Hanan, who became a social media star after Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi ran a news report about her struggle to run her family, received support from CM Pinarayi Vijayan. He said she was a symbol of courage and determination and that the state must rise to support her.
Hanan walked the ramp in the state capital as part of the state-level inauguration of the Onam-Bakrid Khadi Mela 2018.
Hanan Hamid, the 21-year-old final year student of chemistry whose resolve to fund her education by selling fish and doing odd jobs had made her a darling among the social media in Kerala, met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the state capital on Wednesday. She also walked the ramp for a fashion show organised by the Kerala Khadi Board in Thiruvananthapuram.
Hamid, whose onerous circumstances were reported by the local Mathrubhumi newspaper recently, initially received a lot of bouquets from those on social media. However, certain people on Facebook began spreading rumours that Hamid’s story was fabricated as part of a marketing stunt for a film and that it was akin to cheating the people of the state. The 21-year-old subsequently became a victim of dangerous levels of cyber-harassment and abuse. Two people, who were at the centre of the false rumours, were arrested by the Kerala Police and charged under relevant sections.
During the controversy, Hamid received support from the chief minister and leaders from all parties. The CM said she was a symbol of courage and determination and that the state must rise to support her. During her trip to Thiruvananthapuram, Hamid told reporters that she was a ‘daughter of the government’ and that she was assured of protection from the state. She thanked those who backed her story.
Hanan is Khadi’s face for Onam-Bakrid expo
She walked the ramp at a fashion show organised in the state capital as part of the state-level inauguration of the Onam-Bakrid Khadi Mela 2018. At the event, she met the chief minister and Sobhana George, vice-chairperson of the Kerala Khadi Board. George told reporters that Hamid was symbolic of the hundreds of hard-working women labourers toiling in the Khadi sector in the state.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> India / b y Express Web Desk , Kochi / August 02nd, 2018
Allapra (Kunnathunad Taluk – Ernakulam Distirct ), KERALA :
Mr Nizar has won the district-level best innovative farmer award in aquaponic farming.
Scenes from the compound of Nizar’s plywood unit
Kochi :
At a time when green experts debate impacts of highly polluting plywood companies in Perumbavoor area, a plywood unit owner from there has bagged the state’s award for best innovative farming. Nizar M. M. from Allapra is a role model for entrepreneurs on how to convert a polluting industry environment-friendly and farming on its premises.
The more than four acres of land where the plywood unit is situated has been developed as an organic aquaponic fish, vegetable and dairy farm by spending Rs 50 lakh. Mr Nizar has won the district-level best innovative farmer award in aquaponic farming. “We’ve initially taken up farming at the plywood company compound to minimise damage to the environment. Later, it has been expanded, and now the four-acre organic farm produces vegetables, fish and milk,” he said.
“The aquaponic farm was set up on an experimental basis spending `1 lakh, six months ago. Now, fishes from the farm are being sold at markets in Perumbavoor and the 20-20 food security market at Kizhakkambalam. Milk of the six indigenous Vechur dwarf cows on the farm is a most sought after.”
Fishes are given only organic feeds and waste from the fish ponds is used as organic manure for corn, sugarcane and vegetable cultivation. There are plans to develop the aquaponic farm at an estimated cost of Rs 6 lakh with a government subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Mr Nizar also plans to set up an organic coconut oil manufacturing unit and a goat farm soon.
The more than 100 migrant workers of the plywood unit are staying in the company compound, and their food is being made of organic vegetables and fishes from the farm.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Pets and Environment / by Smitha N, Deccan Chronicle / July 13th, 2018
Hyderabadi girl Mahanoor Khatoon (C), launching her unique invention ‘Vurqa Wash’ a special liquid wash for Burqas, in Hyderabad on Wednesday. UNI PHOTO
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Hyderabad> Photo News / July 12th, 2018
Last year, when newspapers and social media woke up to the news of a certain mango variety being dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone’s attention shifted to 78-year-old “Mango crusader”. Hailing from Malihabad in Uttar Pradesh, Haji Kalimullah Khan is a mango cultivator who is either growing varieties of mangoes, experimenting with its flavors, naming a celebrity over each of the indigenous brands, or growing 300 varieties of mangoes on a single tree. Yes, you heard it right!
This sixth standard pass-out has pioneered the art of cultivating mangoes. He says,
Mango cultivation runs in our family, and we have been doing this for the past 300 years. Our ancestors in our rajwadas used to have huge mango orchards that grew beautiful hybrids. I cultivated a mango tree at the age of 17, which had seven varieties of mangoes in it, and all had different tastes and flavours.
Since then, I have been trying to grow new hybrids every year to show that it is possible to introduce newer varieties, he told NDTV.
Father of eight children, Kalimullah grabbed the headlines when he named a mango variety after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and called it “NaMo Aam“. A hybrid of Kolkata’s Husn-e-Aara and Lucknow’s Dussehri, he plans to grow the variety at Modi’s hometown. In the past, he had dedicated mango varieties to yesteryear actor Nargis Dutt, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Cricket prodigy Sachin Tendulkar, and Anarkali, the popular character in the movie “Mughal-e-Azam.”
Source: AmarUjala
“The ‘NaMo’ mango will remain even when we are gone and will remind people of Narendra Modi and his success. We wish to meet him once. We will be very happy if he visits us once and sees the ‘NaMo aam’ ripen, he told Zee News .
He also grows a certain breed of guava, which on ripening becomes as red as an apple. Kalimullah is also the recipient of the Padma Shri award
source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory / Home> Social Story> Think Change India / June 07th, 2018
Mohammed distributed hand-decorated reusable ‘World Cup’ bags to a number of groceries.
A 10-year-old Dubai student who turned his love for the World Cup into an innovative way to reduce plastic bag waste, has been honoured by the Dubai Municipality (DM).
Following the Khaleej Times article on June 25, ‘Boy uses football frenzy to send a message against plastic waste’, Abdulmajeed Abdulaziz Saifaie, director of waste management department, was keen to meet the boy behind the story , Faiz Mohammed. And during a meeting between the two on Tuesday, he named the youngster one of the municipality’s ‘Sustainability Ambassadors’.
Using his own Eid money, Mohammed distributed hand-decorated reusable bags to a number of groceries near his home in Karama, after he grew tired of seeing so many plastic bags being wasted on home deliveries.
His own investigations revealed that on average, each small grocery was using about 1,200 bags a month to deliver goods. To combat the excess wastage, he distributed the free tote bags in replace of plastic ones. And it was that smart and sustainable thinking that caught the attention of Saifaie.
“I was so proud and happy to see the story. If you keep doing what you’re doing, we will see big change. Going forward I want you to keep in close contact with my team and give more ideas to help tackle waste here in the UAE,” Saifaie told Mohammed.
The municipality’s Ambassador for Sustainability initiative was launched in 2013 with the aim to train students on how to carry out lectures and workshops on various environmental topics.
“The fact that this boy didn’t use that Eid money to buy a ball, toy, something for himself, is commendable. He has a good hobby. If his family and community keep encouraging that, he will have a good future and so will the environment.”
Discussing different ideas to work on together in the future, Mohammed said his plan is to scale up his reusable bags initiative to groceries across Dubai. Only this time, Saifaie told him that the DM will help fund his move.
“We will visit you at your school and speak to your fellow students to spread awareness about what you are doing. We spend millions per year to bring this idea of sustainable practice into students’ minds, but you are doing it on your own. We will support you. You do not need to take money from your own pocket anymore.”
Thanking the municipality for the opportunity, Mohammed said he felt honoured to be named a Sustainability Ambassador.
“I feel so glad to be here. It gives me much encouragement to meet the director of waste management. He has been telling me to continue in my path to help curb waste so I will keep urging friends, family and shop workers about the importance of using reusable bags in place of plastic ones.”
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home / by Kelly Clarke , Dubai / July 04th, 2018
The precious mango, so delicate that each piece has to be carefully plucked by hand and swathed in cotton, was developed in the late 18th century by the last nawab of Bengal.
New Delhi :
The West Bengal government is pushing for a GI tag for the Kohitur mango, arguably the most prized variety among the king of fruits that was ‘created’ during the reign of nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah strictly for royals only and now sells for up to Rs. 1,500 a piece.
The precious mango, so delicate that each piece has to be carefully plucked by hand and swathed in cotton, was developed in the late 18th century by the last nawab of Bengal. The mango was out of bounds for commoners with only royal orchards permitted to grow it, and only royals allowed to relish it.
Still out of reach for most, except for modern-day royals who have the means to spend, the the West Bengal government is trying to save and popularise the Murshidabad nawab’s favourite fruit all over the world and get a geographical indication (GI) tag.
“Kohitur is an exclusive variety from West Bengal. It can be only found in Murshidabad. At one time, there were 148 varieties in this district but now only 42 varieties are left. We are trying to save this variety. We have now applied for GI tag for Kohitur. Hopefully we will get it,” Gautam Roy, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Murshidabad told PTI.
The GI tag ensures that only those registered as authorised users are allowed to use the product name.
The rare and costly mango is presently on display and sold as a precious item from the state at the ongoing ‘Mango Festival” by the West Bengal government in the capital’s Janpath area.
“Legend has that, Siraj ud-Daulah, a connoisseur of mangoes, had gathered saplings of the best mangoes from all over the country for his garden in Murshidabad. He had even appointed few of his favourite mango breeders who were treated like Akbar’s Navratnas to do research and cross breed between various mangoes to create new varieties. Kohitur was created at that time and it was his favourite,” Roy stated.
The Kohitur is believed to have been created by a royal mango breeder called Hakim Ada Mohammadi, by cross breeding between a mango called Kalopahar and another variety, Roy said.
Though the Kalopahar, which got its name from its blackish green skin, is now extinct, the Kohitur continues to grow.
But the numbers are dwindling.
According to Kohitur growers, there are only 10 to 15 growers and only 25 to 30 Kohitur trees left in Murshidabad district despite the state government’s efforts to save the mango species.
“The district has more than 200 mango orchards but this variety is found only in a few. Some of these trees are over 150 years old. One tree does not bear more than 40 fruits in a season and the trees don’t bear fruit every year, making Kohitur one of the most sought after mangoes,” said Ashabul Mondol, a mango grower.
“It is an extremely delicate mango. It is not a very commercially viable mango,” he added.
But since each mango is priced at more than Rs. 500, growers tend to earn well.
“Last season we sold each mango at Rs. 1,500 per piece in Kolkata,” Mondol said.
The fruit is so delicate that fully ripe mangoes have to be plucked by hand. They start rotting if they fall from trees or get damaged in handling.
“It is so delicate that these mangoes need to be packed or kept separately wrapped in cotton. Legend has it that the nawabs kept the mangoes dipped in honey to preserve it and increase its shelf-life,” said Roy.
To relish the royal favourite, if you can afford it, eat them the way the royals did.
According to legend, Kohitur was not sliced by metal knives but bamboo knives to get the real flavour and taste. The nawabs would then use golden toothpicks to dig in delicately.
The Union Commerce Ministry has earlier given the GI tag for the Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso mangoes.
source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Sections> All India / Press Trust of India / June 24th, 2018
Appetite for knowledge Shahnaz Husain at The Park’s Fire restaurant in New Delhi | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Shahnaz Husain says quality of food plays a vital role in making a person look attractive.
It is usual to find film stars, sport personalities and politicians surrounded by fans and followers. One did not expect such response for Shahnaz Husain, one of the pioneers of herbal beauty care movement in the country. From the moment she steps into Fire, the multi-cuisine restaurant of The Park for a luncheon interaction, men and women of all age groups douse my cynical mind with their requests for selfies and autographs with the doyenne of cosmetic industry.
Perceiving my surprise, Shahnaz says, “This is the goodwill that I have earned thanks to my profession. For me, money was never primary. It was to help people look good without adverse effects. I’m always keen to help people including strangers whenever I observe a skin or hair problem. I try to suggest what is good for them. Recently, I noticed the girl doing my cardiogram at the doctor’s clinic had a bad case of skin pigmentation. I advised what was best for her.”
Chef Abhishek Basu has specially curated organic seasonal menu for the guest. Shahnaz remarks, “Being conscious about my diet, I am glad about this menu.”
Carving her own niche
Considering that Shahnaz comes from a family of legal luminaries — her grandfather Samiullah Beg served as the Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court, father Nasirullah Beg was the CJ of Allahabad High Court and uncle Mirza Hameedullah Beg was the CJI — many find it surprising that she decided on cosmetic business as a career. “My father wished me become the Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice in Hague while I teased him that my limited schooling was not enough for that. Having been married at 15 and becoming a mother at 16, I wondered what to do with my life. Not keen on interior decoration or fashion, I decided to opt for cosmetic therapy and cosmetology.”
What she decided, she did with style, studying in eight countries and getting trained in globally reputed institutions like Helena Rubinstein, Swarzkopf, Christine Valmy, Lancome and Lean. “Having dropped out of school, I was hungry for knowledge , till they said, there is nothing else to teach,” she quips. Remarkably, Shahnaz paid the fees for these institutions on her own by writing articles on beauty for magazines and weeklies.
Shahnaz took a major decision when after learning Western techniques and methods she decided to create herbal products based on Ayurveda. She says it happened because of a chance incident. “At Rubinstein, my classmate Catherine used to come with a very beautiful woman whom she made wait outside. Unable to control my curiosity, I found out that the lady was her mother. A well known model, she had gone blind by using a famous eye make-up while advertising for the product. I was completely stunned and wondered that if a cosmetic product led to loss of sight, there is something wrong with the beauty business. Pondering over it, I decided to tap India’s more than 3000-year-old Ayurvedic heritage to find alternatives for the chemicals used in beauty products.” After returning to India, she employed several ayurveda practitioners for the job. “You would be surprised to know that for each formulation we discovered 20 alternatives. Such is the richness of this ancient science.”
Meanwhile, the chef fills the table with healthy options. There is sol kadhi, bael pathar ka sharbat and bhutte ka kees taco. Each finds favour with Shahnaz. “This is the strength of natural ingredients. It not only lends taste and flavour but also provides required nutrients.” As we finish the main course of Thanjavur manga curry, mangodi ki subzi and munsiari rajma masala is served. Shahnaz remarks, “The sheer colour, aroma and presentation makes the dishes so tempting. I will try a little of each.”
As we enjoy the delicacies, Shahnaz observes that while most people think that creams, lotions and treatment makes one look good, it is essentially our food intake that plays a major part. “If possible, people should go vegan, otherwise they must eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; go high on protein and less on carbohydrates; eat dal and rice after removing the water. These are the mantras for healthy skin and hair.” One couldn’t help observe the hotel staff, listening in rapt attention as did other guests around us.
Strict diet
On being asked if she herself practices what she preaches, Shahnaz says. “I follow my diet rigorously. Breakfast is oats, papaya and green tea. Lunch is usually fruit juice, brown bread, cheese and vegetables while dinner is one roti with subzi.” It must be tough to resist the temptation. “Yes it is,” she admits candidly. “I do have cheat days when I eat Hyderabadi biryani, korma, roast potatoes, kakori kababs, sheer mal and kheer.” Her favourite cuisine is of course South Indian. “Being light and healthy, I prefer idli and dosa with sambar. I learnt this from Vyjayanthimala, who told me that a doctor had advised her to eat these when she wanted to be fit for a particular film.” Likewise, she prefers Chinese cuisine, particularly chicken chowmein, Peking duck and sweet corn soup. “Bahut light hota hai!”
Amazingly dealing with chemicals and their formulations, Shahnaz does not lead from the front in kitchen. “I never had a chance to learn since we always had a cook at home. Once venturing to make rice, I was so confused about the quantity of water and the time required to boil it, that I ended up adding milk and sugar to make kheer,” she quips.
As the doyenne emphasises the need for proper diet for healthy body and mind, one wonders what beauty means to her. “Beauty is what a woman exudes from inside. There are essentially two aspects to it. A woman needs to be intelligent besides being attractive. One without the other never works. Secondly, neither the skin nor hair colour is important, it is the quality that counts.” Then what about this fanatic longing about fairness? “That is really unfortunate. I know several women having underwent chemically induced treatment to look fair. That never helps as the side effects are terrible. We too are entreated by parents to make their daughters fair to help them get a suitable match. All this pains me.” The cosmetic industry too fuels this fascination as evident from ads. “Instead of changing public perception, they are promoting it. Skin colour does not decide the character or nature of a person or how he or she will be as a life partner,” remarks Shahnaz.
Instead of this obsession for fairness, Shahnaz suggests one should take care of oneself. “Looking good is feeling good. People in general and women in particular must take out ‘me time’ to take care of themselves. This need not necessarily mean visiting salons or parlours.” Stating that beauty consciousness is no longer confined to the upper crust of the society, she narrates some interesting anecdotes. “I once met a woman selling Rajasthani cushions in Connaught Place. She recognised me and eagerly shared that she uses one of my products which she picks up in bulk during her visits to Delhi. Likewise, a guard once asked me what cream to buy for his wife. Beauty is everyone’s concern,” she sums up.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by S. Ravi / June 20th, 2018
The Thottara Puncha before harvest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Government’s farming success story sees revival of 652 acres of paddy land
A rice bowl that had been lying almost fallow for over a decade has now been revived fully to produce some 1,500 metric tonnes of paddy in a joint effort by the Ernakulam district administration, Agriculture Department, paddy field collectives, and local bodies.
The rejuvenated Thottara Puncha, where 652 acres of paddy land were brought under cultivation last year, will now be a brand, with the rice produced here hitting the market in that name in the first week of June. The effort to breathe life back into the Puncha, trapped amid some nine hills, was spearheaded by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla.
The plan is to market some 20 tonnes of rice initially, followed by another batch of 20 tonnes. Keecheri Service Cooperative Bank has completed collection of paddy, threshing, packing, and branding, said a release issued here.
Mr. Safirulla sought the support of Amballoor and Edakkattuvayal panchayats to cultivate some 350 acres of the 990 acres of the Puncha in Ernakulam district (the remaining 1,082 acres are in Kottayam) in 2016-17, and the results were stunning. “Preparation of fields itself was a challenge, but paddy field collectives worked in tandem to make it happen. This time around, we were able to bring under cultivation the maximum cultivable area — around 700 acres over nine paddy land collectives barring areas acquired for various projects, canals, farm roads, and irrigation channels,” said C.K. Prakash, general coordinator of the project.
Several departments, including irrigation, Land Development Corporation, and the State Electricity Board, supported the initiative. The canals were cleaned, and pumping facility was added to the sluices at Olippuram and Pulimukham (as a chunk of the Puncha being in low-lying areas will get heavily inundated during the monsoon).
“It posed some challenges, as not every area could be cultivated in October, which delayed harvesting too. We have now set up 12 high-power submersible pumps along the Puncha for de-watering, which will help us harvest the entire field by March next. This is going to drastically reduce the harvesting cost as well. And, the idea is to incorporate Kudumbasree in threshing paddy at our own mill and brand it,” said Mr. Prakash.
A Thottara Puncha Development Council will soon be formed, and a mill will be set up at a cost of ₹40 lakh. Terming it his pet project, Mr. Safirulla said all agencies and stakeholders had chipped in with verve to script the success story.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / May 25th, 2018
Amaan Khan placed at the National Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium in Maryland.
PLAINFIELD, IL :
Plainfield South High School sophomore Amaan Khan won second place in the National Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) held in Maryland May 2 to May 5, 2018, for creating a self-driving model car.
He advanced to the national competition after winning first place at the regional JSHS competition in March.
Khan’s model car can drive within designated lanes, stop and go at traffic lights, and avoid obstacles.
His second-place finish earned him an $8,000 scholarship in addition to the $2,000 scholarship for winning the regional event. The regional competition is open to ninth through twelfth grade students.
Most of the 97 national competitors were high school juniors and seniors. “Second in national is still really great,” Khan said.
Students compete in several categories including computer science and math, bioengineering, behavioral science, medicine, health, physics, engineering and environmental science.
Khan wants to enter the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair next year, he said.
Photo/article via District 202
source: http://www.patch.com / Plainfield Patch / Home> Kids & Family / by Shannon Antinori , Patch National Staff / May 17th, 2018
A Plainfield South High School sophomore is traveling to a national science competition, after he created and programmed a self-driving car.
Amaan Khan, 15, will compete this week in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Maryland, after winning the Illinois Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) in March, according to a news release from Plainfield District 202.
Khan created and programmed a self-driving car that can drive within designated lanes, stop and go at lights and avoid obstacles.
He won a $2,000 college scholarship and free trip to the national competition. He is one of two students from Illinois heading to Maryland to compete Tuesday through Saturday with 93 students from across the nation.
Competitors must submit a research paper and present their projects before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers.
Khan became interested in robotics and artificial intelligence last year, after he built a voice-controlled toy car. He took online college courses and watched college lecture courses and YouTube videos to teach himself computer programming.
“As I was learning I kept building the project,” Khan said. “I’d learn one thing, implement it, learn another thing and implement that.”
Patrick and Samantha Scanlan, PSHS science teachers, have supported Khan along the journey.
Samantha Scanlan helped Khan register for the contest. Patrick Scanlan helped Khan polish his oral presentation.
“[Khan] knows what he wants and seeks out the resources to do it,” Patrick Scanlan said. “And if there’s something he needs to learn, he’s able to figure out what he needs to be successful.”
The JSHS is designed to challenge and engage students in science, technology, engineering or math.
