Monthly Archives: August 2016

Safirulla takes over as new Collector

Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kochi,  KERALA :

K Muhammed Y Safirulla IAS, who took charge as the Ernakulam District Collector, being given sweets by his father Karamathulla at the Collector’s offiice in Kakkanad on Wednesday | Melton Antony
K Muhammed Y Safirulla IAS, who took charge as the Ernakulam District Collector, being given sweets by his father Karamathulla at the Collector’s offiice in Kakkanad on Wednesday | Melton Antony

Kochi :

Taking forward the state government’s development policies and projects for Ernakulam will be accorded top priority by newly appointed District Collector K  Mohammed Y Safirulla, who formally took over on Wednesday. “The projects being proposed by the government for the comprehensive development of the district will be given priority. Apart from this the welfare projects will be also given their due ,”  he told reporters after taking over charge from outgoing Collector M G Rajamanickam.

“ At present, I have not fully gone through the ongoing projects in the district. But efforts will be taken for the speedy implementation of major projects like Metro Rail,” he said.

It was at around 4pm that the new Collector assumed charge at a small function attended by a few of the Collectorate staff and some media persons. His parents, Karamathulla and Mehtab Begum, and wife Asiya Yasmin and daughter Iqra Shanun were present on the occasion. Fort Kochi Sub Collector S Suhas, Assistant Collector Renu Raj, RTO Sadiq Ali and District Planning Cell secretary Saly Joseph too were there.

Outgoing Collector Rajamanickam, who was effusive in his praise of his successor, said Safirullla had shown his mettle while helming the IT Mission.“Let the new Collector implement the development projects in a successful and speedy manner,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / August 11th, 2016

Prince of Arcot hails CM’s sanction for Kalas Mahal

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Prince of Arcot. | ENS
Prince of Arcot. | ENS

Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammad Abdul Ali, has hailed Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for sanctioning a sum of Rs14.5 crore for the restoration of the Chepauk Palace (Kalas Mahal).

In a release, the Nawab said that the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly those who have love for history and interest in preserving historical monuments, were overwhelmed by the Chief Minister’s gesture to restore the majestic Kalas Mahal, which is perhaps the first Indo-Saracenic monument in the country.

The Nawab thanked the Chief Minister for her decision not to demolish the historic Kalas Mahal, which was ravaged by a fire in January 2012. That the CM evinced keen interest to restore it, shows her concern and love for history.

The Prince hoped the restoration would be carried out as per detailed drawings provided by a firm belonging to a conservation architect and that the  originality of the structure would be maintained.

Kalas Mahal is classified as a grade-I heritage building in the Justice E. Padmanabhan committee report

The direct descendant of the eighth Nawab of Carnatic, Muhammad Ali Wallajah (1749 to 1795), built the Kalas Mahal.

source:  http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / July 20th, 2013

Kalas Mahal getting back its lost glory

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU:

 

A new look:The building that is being renovated at a cost of Rs. 14.5 crore will be home to the National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench. —Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam
A new look:The building that is being renovated at a cost of Rs. 14.5 crore will be home to the National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench. —Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

People who visit the PWD complex cannot miss the once fire-ravaged walls that now sport a new look, coated with fresh terracotta paint.

A portion of the Kalas Mahal, which was once part of the Chepauk Palace and was ravaged in a fire a few years ago, will soon be restored to its original glory.

Work to renovate the ground floor of the 248-year-old building is expected to be completed by September-end.

It will be the home to the National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench. Nearly 100 skilled labourers are giving finishing touches to the building that is being restored at a cost of Rs. 14.5 crore, said officials of the Public Works Department.

“Work is on to provide flooring with kota stones, which is a fine-grained variety of limestone. Labourers who are skilled in lime plastering and ornamental beading works are also engaged in providing wall lining as per the guidelines,” an official said.

Spread over 24,000 sq.ft, the ground floor will be allotted to the tribunal Bench and will house three court halls. The Bench is now functioning at Arumbakkam.

A team of its representatives recently visited the site.

Nearly 80 per cent of the work on the ground floor has been completed so far. Similarly, nearly 50 per cent of the work to renovate the first floor is over.

“We are reconstructing the Madras Terrace roofing using materials from Rajapalayam and Srivilliputhur. The windows and doors are being replicated in the heritage building. We are also making arrangements for water supply and sanitary facilities in the structure,” an official said.

Once the project to restore the first floor is over, work to reconstruct the octagonal dome will be taken up.

Meanwhile, the PWD is also expediting the process to restore the adjacent heritage building, Humayun Mahal, which suffered roof collapses and faced a minor fire over the past few years.

“The process is on to engage a conservation architect to prepare a detailed project report for restoration of the structure. The project may be implemented in five or six months,” an official said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by K. Lakshmi / Chennai – August 14th, 2016

Singer Javed Ali to perform at fundraiser for war widows

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues,

NEW DELHI :

Mumbai :

Noted playback singer Javed Ali  will perform at “Jaya Hey” event at Nehru Centre here tomorrow to raise funds for the aid of war widows.

“The loss of a soldier fighting enemy is heart-breaking for any nation, but the biggest brunt of it is borne by the soldier’s family, more so (by) widow he leaves behind.

“The nation owes its freedom and security to these brave heroes. None of us can exist in isolation,” Amit Malhotra, Co-Founder and CEO of Ten Dimensions International, which has conceived and executing the fundraiser said in a statement issued here today.

“To be aware of these connections, to feel appreciation for them and to strive to give something back to the society in a spirit of gratitude is the proper way for human beings to live,” he added.

Ali, known for his hit number “Jashn-e-Bahaaran” from Jodhaa Akbar  (2008) besides other songs, said, “We have all heard about the soldiers sacrificing their life for the safety of our nation. But not many know the struggle of the war widows who are left behind. I am proud and extremely grateful to be associated with ‘Jaya Hey'”.

The proceeds from the event will go to ‘Vasantharatna Foundation for Art’, an initiative by Subhashini Vasanth , a recipient of the Neerja Bhanot Award 2016.

In 2007, Subhashini’s husband Col Vasanth Venugopal  was awarded Ashok Chakra (Posthumous) for exemplary bravery in Jammu and Kashmir.

MM NSK SMJ

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mumbai / PTI / August 12th, 2016

A rewind of Sania-Hingis partnership

Amazing Feats, Leaders, Sports, World Opinion, ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

SaniaHingis01MPOs12aug2016

 

It is official. India’s six-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza has decided to part ways with Swiss great Martina Hingis. The World No. 1 duo has won 3 Grand Slams and 14 WTA titles together since they paired up in 2015.

End of an excellent partnership

SaniaHingis02MPOs12aug2016

Sania Mirza to part ways with Martina Hingis

The World No. 1 duo has won 3 Grand Slams and 14 WTA titles together since they paired up in 2015.

SaniaHingis03MPOs12aug2016

World record by Sania-Martina as they win 29th match on trot

They now surpassed the pair of Puerto Rican Gigi Fernandez and Belarus’ Natasha Zvereva, who won 28 matches on the trot.

SaniaHingis04MPOs12aug2016

Sania-Hingis extend unbeaten streak to 41 matches

Sania and Hingis have together won four titles this year out of an overall trophy count of 13.

Sania-Hingis 41-match winning streak comes to a halt

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis’ 41-match winning streak came to halt as they down fighting in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Fact files

 

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Specials / by N. Kesavan / August 10th, 2016

Meet ‘blood Abbas’, a Coimbatore flower seller who has supplied over 1.5 lakh units of blood

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , ,
Coimbatore, TAMIL NADU :
A child with Thalassemia has been receiving AB positive blood for the last seven years, thanks to Abbas.
Image: Abbas(Left) getting award for providing blood to Coimbatore government hospital
Image: Abbas(Left) getting award for providing blood to Coimbatore government hospital
 Have you struggled to get blood in the past? Meet Abbas, popularly known as ‘blood Abbas’ from Coimbatore who has supplied about 1.5 lakh units of blood in different districts in Tamil Nadu in the last 16 years.

Abbas, a flower seller, begins his day selling flowers at the Coimbatore flower market till he gets a call from a patient or an attender of a hospital who tells him about the need for blood.

For Abbas, it has been a struggle to find blood with compatible blood groups but he never gives up. “It is very difficult to find people with negative blood groups but I get it somehow,” he says.

How does he provide blood? “I know people in different districts, I have saved their numbers with their blood groups, so I ask them to go and give their blood to those patients,” he replies.

Earlier Abbas used to visit the patients also but later he stopped. “It upsets me to see that the person I tried to get blood for has died. So now, I prefer to know if they are doing well or not. If I could save their life, I feel very happy,” he says.

Narrating past instances, he recalls, “Once a one-year-old baby required A negative blood, I got the blood but she died. Such things make me sad.”

But life is not always so depressing. Abbas has been providing blood to different hospitals in Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Madurai and Chennai. His patients include people with cancer, Thalassemia and many more diseases. A child with Thalassemia has been receiving AB positive blood for the last seven years, thanks to Abbas. He says that the families bless him for helping them with their requirement.

Abbas began providing blood in 2000. He had gone to meet his uncle in the hospital when he saw a seven-year-old-child, bleeding from an injury on his stomach. “The boy’s family pleaded to me to give my blood and I did. That day I realized there are so many people who are in need of blood, so why not help them out?” he says.

Asked about the expenses involved in pursuing this noble cause, Abbas says that the only cost is the amount spent in making calls to people. He has been awarded many times for his work. In 2014, he was given the Governor’s Award.

Abbas donates his blood every three months and has done it 25 times now. He’s had to stop recently because of his sinus problem.

How difficult is it to make people donate blood? “It is difficult to get the same people to donate repeatedly, some people become unwell…people who have jaundice cannot donate blood for one year. But I find someone every time there is a need for blood and that’s what makes me happy,” he smiles.

source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The NEWS Minute / Home> Social Service / by Pheba Mathew / Thursday – August 04th, 2016

‘Working for welfare of Indians in S Arabia’

Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

SaudiMPOs11aug2016

Mangaluru:

The Union government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safe return of Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia, said Mohammed Irfan Ahmed, member of Central Haj Committee of India..

Irfan said as many 8,000 labourers are stranded in Saudi Arabia. Majority of them are from Kerala and Karnataka. “We are working on their return as well demanding that they are paid their dues,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mangalore  / TNN / August 09th, 2016

Bareilly cleric among world’s most influential Muslims

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, World Opinion

Bareilly, UTTAR PRADESH :

Bareilly  :

Mufti Mohammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qadiri aka Azhari Miyan, chief cleric of the influential Dargah Aala Hazart here, has occupied 25th place in the annual list of 500 ‘most powerful and influential Muslims’ across the world.

The list was prepared by the Jordanian thinktank Royal Islamic Strategic Study Centre (RISSC), affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman.

Azhari, 72, who has around five crore disciples in 55 countries all over the globe, has regularly featured in this list. He was ranked 22nd in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Considered as the ‘grand’ mufti in India, Azhari has written more than 5,000 fatwas, the most famous being one that was passed in 1975 against sterilisation.

“The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had made sterilization compulsory in the country. Even Darool Uloom Deoband had passed a fatwa, claiming the process is valid in Islam. But Azhari Miyan stood by his decision, saying the medical process was against sharia,” said Maulana Shahbudeen Razvi, Azhari’s secretary.

Azhari is the great grandson and successor of one of the most distinguished sub-continental Islamic scholars in history, Ahmad Raza Khan. Khan had founded the Barelvi movement in South Asia.

“Azhari Miyan shot into prominence after he refused to offer namaz at the Imam-e-Haram at Mecca in 1986 since a Wahabbi cleric was leading the prayers. Following this, he was arrested by the Saudi Arabian government. But largescale protests throughout the world forced the Saudi Arabian government to release him,” added Razvi.

Azhari has also authored more than 50 books on Islamic theology and thought in Urdu and Arabic. After receiving his basic education at the Manzar-e-Islam madrassa of the Dargah Aala Hazrat and Islamia Inter College, Bareilly, he pursued higher studies at the Al-Azhar University, Egypt. He was honoured with the prestigious ‘Fakhre Azhar’ (pride of Azhar) award by the Al-Azhar University. “It is considered as one the biggest awards in the Islamic world,” said Razvi.

Azhari’s son Maulana Asjad Raza Khan, who is also the Bareilly city Qazi, said, “My father has always given messages of love, peace and prosperity. He says that terrorism has no link with Islam and people should not keep any connection with it.”

Apart from Azhari, another Indian to feature among the top 50 in the list is Maulana Mahmood Madani, leader and executive member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Madani was ranked 43rd in the list. The RISSC publication highlights people who have influenced and benefitted others within the Muslim community through their practice of Islam.

The top ten personalities in the list this year included names of King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein, king of Jordan, professor Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al-Tayyeb, the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar University, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, king of Saudi Arabia, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, Amir al-Mu’minin King Mohammed VI, king of Morocco, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id Al-Sa’id, sultan of Oman, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein Sistani, marja of the hawza, Iraq and Hajji Muhammad Abdul-Wahhab, Amir of Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / by Priyangi Agarwal / TNN / August 08th, 2016

Sikri’s startup story: Muslim, Dalit weavers float firm to reach customers

Business & Economy,

Agra, UTTAR PRADESH :
Agra:

About 374 weavers, mainly Muslims and Dalits, engaged in manufacturing rugs in five villages of Fatehpur Sikri, have decided to float a company so that they can get rid of middlemen, who take away a lion’s share of their profits, and sell their products to the customers directly.

On an average, these weavers are paid a meagre wage of Rs 50 for a rug, which is sold for anything from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 in the local market. The rug’s price, however, goes up substantially when it is shipped to other cities or foreign countries.

To start with, these weavers have pooled in Rs 50, 000 to get their company (Nayi Roshni Dari Utpadan Producer Company Ltd) registered, apart from collecting an additional amount of Rs 5 lakh as corpus fund. With 130 women members, the group, hailing from villages like May Bujurg, Nagla Jannu, Nagla Beech and Gujarpura, hopes to turn its initiative into success.

Anek Singh, one of the 15 directors of the proposed company, told TOI, “Despite all the hard work, a worker earns only Rs 2,500 per month after weaving around five meters of rug every day.” Anek, who could not complete schooling due to financial pressure, admitted that marketing and procurement of raw material would be a challenge for their company. “Till now, we had been weaving for others, but starting a company will be a different ball game,” he said.

These workers have taken up the initiative after getting assistance from NGO Nav Chetna Siksha Gram Vikas Samiti. With help from the NGO and the government, Anek and many others believe that they will be able to succeed. “Weaving is in our blood. For the better future of our children, we have decided to take the plunge. While we keep struggling, the middlemen and big businessman make huge profits,” Anek said

Another weaver, Shyam said the government officials have assured them that they will be helped in marketing. “It is a great opportunity. Apart from other avenues, we will be able showcase our talent at the annual international trade fair in Delhi,” he said.

Dr Puneet Kumar, district development manager, Nation Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD), said with the returns on rug weaving being poor, many workers have shifted to other professions. “NABARD would certainly help this group,” he said.
Sanjay Yadav, senior branch manager, National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSICL), Agra, said these weavers would get a subsidy of 95% on their stall at the international trade fair.
As per a rough estimate, there are 20,000 weavers in Fatehpur Sikri and rugs worth over Rs 200 crore are exported from here every year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Agra / by Anuja Jaiswal / TNN / August 09th, 2016

Kerala innovator develops ‘Prime Card’ to replace multiple ATM cards

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion, ,

Malappuram, KERALA :

No more the hassles of carrying multiple ATM cards, an innovator in Kerala has developed a ‘Prime Card’ that helps customers merge savings accounts of different banks in a single card. He affirms that it can replace the US-based VISA and Master card available in India and emerge an alternative to existing Indian domestic card ‘RuPay’ with high-end security features. He has applied for an Indian patent for his innovation.

The 43-year-old innovator K Ummer Thalhath, a native of Malappuram opted out of his final year graduation in science at Farook College in Kozhikode. He went on to pursue an electronics course for three years and left that on an innovation spree.

Thalhath claims that the card has high-end security features and hence none would be able to duplicate or hack it. It will help the bank account holder draw money from any ATM. If the Prime Card is lost or stolen, the one who gets hold of it may not know which bank accounts are merged in the card and it has two pin numbers which cannot be easily cracked.

He is keen to develop it further with the support of industries here, who are willing to develop a domestic high-end electronic payment facility.

VISA and Mastercard are US-based global payments technology companies, while RuPay is an Indian domestic card scheme. He believes that his idea of ‘Prime Card’ payment technology if realized in association with Indian banks or domestic card company, will help India take a lead in floating a high-end secure card. He has held initial discussion with major banks including State Bank of India (SBI), Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) and Federal Bank.

The account holder can merge existing accounts or new account to the Prime Card with different personal identification numbers (pin) for different bank accounts. On high-end security feature of the card, he said Prime Card has two pin numbers, the customer should provide one pin when the card is inserted in ATM machine and another when selecting the bank for transaction. Other security modes are Matching Number System and Number looping system. Hence the security is much higher than ordinary cards, he said.

Responding to that, Federal Bank – Digital Banking assistant general manager Sunny KP told TOI that “the idea is good as it is handled by a single payment application software, yet there are practical difficulties in its implementation. It requires infrastructure, intermediary standing between banks to merge accounts and permit from Reserve Bank of India (RBI).”

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) chief manager Dheeraj Bharadwaj said over 50 crore cards are already in the market and to replace that with one card for various bank accounts would be tedious as it requires the consent of many banks. It was NCPI that launched RuPay to fulfil RBI’s desire to have a domestic and multilateral payment system in the country.

Centre for Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development (C-STED) director Ajith Prabhu assured all possible support to take it forward in terms of exploring the commercial possibilities.
While, the innovator swears by his innovation that it can end the headache of banks over issues involving current ATM transactions. However, an electronic payment company or a financial institution with RBI permit should come forward to take it up, he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of  India / News Home> City> Thirvananthapuram / by Laxmi Ajai Prasanna / TNN / August 08th, 2016