Col. MA Kaleem, a veteran motorcyclist, young at 68 years, begins a solo ride around India, riding a total distance of 35,000 km. He is attempting to break the existing world record for longest distance traveled within a country without retracting on same route. He’ll be travelling to all the states in the country touching their capital cities. Some of the cities he will be visiting are Chennai, Trivandrum, Kochi, Mangalore, Panaji, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Agra, Gwalior, Siliguri, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati. He intends to travel this Distance in a time of 90 days.
He has done innumerable solo rides in India and is affectionately called Moonchwala in Biker circles. He was part of the Hyderabad – Kashmir – Hyderabad ride done last year. He was flagged off in Hyderabad By the Joint Transport Commisioner and Secretary, RTA, HYDERABAD Mr T. Raghunath.
Mr. Kaleem Planted a tree at the RTA Khairatabad in Hyderabad to commemorate the occasion. Speaking on the occasion he thanked his Sponsors HP for the Petrol, CEAT Tires for 2 Sets of Brand new tires, ViaTerra for the Claw and GT customized luggage systems, HV Kumar & Forum for Live Online Support, Xbhp members for support and MapMyIndia for the GPS Device. He also mentioned that he is dedicated to protect environment and plants trees whenever he sets out for a ride. He wanted everyone in the society to pledge for their own as well as others safety while on the road.
Mr.T. Raghunath explained all the innovative ways they are using to make life of citizens on the roads in Hyderabad better. The safety measures and implementations of different policies were explained to the gathering.
Members from the online community will also be greeting and supporting him at every major town. We wish the young-at-heart colonel all the best in his record attempt.
source: http://www.motoroids.com / Motoroids.com / Home> Features / 2014
Indian expat flies solo after record time of 25 hours training
Mansoor Anis took off and landed from Langley Regional Airport in Canada to accomplish his first solo flight./ Image Credit: supplied
Sharjah:
At just 14 years old, a Sharjah teenager has become one of the youngest pilots to fly a single-engine aircraft.
Indian expat Mansour Anis, a Grade 9 student at Delhi Private School in Sharjah, received a certificate for his first solo flight from an aviation academy in Canada last week.
Back in the UAE after his achievement, Mansour claimed that he had also set a record of being the youngest pilot to fly solo with the least number of training hours.
“He broke the previous record of a 15-year-old German pilot and a 14-year-old US pilot who took 34 hours of training. Mansour flew solo just after 25 hours of training,” Mansour’s father Ali Asgar Anis told Gulf News on Wednesday.
Summer training
Ali, a civil engineer heading the engineering department at Zulekha Hospital, said he had sent his son along with his wife Munira, a chemistry teacher with Wesgreen International School, to Canada for the training session during the summer holidays.
In some countries, like the US and UK, a person has to be at least 16 years old before taking to the air on their own. In the UAE and India, the pilot has to be at least 18 to be eligible to fly. However, in Canada, 14 is the minimum age for student pilots to join the course and try flying after meeting the requirements.
“Since he turned 14 in June, we decided to take him to Canada for setting this record,” said Munira.
Mansoor, with his parents Munira and Ali Asgar, displays the certificate he earned from an aviation academy / Image Credit: Atiq ur Rehman/Gulf News
She said her brother Qaid Faizy, a pilot with Jet Airways in Inida, has been an inspiration for Mansour since his childhood.
Fascinated about flying
“I got fascinated about flying the plane because of my uncle. He has been my inspiration and he has envisioned me to become a commercial pilot after I turn 18,” said Mansour.
When he was about eight years, Mansour received a flight simulator as a gift from his uncle. “I learnt some basic lessons using that. My uncle has also given me and my sister the chance to visit the cockpit of an aircraft in which we flew once.”
His uncle also allowed Mansour to sit with his sister Mariya, a medicine student in Mauritius, when she once flew a Cessna aircraft at an aviation school in India, where the former used to teach, around four years ago.
Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test / .Image Credit: Atiq ur Rehman/Gulf News
Mansour, who also flew a Cessna 152 aircraft during his solo flight, now has a student pilot permit. Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test and scored 96 per cent in the PSTAR Test, an eligibility test for Transport Canada.
It was chief flying instructor at the AAA Academy Robert Wickins who trained Mansour during his course.
“He used to brief me about how the plane works. He taught me how to turn the aircraft. Then we went for some exercises like stall, spin, spiral dive etc. I was scared at first… but then it was fun. Also he had assured me nothing would go wrong and we can control the aircraft.”
Mansour’s solo flight was about 10-minutes long, during which he taxied the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, took off for a flight of about five minutes and landed back.
Light aircraft
“The aircraft was really light because the instructor’s weight was not there. The plane was in the air a bit faster. I was excited and a little nervous.
“After I took off, I concentrated on flying how I did with the instructor. Everything happened very quickly,” said Mansour, who is now on cloud nine about his achievement.
“I am planning to go again to Canada next year to continue flying. If I don’t continue I will forget everything. At 16 years, I will take a recreational pilot permit. At 17, I will take private pilot license and at 18, I will take a commercial pilot license,” said the boy for whom the sky is not the limit.
source: http://www.gulfnews.com / Gulf News / Home> Society / by Sajila Saseedran, Senior Reporter / September 06th, 2017
Abdul Wajid, a jobless village boy, built a plane from scratch to prove that he is not worthless!
The youth of this country have to face one huge challenge – that of unemployment. Whatever the government waxes on about all day, the fact of the matter is that the educated and even brightest of the youth sometimes have to settle for less than satisfactory jobs or just stay at home because there are no takers or no vacancies. While for those in metro cities the situation is relatively easier, for those in the rural areas, it is extremely terrible. They do not even have access to technology or means to reach out and if they do not leave their village, the chances of them getting a job in the village itself are negligent. While many disillusioned youth give up and go back to their village and take up the family profession, there are some like Abdul Wajid who decide to take matters in their own hands.
Image Credit: The Times of India
Abdul Wajid is a 26-year old youth residing in Muzaffarnagar village in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his National Cadet Corps (NCC) training and since then has been hunting for a job but so far, has been unsuccessful in all his attempts. While training for the NCC, he had completed a course in aero-modelling at Safdarjung airport and used the skills he learned at the course to desgin and fashion his own aircraft! His one-seater plane was built entirely by himself at the cost of Rs 5 lakhs! How did a jobless youth get the amount? With the help of family, friends and the generous villagers! His plane is completely designed and made by him – from metal scraps and engines of old cars and Abdul Wajid is confident that it will definitely run.
He has already applied for a request and approval from the aviation board to try test-flying the plane. The plane he has created is made of wood and weighs a whopping 350 kgs. The plane is meter long in structure and is supported by steel frames and the engine is that of an old Maruti van he purchased specifically for this purpose. The plane was initially fitted with 2 bike engines but they had to be changed as the engines would not be adequate to give the required thrust. The plane uses petrol for fuel and comes fitted with a 25 litre fuel tank which is expected to carry Wajid Abdul through a distance of up to 10 kms. The only obstruction in front of him is how to get the permission to fly the air-craft!
The first request was placed at the Muzaffarnagar council where just like the villagers, everyone was stumped. The local civic body visited Abdul Wajid and even they were confused as they could not provide the permission. They then asked Abdul to write to the aviation ministry and Abdul has vowed to do just that. Although people in his village earlier mocked him, now everyone is proud of him. He is filled with hope that if he can make a plane all by himself, then he can definitely get a green signal from the aviation ministry! Also, he hopes that once he flies his plane, people will take notice of his abilities and offer him atleast a decent job. He also expects to get some monetary compensation from the Chief Minister for his efforts.
source: http://www.india.com / India.com / Home> News> India / by Rutu Ladage / May 26th, 2016
Ibrahim Thabreez, 23, has equipped his bus with WiFi and offers free tax consultation
Owner of a private bus in Mangaluru encourages people to file IT returns by offering information and free consultation
After offering free Wi-Fi services on a private city bus, a Golden Line bus that runs between Mangaluru city (State Bank of India Bus Stand) and Hoo Hakuvakallu near Konaje will offer free consultancy services on several issues such as GST, linking PAN with Aadhaar, filing IT returns and how to go about it.
Ibrahim Thabreez, a 23-year-old MBA graduate working as an export executive at Sharief Marine Product Private Limited decided to spread awareness on the subject. Thabreez‘s family is into transport business and they own about three city buses.
Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Thabreez said, “People panic when they hear the word tax. Now, with GST, the panic has only increased. I am campaigning so that people come forward and file their returns. I explain to them the benefits of filing returns and how to go about it. For this, I have pasted posters inside the bus. I thought this is the right time to spread awareness as there are few days left to file returns for the last financial year. I addition, I am helping people with getting a PAN card, as well as linking it to their Aadhaar cards and bank accounts,” he said.
The non-salaried class often try to avoid filing returns. “I have provided my mobile number on the posters on the bus. While I guide them for free, in case they want me to take it further and get them a PAN card, I will do so only by charging a fee prescribed by the government. Regarding IT returns, I can guide them on the taxable amount and how to go about filing e-returns. In case they insist that I file it for them, I can provide the services at my office at a reasonable fee,” he said.
When JIOFi was launched earlier this year, Thabreez saw to it that a device was placed inside the bus so that people could use WiFi for free. Though the free offer has ended, they use upto 5 GB data in the bus every day.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> State / by Deepthi Sanjiv, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / July 27th, 2017
Bringing string of accolades to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), one after the other; Shah Faaiz Alam, a Mechanical Engineering Postgraduate student of the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology, AMU has been selected by the Indian Air Force under Permanent Commission for the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) Branch.
Alam, earlier brought laurels to his alma mater by getting recommended by Air Force Selection Board, Dehradun. Alam achievements did not stop there as he later made it to the All-India merit list securing 5th All-India rank under the technical stream.
He will now be joining the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad in July for the commencement of training for a period of six months. Alam will be further sent to Air Force Technical College (AFTC), Bangalore for further advanced technical training of 52 weeks under the rank of ‘Under-Training Flying Officer’.
Professor Mohd Altamash Siddiqui, Chairperson, Department of Mechanical Enginneering and Dr Nafis Ahmad II have congratulated Mr Alam for the achievement.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles / Home> Indian Muslim / by TCN News / July 03rd, 2017
Co-founder of Ati Motors, Saad Nasser hopes to release his first autonomous goods vehicle prototype in the next 2 years
14-year old Saad Nasser’s start-up is building an autonomous goods vehicle
Saad Nasser, all of 14 years old, is no ordinary teen. Having read books on Java before the age of 5 and learnt C++ programming by the age of 7, Saad is a self-taught child prodigy with a lot to talk about. Saad is the co-founder of an autonomous vehicle start-up called Ati Motors, based out of Bangalore and is aiming to build the world’s first autonomous goods vehicle. But there is one more twist to this. This will be not like your regular goods vehicle but designed to offer the maneuverability of a two wheeler vehicle in order to run it on hilly areas apart from campuses.
Saad has been a winner at the Intel IRIS Science Fair 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016. His project on tiled processors won him the Sam Pitroda Award for Research and Creativeness as the best project of the fair.
BOOM caught up with Saad at the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum where we spoke to him about his entrepreneurial journey at such a young age.
source: http://www.boomlive.in / Boom / Home> Uncategorized / by Jency Jacob / February 24th, 2017
If Salim, the driver of the bus ferrying Amarnath Yatris, had not acted wisely and shown exemplary courage, the brazen terror attack would have certainly claimed more innocent lives.
Ahmedabad:
If Salim, the driver of the bus ferrying Amarnath Yatris, had not acted wisely and shown exemplary courage, the brazen terror attack would have certainly claimed more innocent lives.
Salim, the Gujarati driver of the bus that was ferrying the passengers, has now emerged as a hero by saving so many innocent lives while risking his own.
According to reports, Salim drove the bus to safety amid continuous firing by a group of heavily armed terrorists who attacked the bus which was returning from the Amarnath Shrine.
Despite being reportedly hit by a bullet, Salim locked the door from inside, refraining terrorists from entering into the bus.
Realising that if he stops the bus, terrorist would kill many innocent yatris, Salim drove for nearly two kilometers before finally stopping near an army camp.
“I spoke to the passengers and they were all praises for the driver. He drove despite the firing and took them to safety. It made a lot of difference and lives were saved. He did not stop. Had he stopped, more lives could have been lost,” Munir Khan, IG, Kashmir, told reporters.
One of the survivors of the attack also praised Salim for his bravery and said, ”We were asleep and were woken up by bullet sounds. He continued to drive and took us to safety. If not for him, it would have been worse.”
Back home in Gujarat’s Valsad, Salim’s family also expressed satisfaction that he managed to save several lives.
“He called me at around 9.30 pm and said that there was firing. Salim did not stop when terrorists fired but only looked for a safer spot for the pilgrims. He could not save seven lives but managed to move over 50 people to a safe place. We are very proud of him,” said Javed, Salim’s cousin.
Later, speaking to reporters, Salim said, ”God gave me strength to keep moving, and I just did not stop.”
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijat Rupani, who announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of victims and Rs 2 lakh for injured, said that he will nominate driver Salim for bravery award.
There were initial reports that the bus was not registered for the Amarnath Yatra and the driver had committed some lapses on his part.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has rejected such reports and stated that reports of the bus not being registered were far from the truth.
“The bus was very much registered for Amarnath Yatra and they were also in a convoy. “They had finished their darshan just two days ago and had plans of visiting a few tourist places. Yes, they were on a different route than the yatra route but the bus was registered and in a convoy,” Munir Khan added.
The bus, which came under a dastardly terror attack on Monday evening, was from Gujarat, and all pilgrims were from the same state.
The bus – GJ 09 Z 9976 – was registered in North Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, but the owner had sold the bus to one Jawahar Desai of Valsad, Gujarat.
Of the seven pilgrims – five women and two men – who lost their lives, two were from Valsad, two from Dharampur, two from Pardi and one from Vansda. Another fifteen sustained injuries, four of them serious wounds.
source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> News> States> Gujarat / by Zee Media Bureau / Tuesday – July 11th, 2017
KNS Institute of Technology students display the drones designed by them at Eduverse, the ninth edition of Jnana Degula education expo organised by Deccan Herald and Prajavani, at Jayamahal Palace Hotel grounds on Sunday. DH photo
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Rs 1,500? Students of KNS Institute of Technology have done it, without much fanfare. They plan to enhance the design to customise the drones for surveillance and transporting goods.
The makers of the plane – Inayatullah, Debabrata Mondal, Premkumar Singh and SyedJunaid – represented their college along with vice principal Nayeem Ahmad at Jnana Degula-Eduverse event organised by DH and Prajavani.
Inayatullah said the plane was made of simple polymer materials (expanded polyolefin and polystyrene) and can carry 350 gm payload. “It can fly for an hour at a speed of 45 km per hour. We have used a propeller made of composite material with aluminium coating so that it can fly at a height of 500 feet and withstand force of up to 85 newtons,” he said.
The team is also working on a plane specifically designed for surveillance.“While the 45 kmph plane can be improvised to make it a delivery drone, we are working on a plane that flies slower, at 36 kmph, providing opportunities for deeper surveillance of a particular area,” Mondal said.
Inayatullah said the cost of the UAVs will come down further if produced on a large scale. “The UAVs produced by government agencies cost a lot. Our planes are disposable. The army can use the surveillance drone and does not have to worry if one of them is lost or destroyed,” he said.
The planes can be controlled by a 2.4GHz radio frequency device, which has a range of 2.5 km. “The remote controller cost us Rs 3,500. Considering that it is the plane and not the device that is susceptible to damage, we think ours is the most affordable UAV,” he said.
“The turbo is imported from China for Rs 90 and sold in India for Rs 250. The same turbo can be made in India at a cost of Rs 40. Nearly 95% of the materials were imported from China. After a detailed study, we found the cost will come down to Rs 600, if we make these materials in India,” Inayatullah said.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DH News Service / Bengaluru – May 29th, 2017
Ajgar Ali (left) and Mohammed Musthafa in Siliguri on Thursday
Siliguri:
Ever since they took the lead on Day I, Sheikh Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa never had to look back, emerging winners of the Biswa Bangla JK Tyre Himalayan Drive V – Tri-Nation 4-Wheeler TSD Rally – that concluded here on Thursday.
After driving more than 1250 km through forests, riverbeds, mountain roads and dirt tracks across India, Bhutan and Nepal over five days, the duo lifted the coveted HD 5 trophy.
Ajgar and Musthafa – the reigning National TSD (Time, Speed Distance) Rally champions – finished with 174 to win the competition for the second time. They had won the inaugural edition back in 2013. Deep Dutta and Prakash Muthusamy finished second, while Ashish Budhia and Calcutta’s Arindam Ghosh came third in the rally.
Talking about the experience, Ajgar, who comes from the village of Dighasipur (in Haldia), felt that things were more challenging for them on the first two days.
“The competition sector was really tough… The terrain was challenging. In Bhutan and Nepal the roads were really, really difficult. But I think it was far more challenging on Day I and II. Really hectic…,” the 36-year-old said after the prize distribution ceremony at a shopping mall.
Anurag Srivastava, district magistrate, Darjeeling, was the chief guest.
Ajgar added: “We started here (in Siliguri) and went to Paro. Thereafter, we went to Thimpu, then back to Paro again… Then Darjeeling, Hile (in Nepal) and back to Siliguri… So, one should understand how tough it was.”
Ajgar and Musthafa had to brave temperature of three-degrees Celsius in Paro. “In Nepal too, it wasn’t easy. The temperature was around 4-5 degrees Celsius,” Ajgar said.
“But thanks to the Himalayan Rally back in October, where the temperature was some minus five or six (degrees Celsius), we could survive the conditions in Paro and Nepal. That experience certainly helped.”
Ajgar’s navigator Musthafa thinks the duo were under more pressure, having taken the lead on the first day. “Look, this event was far more challenging for us because our performance in the past events weren’t too good.
“If you are the favourites in a competition, there’s bound to be extra pressure on you… The pressure of expectations… So, in that sense, the first day’s lead added to our pressure because everyone’s focus was on us and we were the team that others chased. Maintaining the lead was really difficult, from Day I to Day V.
“The rally was well and truly a roller-coaster…
“We, therefore, decided that we would just not look at the results and instead, concentrate on the basics. In any case, Ajgar and I share a wonderful rapport and we understand each other really well.
“The intensity was high and the end result is there for everyone to see,” said Musthafa, who comes from Erode.
The duo now look forward to the Uttarakhand Adventure Rally in April, where they will certainly be one of the favourites. “Honestly, our understanding developed ever since the first time we came together as a pair, which was at the Himalayan Drive (HD) I back in 2013.
“We won that as the understanding between the two of us had already developed well,” Musthafa said.
Ajgar and Musthafa, having won India’s premier rallies like the Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm in the adventure categories, had come second in HD II and third in HD III.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta,India / Front Page> Sports> Story / by Sayak Banerjee / Friday – March 03rd, 2017
After traversing through the hills and the plains for over 1,250km in five days, Ajgar Ali (Kolkata) and co-driver Mohammed Mustafa (Erode) emerged a clear winner over nearest rivals Deep Dutta (co-driver Prakash Muthusamy) in the Biswa Bangla JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 5 here on Thursday.
Ajgar and Mustafa enjoyed the extra edge of a strong lead in the national class points table going into the final day. But the duo decided to stick to the basics. They showed great understanding from the start (Hile in Nepal) and reached here without having to nurse the car right through the journey.
“There was nothing much to do for us today. We had to just keep the car on the road for the title,” said Mustafa.
They were obviously thrilled to have clinched their maiden international title.
“We have driven together for five years and have been successful in about 50 TSD events. But this was our first international event. It was a totally new experience. We saw different countries, beautiful locations and lovely people and that set the winning mood for us,” he added.
Mustafa said they were under some pressure after taking the lead on the first day. “But we managed to come clean thanks to Ajgar’s brilliant drive. I was always confident of him. He also does not complicate things.”
Ajgar was pretty pleased as well and credited the title win to Mustafa’s clean work. “He did a great job right through.”
Having tasted success at the international stage, the former Himalayan
Drive champions promised to return next year. “We will be back and in
an even better shape to defend our title,” said Ajgar.
Ashish Budhia (co-driver Arindam Ghosh) had to rest content for the third place.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Rayan Rozario / March 02nd, 2017
