town, who ta ke turns to prepare food and sell it, are observing the holy month of Ramzan. And all this amid their work schedules.

It all started when Tasmeen Farzana Khan, counsellor at a government aided school, came to know about Sunandha R (name changed), a 13-year-old girl in her class suffering from blood cancer. “Sunandha’s father has passed away and her mother, who works as an attendant, is struggling to make ends meet. I learnt that the treatment costs around Rs 16 lakh. And it’s a challenge to keep Sunandha away from the fund-raising as she doesn’t know about her ailment,” she added.

When Tasmeen brought the issue to the Benson Town Youth Association’s notice, members came up with the idea of the stall.

The team comprises 17 members, say AS Nimra Khan (18), a PU student, and Sarah Yaseen (19), a college goer. “Every afternoon, we assemble at the basement of Sarah’s house to cook. We share the task of preparing different food items. By 5pm, we throw open the stall and sales go on till 7pm,” said Nimra.

Khurrum says the response to the initiative has been great and many volunteers have co me forward to offer monetary help. “The month of Ramzan is one wherein we have to donate whatever we can to the needy. Helping a cancer patient, we thou8ght, may be one of t he best ways to do that. We will carry out the exercise throughout the month,” he added.

Sunandha’s mother said she is overwhelmed by the support. “I just want my child to get relief,” she added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Rohith B R , TNN / July 02nd, 2015

He quits job to fight for ‘one nation, one road tax’

July 2, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issuesmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bengaluru :

The IT City is a gateway of opportunities for many – corporate professionals, students, interns. No wonder, it’s home to a large floating population. But if you stretch your visit beyond a month and bring your vehicle along, you may be in for more than teething troubles.

If you use a vehicle with a non-Karnataka registration number for more then 30 days, you’ll have to shell out a bomb as road tax. For example, if your car costs Rs 20 lakh, you’ll have to pay 25% as tax, which amounts to Rs 5 lakh. Two Facebook groups have now become the epicentre for the fight against this draconian law, a cause of concern for owners of out-of-state vehicles. The man behind the movement, Waseem Memon, has quit his job to concentrate on the campaign. The crusaders seek the right to drive without fear, anywhere in the country.

Memon’s personal mobile number has now become a toll-free number for those in trouble with RTO officials.

He runs Facebook groups ‘Justice for non-KA registration vehicle owners’ and ‘Drive without borders’ (since 2014). The former clinical researcher has taken up the cause on a full-time basis. “Both groups, which have more than 50,000 members, are battling several court cases in multiple states, including Karnataka. We’ve had success in Telangana and are hoping to replicate it here too,” he said.

In 1998, Memon moved to Andhra Pradesh from Karnataka, with a KA registration vehicle. He moved on to Maharashtra and then returned to Hyderabad with an MH registration vehicle. He was pulled up by authorities. In 2010, when he moved back to Bengaluru after his numerous corporate stints, he landed in soup for owning a non-Karnataka vehicle. That’s when he decided he’d had enough.

“Although we started the fight with a Facebook page, we are doing much more. Every month, we hold meetings which are attended by people who face this problem. I get at least 30 calls every day from harried users. Our Facebook pages are flooded with grievances,” said Memon, for whom threat calls have become a norm.

The question Memon and his team want to ask the authorities is when technology parks and IT parks are coming up across the country, which require professionals to relocate frequently, why are these laws in place? “Our goal is one nation, one road tax. And we believe we’re getting close to that,” he pointed out.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Arun Dev, TNN / June 02nd, 2015

Stanford Trio Launch Code Camp to Empower Girls through ICT

July 1, 2015Education, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Stanford University students Aashna Shroff, Akhila Moturu and John Kamalu at the launch of Girl Code Camp at Chirec International School in Madhapur on Saturday | RVK Rao

Hyderabad :

An alumnus of city-based CHIREC International School, along with two of her undergraduate batch mates from Stanford University, has launched a concept named Girls Code Camp (GCC) which is aimed at creating a network of young women who are confident in their abilities to computer code and use technology to foster change. The Girls Code pilot boot camp at CHIREC is scheduled to be held from June 29 to July 4, 2015.

The trio – Aashna Shroff, Akhila Moturu and John Kamalu – is conducting GCC as a 6-day workshop in partnership with select schools in Hyderabad. Aashna Shroff is a sophomore at Stanford pursuing Computer Science and Economics; Akhila Moturu is a freshman majoring in Computer Science at Stanford University, seeking a minor in Education; and John Kamalu is a freshman interested in Computer Science and Linguistics at Stanford University.

Each workshop is being planned around an innovative theme that allows girls to align their interests with what they are learning. Workshops will be on Mobile App development, web development and hands-on tinkering for 8th to 10th grade girls.

Speaking at the launch of the pilot boot camp at CHIREC, on Saturday, BVR Mohan Reddy, founder and executive chairman, CYIENT and chairman, NASSCOM, told young girls to be fearless and compete with men in every field. He urged the students to make full use of technology around in creating social equity. “Technology today is all pervasive and accessible. It is constant though the velocity of change is increasing. Predictability of technology has come down and ICT is at the pinnacle of the change,” he said. Further, he opined that use of technology can bring about a social transformation in sectors like education, health, hygiene, and agriculture.

“The idea is to bridge the gender disparity in technological fields in India. With better exposure to computer science skills, girls can take charge of their lives and their communities,” said Aashna. According to her, there exists better awareness abroad for bridging gender disparity apart from combat mechanisms in the form of special scholarships for girls, and student groups.

Iffat Ibrahim, principal, explained about the efforts being taken by the school in empowering students. The GCC will be conducted at NASR girls school, Meridian International School, Sreenidhi International School, and Oakridge International School in the city.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / June 28th, 2015

India’s only double coconut tree artificially pollinated

July 1, 2015Science & Technologympositiveone@gmail.com

The palm species bears largest seed known to science

A double coconut tree stands at the Indian Botanical garden at Shibpur in Howrah district.— Photo: Sanjoy Ghosh

Scientists at the Indian Botanical Garden in West Bengal’s Howrah district have carried out artificial pollination of the only double coconut tree in India, which bears the largest seed known to science.

One of the rare and globally threatened species of palm, the double coconut ( Lodoicea maldivica ) tree was planted at the botanical garden in 1894 and the artificial pollination is a result of decades of work by scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

“The tree took almost a hundred years to mature and when it started flowering, we started looking for this particular palm species in this part of world. We collected some pollen from palms from Sri Lanka but could not successfully pollinate it. Finally, with the help of pollen from another tree in Thailand, the pollination process was successful,” BSI Director Paramjit Singh told The Hindu .

Longest surviving palm

The Double Coconut tree not only bears the largest seed known to science — weighing around 25 kg — but this unique species is also the longest surviving palm which can live for as long as 1,000 years, he says. The palm tree also bears the largest leaf among palms and one leaf can thatch a small hut.

“Successful pollination means that we can have another Lodoicea maldivica in the country. In fact we have two fruits and it might take them another couple of years to mature,” said S.S. Hameed, BSI scientist who has been working on the pollination project since 2006.

This species of palm is diecious (where male and female flowers are borne on different plants). “Fortunately at the Botanical Garden, we had the female plant which can fruit and produce seeds,” Mr. Hameed said. The Indian Botanical Garden which serves as the repository 12,000 trees from 1,400 different species is careful in nurturing the palm.

The palm tree is located in the large palm house of the Botanical Garden which has the largest collection of palms in South East Asia with around 110 palm species.

This rare tree can be found in only two of the 115 Seychelles islands and is also called Coco de Mer (coconut of the sea), says Mr. Hameed

Legend

Legend bestows the seed with the power to bring good fortune to its owners. “There has also been a tradition of making kamandals [drinking vessels] from the double coconut by bisecting the shell. It was believed that those who consume water from these kamandals will be protected from poisoning,” Mr. Hameed said. Subsequently, sadhus started using Kamandals and it got its place in religious rituals.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> National / by Shiv Sahay Singh / Kolkata – June 13th, 2015

A difficult stunt, with a smile

July 1, 2015Amazing Feats, Sportsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Budding off-road racer Hamdaan Khan performing a rare underwater driving stunt in Gokak.— PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

For onlookers, it was a thrilling experience as a young off-road racer dived his four-wheeler into a make-shift water-track and emerged with a smile on his face after driving the vehicle underwater.

Hamdaan Khan, an 11-year-old budding off-road racer from Gokak town in the district, performed the stunt there on Monday.

Hamdaan Khan dived his vehicle, modified by his father Ayub Khan, a national-level off-road racer and who modifies four-wheelers to suit racing needs, into the six-ft deep and 120-ft long water-track and drove it to safety, to a thrilling applause from the onlookers.

This stunt, Mr. Ayub said, is rarely performed in India. Hamdaan Khan’s attempt could be a maiden successful attempt in the country but he was not sure, he said.

Hamdaan Khan, who is studying in the sixth standard in a school in Gokak town, has been learning off-road racing skills from his father. He enjoys it too.

He also accompanies his father in the latter’s wildlife rescue operations in and around Gokak.

Hamdaan Khan (11) dived his four-wheeler into a 6-ft deep water-track and emerged clean out of it in Belagavi

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Vijaykumar Patil / Belagavi – July 01t, 2015

Kalyan group owner wealthiest jeweller in India

July 1, 2015Business & Economy, Leaders, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Kalyan Jewellers’ chairman and managing director T S Kalayanaraman, is the wealthiest jeweller in India with a personal fortune of USD 1.3 billion, says Wealth-X report.

Kalayanaraman opened his first jewellery shop in Thrissur City in 1993 with only USD 100,000 capital, and his business has now expanded to 32 showrooms across South India. His personal fortune is worth USD 1.3 billion.

Nirav Modi was ranked second on the Wealth-X list of India’s wealthiest jewellers with an estimated net worth of USD 1.1 billion.

“Born into a family of Indian diamantaires, Modi left the family business in 1999 and launched his own company, Firestar Diamonds. In 2007, Firestar Diamonds acquired New York-based Sandberg & Sikorski,” it said.

The third on the list is M P Ahammed, with a personal fortune of USD 1 billion. Ahammed had opened the first Malabar Gold & Diamond showroom with only USD 70,000.

Others on the list include, Bhima Jewellers’ B Govindan with a personal wealth of USD 620 million, Kiran Gems’ Vallabhbhai S Patel (USD 590 million), Laxmi Diamond’s Vasant Gajera (USD 580 million), Dharmanandan Diamonds’ Laljibhai Patel (USD 480 million), Kiran Gems’ Babubhai Lakhani (USD 470 million), Kiran Gems’ Mavji Bhai Patel (USD 410 million) and Rajesh Exports’ Rajesh Mehta (USD 310 million).

Wealth-X provides insight into the ultra wealthy with the world’s largest collection of curated research on ultra high net worth individuals.

“The gems and jewellery industry is among India’s fastest growing sectors fuelled by UHNWs affinity for jewellery and the fact that they view it as an important store of value. For India’s ultra wealthy jewellers, all that glitters is gold!,” Sahil Mehta, director, Indian subcontinent at Wealth–X said.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / PTI / Singapore – July 01st, 2015

The sound of silence

July 1, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty of Slumdog Millionaire fame says musical elements define his idea of space and time.

He wanted to be a physicist and win the Nobel Prize. Instead, he became a sound designer and won an Oscar. “Not a mean achievement for a boy who walked miles to school in Kerala and studied under a kerosene lamp. Maybe superconductivity was not really for me,” says the 43-year-old Resul Pookutty, who along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp, won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009.

Pookutty, who has co-produced and designed sound for the Hindi film, Nanak Shah Fakir, based on the life of Guru Nanak Dev, insists that the experience of working for the movie was nothing short of spiritual. “Before signing, I saw 40 minutes of the footage and was spellbound. It was sheer visual poetry. Nothing like that has ever been attempted in mainstream cinema before. When I met the director, Harwinder Sikka, a man who had no experience in the film industry but was guided by a dream to make this film, I instantly decided to become a part of his journey,” says the sound designer, who received the Padma Shri honour in 2010.

Pookutty, who shot to fame after designing the sound for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, says little or no importance is given to sound designing in India. “We are a 5000-year-old civilisation. As a culture, we have transferred knowledge through memory and not just the written texts. Sound was knowledge. Is it not surprising that we still underestimate the power and magic of sound,” says Pookutty. He recorded the sound of vacuum and Shimla’s ambient sounds in a shankh, then extracted out living elements to produce what you heard in Black.

A Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune graduate, who failed the interview round the first time he appeared for it, Pookutty believes that formal training in arts is indispensable to broaden an artiste’s horizons. “You become organised. Then begins the process of personal reinvention influenced by exposure to works of masters and thought processes of fellow students. One is taught the history of the art form, which not only helps in the understanding of the art’s evolution but also, aids your own,” he says. Looking 14 years back, when the industry did not use even good microphones, Pookutty, who has been making a ‘sound library’ for more than a decade now, says, “I could have settled and worked in the anywhere in Europe, but the whole metaphor of my art is right here and I have always striven to make sound as realistic as possible, and also showcase that at times silence can be most deafening.”

Attributing his success to wife Shadia, who, he says, keeps him sane and has always allowed him to follow his dreams, the sound designer, who suggested A.R. Rahman’s name to director Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire, is always open to working in the regional industry including Punjabi. “I don’t see the script in terms of the language but the magic it is capable of producing. I was supposed to work on the 3-D Punjabi animation film Chaar Sahibzaade but could not because of time constraints. Give me something that will completely bowl me over, and I am in,” he says.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> News> Archive> Supplements> Simply Punjabi / / by Sukunt Deepak – May 01st, 2015 / May 11th, 2015