Monthly Archives: March 2015

City girl breaks into Indian tennis team

March 17, 2015Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Sportsmpositiveone@gmail.com

idhi Chilumula with two-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza. Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam

With two silver medals at the recent National Games, Nidhi is delighted at the way her game has shaped up over the past year.

For 20-year-old Nidhi Chilumula, the moment of reckoning has finally arrived. In a team led by her childhood favourite Sania Mirza, she will represent the country in the Fed Cup championship to be held here from April 14.

With two silver medals under her belt at the Kerala National Games held recently, Nidhi is today delighted at the way her game has shaped up after joining the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA) in December 2013. “This is a huge honour. More so because I will be playing under someone whom I cheered as a 10-year-old kid from the stands, when Sania won her first WTA singles title in 2005 at LB Stadium,” she remarked.

“Joining the SMTA and training with Sania is a huge learning curve in my career. She has given me so many invaluable tips,” recalls Nidhi.

“I am really grateful to Sania’s parents – Imran and Nasima for their support,” she said. “Interactions with WTA Tour consultant Christian Filhol and also (fitness trainer and former Aussie Olympian) Robert Ballard helped me achieve my highest WTA ranking of 581 in singles and 428 in doubles.”

Right now, this young champion’s plans include playing 24 to 30 ITF tournaments in different countries in the next one year.

“I want to break into the top five in the country and then chase the bigger dream of playing a Grand Slam, which is possible if I could be in the below-200 WTA rankings,” Nidhi explained.

Looking for support

A B.Com graduate from Keshav Memorial College, Nidhi is looking for corporate support. “It will be of great help if someone supports my training programmes,” she said.

A native of Telangana, Nidhi is also looking at support from the State government.

Being part of the Hyderabad Aces team in the inaugural Champions Tennis League along with the likes of Martina Hingis, Mark Philippoussis and Mikhail Youzhny was an unforgettable experience, she says. “I sincerely believe it will help me a long way in the days to come,” she added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – March 17th, 2015

Wipro hires ex-TCS executive as COO

March 17, 2015Business & Economy, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Global software major Wipro Ltd on Monday appointed former TCS honcho Abid Ali Neemuchwala as its group president and chief operating officer from April 1.

“Abid will head service lines of global infrastructure, business application, business process and advanced technology solutions,” the company said in a statement here.

Abid headed the business process services (back office operations) of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and held leadership positions during his 23-year career in the IT bellwether.

“Abid brings invaluable experience with his track record of building and scaling businesses. I am confident his understanding of technology and expertise in IT & BPS will help power our businesses to greater heights,” Wipro chief executive T.K. Kurien said.

A chess buff, Abid is an electronics & communication engineer from NIT, Raipur in Chhattisgarh and has masters in industrial management from IIT, Mumbai.

“I am honoured to join Wipro, a company with a rich heritage of technology innovation and unflinching commitment to values. I look forward to contributing towards the company’s next phase of growth,” he said from Dallas in US’ Texas state, where he lives with family.

Abid will also head business operations, geographies comprising continental Europe, Africa, Latin America, strategic engagements, advisor relationships and marketing function.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Business / IANS / Bengaluru – March 16th, 2015

Kerala students steam up world’s longest puttu

March 17, 2015Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Travel & Tourism, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

The twelve final year students of Oriental School of Hotel Management in Kerala who made the longest puttu.

A world record was achieved by making the longest puttu in the world of 18.2 feet, by twelve final year students of Oriental School of Hotel Management, Lakkidi, Wayanad, Kerala. It was held on March 16th, 2015 at 3.00 pm in the campus of the institution. The longest puttu was made as per the guidelines and specifications of the Guinness World Records.

Students standing next to their creation, the longest puttu in the history of puttu in Kerala.

The twelve final year students who etched their names in the World Record attempt are Ms. Syama. M, Ms. Kavya Varghese, Mr. Akhil. B, Mr. Sivajith. S, Mr. Akshay Jain, Mr. Nithin George, Mr. Yadav Gurunathan, Mr. Jobu Ebin, Mr. Ebin Albert, Mr. Umesh. R. Nair, Mr. Jishnu. P. R and Mr. Mohammed Saif, all final year Hospitality Management students under the able guidance of Mr. K. C. Robbins, Principal of Oriental School of Hotel Management.

Puttu is an authentic Kerala breakfast dish of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered and blended with grated coconut. The ingredients for making the longest Puttu were 20 kg of ground rice flour, 15 grated coconuts, 15lts of water, salt, and a special equipment mould of aluminum was meticulously designed by the institution to prepare the longest puttu for the record breaking event. The longest puttu weighted 31.87kg.

Twelve final year students of Oriental School of Hotel Management in Kerala have managed to set a new Guinness World Record by steaming up the longest puttu.

The students took an hour and 15 minutes to prepare the world’s longest puttu and this is the result of days of relentless hard work and detailed planning. The Oriental School of Hotel Management is managed and owned by Malabar Hotel Management and Catering Promotion Trust—a charitable Institution founded by the visionary and social icon—Dr. N. K. Mohammed, the guiding force and inspiration behind the challenging event.

Earlier in 2006, the students of this institution had made a ten feet long puttu by using 10 coconuts and 26 kg of powdered rice in a specially designed 12-foot-long aluminum mould which took one-and-a-half hours to be cooked. (Refer: Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttu).

The world's longest puttu being examined at the Oriental School of Hotel Management in Kerala. — The world’s longest puttu being examined at the Oriental School of Hotel Management in Kerala.

The world record attempt by the students of the institution has surpassed their own previous record, and will be appropriately certified and documented by the Guinness World Records. All the documents and supporting evidence have been sent to the Guinness World Records for appropriate verification and certification.

source: http://www.food.manoramaonline.com / On Manorama / by Correspondent, On Manorama / Home> Food> Foodie / Monday – March 16th, 2015

Altaf makes a comeback

March 17, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainmentmpositiveone@gmail.com

The singer will now be seen in a new album

When Altaf Raja sings, nothing can dilute the enthusiasm level of the audience, which transcends into a completely different zone altogether. Yes this is the magic of the Qawwali singer, who became a household name after his album Tum to Thehre Pardesi was released in 1993 and since then he has never looked back.

The singer will now be seen in a new album, which is scheduled to be released in January. The singer is also working on another music album in which he will be seen with Preeti Jhangiani.

Ask him to comment on his feelings about the city and Altaf waxes eloquent, “Nagpur is my place of birth and today, when I see the place after three years (since my last visit), it has undergone tremendous changes in terms of wider roads and tall buildings.

Nagpur will always remain close to my heart as it was here at the dargah of Tajuddin Baba that my mother sought diving blessings for my well-being and today I owe my success to this place. I am certainly not a pardesi to Nagpur.”

His first album also had a strong Nagpur connect. As Altaf says, “The mukhra of the song Tum to Thehre Pardesi was composed by a Nagpur-based poet Zahir Alam and it went on to become one of the favourite songs of those, who had been deceived at any point in life.”

Talking about his struggling phase Raja says, “My parents were also artistes, who wandered from place to place to earn their livelihood and that motivated and challenged me to pursue a career in music and carve a niche for myself.” The singer adds that during the initial days he did riyaz for almost five hours but at this point of time he can only spare about two hours for his riyaz everyday.

When asked out of all the songs he has sung so far, which one is really quite close to his heart, Altaf says, “I have sung so many songs, that selecting one will not only be difficult, but also unfair.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / TNN / ocotober 30th, 2007

Watch: The hit singer of ’90s is back, Altaf Raja croons for Hunterrr

March 17, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainmentmpositiveone@gmail.com

It’s yesterday once again. After crooning for a series of chartbusters in the ’90s, hit singer Altaf Raja is back once again, and how. Raja has lent his voice to a song in the upcoming film Hunterrr, and the number is already topping popularity charts.

The song, called Dil Lagaana, is also used to disclose the film’s plot: Hunterrr is about a sex-addict named Mandar Ponkshe (played by Gulshan Devaiah). Written by Khamosh Shah, Dil Lagaana features Altaf Raja and Gulshan Devaiah in an autorickshaw.

Raja, also known for his qawwalis such as Tum toh thehre pardesi and Tumse kitna pyaar hai, recently lent his voice for a promotional song in Emraan Hashmi’s Ghanchakkar also.

Directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, the film also stars Radhika Apte in a pivotal role.

Hunterr is scheduled to hit the screens on March 20, 2015.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Entertainment / Hindustan Times, New Delhi / March 16th, 2015