ECO-FRIENDLY ABODE : The Rs 2-crore mosque built by the Beary Group aims to promote harmony among all communities.
Udupi, KARNATAKA :
The Badriya Jum’a Masjid, a landmark on Kodi beach in Kundapur, holds out a new hope. Termed an ecofriendly mosque, it exemplifies sustainable technologies and also presents a modern face of Islam.
The green mosque, a typical Islamic architectural structure, aims to promote harmony among all communities in the world. There is a hope that the mosque will become a place of worship where people from all over the world will come and pray. It has already begun attracting non-Muslims.
Syed Mohamed Beary of the Indian Green Building Association’s state president told TOI that Badriya Jum’a Masjid is the world’s first `zero-energy’ green mosque. The Beary Group, with the help of locals, constructed the mosque at a cost of Rs 2 crore. Situated on two acres, the 1,500 sqft building can accommodate 2,000 people. It also has a library.
The Beary family built the mosque in memory of their grandfather. “Years ago, he wanted to go on the Hajj pilgrimage, but fell ill and couldn’t go. He used the same money to build a small mosque.It was renovated 40 years ago, but it wasn’t satisfactory . Now, using improved technology , we’ve come up with an eco friendly mosque,” he added.
Architects Sandeep and Manoj from Bengaluru have designed the mosque in such a way that the entire energy requirement is met through hybrid renewable energy , both wind and solar.
Their grandfather had planted a huge mango tree and a coconut palm on the premises. While the orientation minimizes solar heat gain, natural elements keep the inside of the building cool. The Lshaped building plan and elevated prayer hall, vegetation and water tanks around cool the environment naturally.
Natural cooling is accentu ated by a wind scoop on the 70-ft multifunctional minaret, from where the azan, or prayer call, is given. It forces down a draught of cool breeze into the prayer hall and also supports the tower structure of a wind turbine mounted atop it. The solar heat-reflecting terrace floor laid with white china mosaic and fitted with turbo vents not only keeps the prayer space cool but also reduces warming of the local micro climate.Non-conducting glass reinforced concrete jaalis with over 50% openings, maximize natural ventilation and supplement the design effort to reduce heat gain.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / January 15th, 2016
Fitness enthusiasts in the city can add one more event to their workout calendar with JGI-Jain University announcing the launch of ‘My Country Run 2016’, which will see thousands of runners stream through the picturesque Cubbon Park as they compete in the 5k and 10k events on January 31.
The Sree Kanteerava stadium will be the hub of the activity as the races, which begin from 4pm, start and finish at the venue. “We have had an enthusiastic response so far as more than 3,000 people have already registered for the race. Though there are many road races in Bengaluru, we still need to do a lot more to get more and more people running,” race director Gul Mohammed Akbar told TOI.
Akbar said the first prize of Rs 1 lakh has attracted many elite runners, including athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya.
“Some of them are staying back after competing in the Mumbai marathon,” he said. Athletes who have finished the 10k in less than 60 minutes will fall in the elite category.
JGI Group chairman Chenraj Roychand said the proceeds generated from the race will go towards supporting the 30-35 athletes from below-poverty-line families, which are being looked after by the Jain Group. The money will be used to give them foreign exposure. “After looking at the savings, the trust will put in an equal amount to create a corpus that will be used to help these kids,” he said.
Uthappa lauds Jain College Returning to his alma mater along with ace cueist Pankaj Advani as the brand ambassador of the race, star cricketer Robin Uthappa recalled how the institution helped him through his college days. “I was frantically looking to get an admission for a degree course when I got a call from Jain College, expressing their willingness to start even a new course. Shankar sir was very helpful throughout my college days and the college even conducted special classes for all the sportspersons.
Now they want me to complete my MBA and I’ve promised to do that. I can confidently tell that Jain College is the best any sportsperson can aspire for,” recalled Uthappa, in the presence of his fiancee and former tennis player Sheetal Goutam.
The marriage is scheduled on March 3.
Roychand, meanwhile, recalled how he helped Uthappa to get back his focus after he was on the verge of quitting cricket.
“Robin once called up and said he wanted to quit the game but I told him that he was born to play cricket and put him through a few meditation sessions. Eight days later, he was back with a bang, cracking 165 runs,” the JGI chairman said.
He said the college has supported not only cricket but other sports as well, involving more than 300 international sportspersons, which included seven Olympians. “I’ve told Gul to reach out to rural schools and identify talent who can be nurtured to become top-class athletes. If we put in the hard work for the next 10-15 years, we can get more gold medals at the Olympics,” Roychand added.
UV Shankar, Director of Sports, Jain University, said the race will be an annual event. “The idea is to get everyone (men, women and kids) on one platform.”
The total prize money is Rs 5.35 lakh with Rs 1 lakh for the winner of the elite race. The registration fee is Rs 1,000 (Rs 800 for students) for Open 10K and Rs 700 (Rs 600) for the 5k race.
For online registrations, log on to www.mycountry.run.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Biju Babu Cyriac, TNN / January 19th, 2016
Liver team at Pandorum Technologies: Dr. Abdullah Chand, senior scientist (left); Arun Chandru, co-founder and managing director (centre); and Dr. Sivarajan T., senior scientist / @ABHINAV_MAURYA
Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :
Pandorum Technologies, a Bengaluru-based biotech startup, has developed an artificial tissue that performs the functions of the human liver.
Pandorum said these 3D printed living tissues made of human cells would enable affordable medical research with reduced dependence on animal and human trials. It will also eventually lead to full scale transplantable organs.
Arun Chandru, 30-year-old co-founder of Pandorum, said liver toxicity and drug metabolism are the key hurdles, and contributors to failed human trials.
Pandorum’s 3D bio-printed mini-livers that mimic the human liver will serve as test platforms for discovery and development of drugs and vaccines. The firm said these drugs would have better efficacy, less side-effects and be developed at lower costs.
“We developed everything here in India,” said Mr. Chandru. “We can grow thousands of these tissues in the laboratory and test the efficacy of drugs on them for diseases including cancer.”
He said large pharma companies on an average spend about $10 billion (Rs. 66,290 crore) and 10 years on research and development to get a single new drug to the market.
Tuhin Bhowmick (34), another co-founder of Pandorum, said development of artificial organs has numerous clinical uses. The cell-based miniature organs can be used to develop bio-artificial liver support systems for preserving life in patients who have developed liver failure.
“In the near future, such bio-printed organs will address the acute shortage of human organs available for surgical transplantation,” said Dr. Bhowmick, who holds a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science.
Pandorum was founded by a group of friends in 2011 who were pursuing their higher studies at IISc. They came together to work on the development of artificial human organs after winning a business competition.
Surviving initially on money from friends and family, the team approached the Department of Biotechnology with their vision. The company was awarded funding support by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council in 2012. The same year, the company got incubated by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms in Bengaluru.
Mr. Chandru said they created the innovation with a funding of about Rs. 1 crore, more than half of which came from the government.
Scientists and startups across the globe are growing artificial organs made of human cells to better study diseases and help test drugs. A team of researchers led by Hebrew University professor Eduardo Mitrani is growing pancreas in a petri dish to better regulate blood sugar in diabetic patients.
The global artificial organ and bionics market is expected to reach $38.75 billion (Rs 2.5 lakh crore) by 2020 at an estimated CAGR of 9.3% from 2014 to 2020, according to a study by Grand View Research.
Pandorum’s ultimate aim is to make personalised human organs such as lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas on demand, according to Mr. Chandru.
Pandorum’s innovation takes the area of making artificial organs to the next level. Bengaluru-based bioinformatics firm Strand Life Sciences founded by IISc. professors had earlier developed a virtual liver that mimics the functions of liver through software simulation. It is a predictive method that integrates data and insights for deeper understanding of the impact of a drug on the liver. The platform can predict the toxicity of several known drugs and toxins and explain the mechanism.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech / by Peerzada Abrar / Bengaluru – December 23rd, 2015
S.S.S. Shameem, Assistant Professor in Computer Application, Manipal Institute of Technology, with his cycle at Semiliguda in Koraput district of Odisha on December 26, 2015.
Manipal (Udipi) , KARNATAKA :
He began his journey on December 18 and concluded it in nine days
S.S.S. Shameem, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Application, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), has just completed the first leg of solo cycle expedition, a passion he has been pursuing since two years, and calls it as “Bharat Bhraman: Ride-4-Pride.”
According to a press release issued by the Manipal University here on Thursday, Prof. Shameem had covered a distance of 1,500 km on a high-end bicycle from Bengaluru to Koraput in Odisha. Mr. Shameem, who is very lanky, proudly says, “I completed it in nine days.”
“Eastern Ghats was a bit tough, otherwise I enjoyed the first leg and plan many more such solo rides. My aim is to see and know the diversity of our country and do whatever I could. Going around the country on a bicycle gives me a great pleasure and satisfaction. Moreover, I will be, when I finish the journey, sit and look back with pride my achievements,” Prof. Shameem said.
“I began my journey from Bengaluru on December 18, 2015, and reached Koraput on December 26, 2015, via Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Vishakapatnam and Salur,” he said.
“I have been preparing for this trip for the last two years. The next cycling trip would be again taken up in December this year,” he said.
Prof. Shameem had to spend a few nights, sleeping at railway stations, police stations and religious places etc. Prof. Shameem, who is also a marathon runner, plans to alternate his cycling expeditions with running.
Therefore, he is planning to do running during summer and cycling in December. Being ambitious, Prof. Shameem is keen to get into Limca Book of Records with half marathon (21.1 km) runs.
Accordingly, he plans to do 111 half marathons in 70 days and is working on that. He calls it, “Bhaag-run Project.” He has sought details from Limca and is in touch with the athletic associations of Udupi and Mangaluru for assistance.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Ganesh Prabhu / Manipal – January 22nd, 2016
St Joseph’s Convent High School for Girls will observe its quasquicentennial (125 years) jubilee in a grand manner here on Friday. Superior General of the Canossian Daughters of Charity from Italy M. Annamaria Babbini will be present to witness the celebrations.
Addressing a press conference, school principal Thankam Michael said here on Tuesday that the school had been functioning under the management of the Canossian Sisters Congregation since 1891.
It was founded 125 years ago when the British civilian and military officers petitioned the then Archbishop of Goa to establish an English-medium school here.
In response to the request from the Archbishop, Mother Stella of the Canossians in Hong Kong sent five nuns who reached Cochin by ship and then Belgaum (now Belagavi) covering the distance by bullock cart and on foot. Since then the school has shaped the lives of a large number of girl students of Belagavi, Goa and north Karnataka region.
To commemorate the occasion, the school has given a facelift to basic infrastructure and also launched a project, Light a Lamp, to help the poor and deserving girl students. Donors and philanthropists could sponsor a girl child for education.
About 15 former students, including social activist Olive D’silva, Anita Rodrigues, Ruhi Sait, Padmashree award winner Sucheta Dalal, psychiatrist Belinda Viegas Muller, Sadhan Pote, renowned artist and sculptor Veena Chandavarkar and the former Deputy Mayor of Belagavi Asma Tahsildar, who have excelled in various fields, would be honoured.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Belagavi – January 21st, 2016
The Kannada Book Authority (KBA) has instituted the Dr. M.M. Kalburgi Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs. 75,000 and citation, for writers in humanities. This year’s award, in memory of the renowned scholar, has been conferred on historian B. Sheik Ali.
Announcing the awards, KBA chairperson Banjagere Jayaprakash said Prof. Sheik Ali served as Vice-Chancellor of the Mangalore and Goa universities and was responsible for the emergence of a number of History scholars.
Research work
A major share of his research work relates to the period of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Prof. Sheik Ali has around 40 major works to his credit, including eight in Urdu.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Muralidhara Khajane / Bengaluru – January 20th, 2016
However, Mansoor Ali Khan, member, board of management of Delhi Public School group, said while their canteens serve healthy food, ensuring that food in lunch boxes is not junk is going to be a challenge. “Children love to eat chips, biscuits, chocolate and other fried food during short breaks. It is also convenient for working parents. All we can do is advise parents. We plan to conduct workshops for them,” he said.
While most parents have welcomed the move, many are struggling to find alternatives.
Sindhu H.D., whose daughter studies in BGS National Public School, said she is trying to replace snacks with vegetable salads, fruits and fresh fruit juices.
Another parent, Latha Rao, wants schools to be lenient on some days. “While we all realise the need for our children to consume healthy food, schools should allow students to eat junk food once a week so that they do not crave for it. It may be difficult for working parents to pack full meals on all days of the week,” she said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / January 19th, 2016
Fashion stylist Imam Siddiqui has always been vocal about his thoughts and when it comes to the popularity he got post participation in the sixth season of Bigg Boss, he is more than happy to talk about it.
“The kind of popularity I got post the reality show has been enormous. I am already signing Hindi films left, right and centre. My film will release in April, in which I play a double role. For heaven’s sake, I am laughing my way to the bank now!!,” says Siddiqui and adds, “My life has changed 180 degrees.”
Siddiqui, who recently participated in the reality show for a week, says the current participants don’t know the worth of the show. “The current lot needs to make better use of the opportunity. They don’t understand the importance of the platform that they have been provided with. The audience does not wish to see just aggression, they also need to give complete entertainment,” he says.
Imam Siddique enters the Bigg Boss house, and that spells trouble for all the contestants, especially Prince Narula! (COLORS)
He does have a word of advice for the participants. “This show can propel their career in the stratosphere like it has done to mine. They must try hard to keep the audience hooked on to them. Otherwise they will lose out on the chance and will regret it,” he says.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / by Yashika Mathur, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / January 20th, 2016
And though Satish Rai’s own story remains untold – until right now – the Sydney-based documentary filmmaker makes do with telling the tales of others like him, who set out in search of their roots, and stumbled upon cousins and family they never knew existed.
For the uninitiated, Rai is the descendant of girmitiyas – indentured Indian labourers who travelled to Fiji and Caribbean Islands to work on sugar plantations in the early 19th century, upon signing an “agreement” – distorted eventually to be known as ‘girmit’ – with the British Government that promised them to return to India after they completed the term of their contractual agreement for work in Fiji and the Caribbean Islands.
Many contracts were reneged upon, and only a few could return home. And for those like Satish Rai, the real homecoming could only happen nearly a century after his family first left the Indian shores.
Rai’s first visit to India was in 1994 – to Basti district – where his cousins were settled.
A brush with a local rickshaw puller gave him his first brush with his caste – and his roots. “He told me I am a Bhumihar Brahmin. And I didn’t know what that meant,” Rai said.
The first trip yielded little ground.
After two more visits, one in 1995 when a Brahmin priest led him on a wild goose chase, and a second in 2001 when he accompanied a cousin on her quest to find her family, Rai’s own story saw mild progress.
He said, “During that time in Basti, there was a man who helped us and took us to Balrampur. He made me meet some people. Then, three months later, I got an email from him telling me my family had been traced.
In 2004, I went back to Balrampur.” And here’s the twist in Rai’s tale. Satish Rai met his cousin, thrice removed, a man they knew by the name of Naeem Rai. “This was a Muslim name. And I already knew my grandmother was a Hindu. So I knew it couldn’t be the right family,” Rai said.
Whether it was curiosity or sheer desperation that drove him 15km into Balrampur’s belly is unclear. But Rai was on his way the next morning, looking to dig for, and to find his roots. “The first time I saw them, I felt the connection. The resemblance was uncanny,” he said. But how did it happen? After the initial rush of emotion, the mystery unravelled.
Rai’s grandmother was married to a Rai Bahadur, a dominating, violent man, he said. And after suffering many years of domestic violence and abuse, she walked out on the Rai Bahadur. Staying away from the powerful landlord within the village would have been impossible, and Rai’s grandmother took the next best available option; she boarded the ship to Fiji with Rai’s grandfather, a man headed for greener pastures in the faraway lands. When the irate Rai Bahadur found out about her escape, though, he did the only thing that remained in his power to do: issue a diktat that disallowed all Hindu families in the area to wed.
“My grandmother’s cousin at that time had four children. And to escape the bizarre diktat, they all converted to Islam. The family name of Rai, however, stuck.”
For Satish Rai, the family name served as the final missing piece in his quest to find his family. A century after his grandmother boarded that ship to Fiji, Satish hugged his cousin Naeem and celebrated his homecoming.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Swati Mathur / TNN / January 17th, 2016
“Actor’s job is to make audience reflect on social issues bogging society”
Actor Irrfan Khan is seen addressing the gathering during the valedictory of Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival at Kalamandira in city yesterday. Others seen are (from left) former Rangayan Director S.I. Bhavikatti, Columnist Nataraj Huliyar, Irrfan Khan Khan’s wife Sutapa Sikdar, MLA Vasu, former Minister Prof. B.K. Chandrashekar, Rangayan Director H. Janardhan, Theatrist Rameshwari Verma and Bahuroopi Convenor M.C. Krishnaprasad. Picture right shows the artistes of Manipur demonstrating sword fight as part of Bahuroopi Folk Festival yesterday.
by Nandini Srinivasan
Mysore :
“Each one of us needs to find our inner voice and reflect to be able to express without fear and that’s exactly what Bahuroopi’s theme of ‘I sing as I please’ stands for’,” opined well-known theatre and film actor Irrfan Khan.
Speaking at the valedictory of the eight-day theatre repertoire Bahuroopi festival-2016 at Kalamandira, Irrfan Khan said that its only when one’s voice comes from deep within, expressions have an unmatched quality and are heard.
Speaking of his days at National School of Drama (NSD), Irrfan fondly recalled the able guidance of theatre person Prasanna who showed him to the right path to pursue in the field of acting.
Irrfan, who preferred answering questions than delivering a formal speech to express his ideas, took on questions from Journalists, theatre artiste Ramanath and Prof. S.R. Ramesh and spoke at length about films, the tolerant fabric of India and theatre.
Irrfan exuded confidence that India can still be a model for the rest of the world, as we live amidst a vast diversity and yet have no psychopaths who go on shooting sprees like in the so called developed nations!
Responding to a question on the responsibility of actors and their role in real life, Irrfan opined that an actor too is just like any other individual and the role he or she decides to play in real life is completely subjective and personal. Every human being should be responsible, not just actors he said adding that the more evolved an individual is, the lesser the chances of being manipulated.
Life itself is a huge diversity and standardisation of anything is a threat, he said adding we are all so programmed by parents, society and the education system that unless we learn to unplug and think, reflect on our own, reactions too will be standardised and as is happening, we can easily be manipulated in the name of religion, politics and caste.
Talking about the Censor Board and its regulations, Irrfan rued that it is unfortunate that rules formed eons ago are still in place and not changed to suit the current needs. The present set of rules are absolutely redundant, he said.
An actor’s job is to make the audience reflect on several social issues bogging the society, but today he is being asked not to speak and that doesn’t augur well, lamented Irrfan responding to a question on the States’ interference in every field and said Gods, Saints and Sufis are being abducted in the name of politics and even an actor is as vulnerable as others and can become a mere toy!
Black humour isn’t appreciated as much in India as in other countries, probably because the audience finds a lot of subjects very sensitive Irrfan opined referring to his movie ‘Talwar’, and said there isn’t much of a difference between the responses of theatre audience and the movie audience. Its just that in theatre shows, it’s a direct response.
Talking about the changing genre of movies in recent times, Irrfan expressed his happiness over the changing demands of the audience who have become more mature and expect tales that reflect reality and said as an actor, he strongly believes in making his audience think, rather than just entertaining them. “I have acted in roles which have been successful but have only entertained. I’m not happy with only such kind of roles,” he added.
Answering a question on maintaining communal harmony, Irrfan said that unfortunately religion hasn’t been applied rightly to society as it should have been. People have gone into a slumber and only when they are shaken up can things move smoothly.
He recalled his lines in ‘Life of Pi,’ Doubt is kind of essential in faith – When you doubt you seek, when you seek you test and when you test you conclude.
Answering a question from the audience on whether he took up the role of Pan Singh Tomar because he too was an athlete, Irrfan said he being an athlete was irrelevant and what touched him was how a talented athlete turned a dacoit. The movie was a sweet love letter to the system where talent is not being respected, where we don’t care about talent.
Irrfan expressed his happiness about the response of the audience to the festival and said just when you think there’s no hope, the love for theatre, the excitement and interest in the good things of life brings back the rays of hope that everything will be alright.
Irrfan and his wife Sutapa Sikdar were all praise for Mysuru. “Your city has a kind of rhythm and lifestyle that the so called developed cities lack. Please keep it that way,” he said.
Earlier, columnist Nataraj Huliyar, in his address, said that this year’s Bahuroopi saw a record audience of 12,000 with more than 600 artistes performing in various events.
Rameshwari Verma, a well-known theatre artiste, who was one of the chief guests, fondly recollected her connections with Rangayana ever since its inception and said, it was heartening to see the increasing number of theatre lovers thronging such festivals. The crowd which was limited to around 300 in the early years has swelled to more than 1,000 and that speaks volumes for the work Rangayana has been doing, she said.
Former Minister Prof. B.K. Chandrashekar, who also spoke, said that like the natyashastra says, drama is the fifth Veda which tells us more about life. He recalled the words of late Prof. H. Narasimhaiah who had a big question mark framed and hung behind his table and said the central purpose of any education is to question.
Rangayana Deputy Director S.I. Bhavikatte welcomed the gathering. Earlier, Folk teams from different States entertained the audience.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Thursday – January 21st, 2016
