Category Archives: Leaders

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win US Open women’s doubles title

September 13, 2015Amazing Feats, Leaders, Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

New York :

India’s tennis star Sania Mirza bagged her second consecutive Grand Slam title of the season, and fifth overall, as she won the US Open women’s doubles with Swiss partner Martina Hingis on Sunday.

The top-seeded Indo-Swiss team outplayed the fourth seed team of Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-3 in the final, which never rose to great heights.

Sania’s win capped off a memorable US Open for Indians as Leander Paes had won the mixed doubles trophy with Hingis on Friday, in a repeat show of the Wimbledon.

Kazakshtan’s Shvedova and Australia’s Dellacqua struggled to hold serve, making it too easy for Sania and Hingis. The contest was over in just 70 minutes as the top seeds asserted themselves.

Sania’s ground-strokes from the back of the court and Hingis’ agility at the net was too good for their rivals.

It was Sania and Hingis’ second major title in a row, having won the Wimbledon championships earlier this season.

Sania now has five Grand Slam titles in her collection. She won three Mixed Doubles trophies, the last one coming at this very venue with Bruno Soares in 2014.

In an extraordinary season, Hingis has won five Grand Slam titles this season, taking her overall number to 20. She won three titles with Paes and two with Sania.

“It’s a great year for us. Already been a great year, became world number one. We were a solid team and were in with a chance in all Slams. We are happy to come through. I won mixed doubles here last year, great to come back and win this,” Sania said after her win.

An elated Hingis said, “from the start we hit it off. Our games complement each other. Sania won her first Wimbledon, for me it is bonus. I volley better than what I used to. (in her singles days)”

Shvedova committed a double fault in the second game at 30-all to give top seeds a break point and then a superb return from Sania brought another opportunity but the fourth seeds saved both chances.

The top seeds did not have to wait much for next chance as they broke Dellacqua at love to take a 3-1 lead. But the advantage slipped soon as Sania was broken in the fifth.

Shvedova, who is getting married on Tuesday, surrendered her serve one more time, letting Sania and Hingis just walk away with the set.

Shvedova was far from the player she is as she was down by three break points in the very first game of the second set. Top seeds grabbed the opportunity and consolidated lead with a solid hold.

Sania fired two stunning service winners on Dellacqua’s serve as the Australian was broken at love in the seventh game. Hingis hit an overhead volley winner on the first match point after Shvedova’s double fault at 40-all.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Sports> Tennis > US Open 2015 / PTI / September 13th, 2015

First national level Homeopathy conference to discuss about advanced medicines in the field

September 12, 2015Leaders, Science & Technologympositiveone@gmail.com

Kozhikode :

The national level Homeopathy convention organizing by Global Homeopathy Foundation in association with the Department of Ayush in Kozhikode on September 13 will witness eminent scientists and experts presenting various topics ranging from homeopathy medicines to treat HIV, Hepatitis B and Ebola.

Dr A R Khuda Bukhsh, an eminent molecular biologist who have demonstrated anti-cancer effects of homeopathy in cell line studies will present his recent studies related to his field and homeopathy.

Dr S Praveen Kumar of JSPS Government Homeo Medical College will present papers on research work he has done on action of Crotalus Horridus in Homeopathic dilution of 30 potency on reverse transcriptase enzyme involved in multiplication of HIV, Ebola and Hepatitis B viruses .

Dr E S Rajendran, Director, Vinayaka Mission’s Homeopathic Medical college, Salem will present paper on nano-studies of new drugs and the basics of nanoscience and also incorporate ideas regarding the biological action of drug potencies.

Dr Rajesh Shah, eminent homeopathic doctor and researcher, will present his latest research on HIV and Hepatitis C infections.

Dr. Upama Bagai, Immunologist will deliver a talk on efficacy of homeopathic medicines on chloroquine resistant and CQ sensitive strain of human malaria parasite, their cytotoxic studies on human cell lines and results in in-vitro antileishmanial activity against human.

Dr Eswara Das, consultant advisor in homeopathy to Government of India will deliver a lecture on schemes by the AYUSH Department which can be used by potential professionals to develop homeopathy.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / by Sreedevi Chithranjan, TNN / September 12th, 2015

A cooperative wholesale store has come a long way

September 12, 2015Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

MAKING RAPID STRIDES: A view of Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores in Thanjavur.— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores celebrating platinum jubilee

The Thanjavur Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores (TCCWS), a cooperative institution that has impacted the daily life of all sections of society here for the past 75 years, is celebrating its platinum jubilee anniversary by firming up a five-year plan to shore up its finances.

Registered on April 20, 1940, it commenced its commercial operations on May, 1940 with 16 members with a share capital of Rs. 390. Now, it has 2,634 members with a share capital of Rs. 41.14 lakh.

Under its control, there are 70 fair price shops in urban areas of the city through which the premier cooperative institution is channelising 1,137 tonnes of rice, 144 tonnes of sugar, 39 tonnes of wheat, 54 tonnes of toor dhal and 57,000 litres of palm oil every month to the attached 72,636 family cards.

Besides, there are six kerosene bunks in the city limits in its fold through which 29,444 family card holders were getting 75,870 litre of kerosene a month.

Serving as the lead society, the TCCWS has been facilitating supply of essential commodities to 2,00,315 family card holders attached to 467 fair price shops functioning under the aegis of 126 primary agricultural cooperative credit societies in Thanjavur, Orathanad, Pattukkottai, Peravurani and Tiruvaiyaru taluks, the TCCWS Managing Director M. Mohamed Rafi told The Hindu here.

The self-service section functioning in the main TCCWS complex has been doing a brisk sale of Rs. 15 lakh a month while the cooperative medical shop within the complex is extending 12 per cent discount for medicines and five per cent rebate for food items besides providing free door delivery facility to buyers on demand. Medicines and food items sale touches Rs. 5 lakh a month. The stationery section was recently refurbished to lure more customers and is doing a sales turnover of Rs. 2 lakh a month, Mr. Rafi said.

There are 119 employees against the sanctioned cadre strength of 133 and a democratically elected Board of Directors in administering the TCCWS.

One future plans, he says six new fair price shops were ready for opening in urban limits of the city while it was planning to carve out four new full-time fair price shops to serve specific area customers better.

Though the TCCWS has run up a cumulative loss of Rs. 6.24 crore up to the audited period of 2011-12, it has drafted an ambitious five-year plan to wipe off the deficit and turn the corner. Already, during 2012-13, the TCCWS earned a profit of 8.15 lakh due to efficient functioning and Mr. Rafi hoped to build on that performance in the years to come.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by L. Renganathan / Thanjavur – May 02nd, 2015

Kalam’s ancestors were wealthy, says HC judge

September 12, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Justice T. Raja, judge, Madras High Court, releases a book on former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Kalam’s scientific adviser K. Ponraj receives the first copy as Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian (right) looks on. Photo: G. Moorthy

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s ancestors were wealthy merchants involved in trading of groceries between Rameswaram and Sri Lanka. They also owned several boats to ferry people from the mainland to the island and back. But their fortunes dwindled after the construction of Pamban Bridge in 1914, said Justice T. Raja, judge, Madras High Court, on Thursday.

Addressing a group of lawyers after releasing a book ‘A complete Indian’ penned by Additional Government Pleader T.S. Mohamed Mohideen on the ideals of former President, the judge said that Kalam’s rise from Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and then into the hearts of 1.28 billion citizens of the country was a great journey that could inspire millions of youngsters to tread his path.

Kalam’s former scientific advisor K. Ponraj, who received the first copy of the book, said that the former President was the only individual to have addressed 2.5 crore students and motivated them towards Vision 2020. “He considered the post of President ceremonial and concentrated more on disseminating his agenda of national development besides performing his ceremonial duties,” he added.

Mr. Ponraj also said that Kalam holds the distinction of making a Powerpoint presentation even to the then President of United States George W. Bush on how India would become an energy independent nation by 2030. “He had invited our Members of Parliament too for breakfast at Rashtrapati Bhavan and made a presentation on the role expected to be played by Parliamentarians in achieving Vision 2020,” he said. Justice S. Nagamuthu, Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA) president M. Subash Babu and others took part in the event.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Special Correspondent / Madurai – August 21st, 2015

Revisiting the royal past

September 12, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Travel & Tourismmpositiveone@gmail.com

The buffet offered at the Madras Pavilion recreates the cuisine of the Nawabs of Arcot

At Madras Pavilion in ITC Grand Chola, what overwhelms you first is the waft of spices. The occasion is the celebration of the cuisine of the Nawabs of Arcot, recreating their recipes. “The family is 200 years old, and the recipes have been passed down. The food, however, has evolved with time, based on taste and the availability of ingredients. You’ll see a lot of Hyderabadi, Kannada and local influences in the cuisine,” says Ajit Bangera, Senior Executive Chef, ITC Grand Chola.

The chef, who has been privy to the food served at the Nawab’s royal palace, Amir Mahal, and the hospitality extended by their family, wondered, why not recreate it for the public. So the restaurant has decided to revisit the royal past. “Without knowing the past, it is difficult for the future to evolve,” says Bangera. “The table of the Nawabs is usually laden with meat. So for the vegetarian dishes, we’ve taken basic concepts and worked with it.”

In addition to the usual dinner buffet comprising North Indian, South Indian, Chinese and Continental selections, there’s now also an array of dishes from the Nawab’s table, including spicy kebabs, steaming biryani and ghee-laden desserts. Members of the Nawab’s family, and their friends, can often be seen dining at the restaurant, owing to the promotion.

The dhood ka sherbet opens our meal. A saccharine concoction made of ground spices, almonds, rose petals and khus, it is mildly addictive, and we ask for refills throughout our meal. Also served is the gulab sherbet, which has the overpowering flavour of rose. We sip on the sherbets while sampling kebabs — the kolsa murgh kabab offers a strong surge of spices, while the mushroom chilgoze is a mushy, spicy piece of cutlet, with finely chopped mushroom and pine nuts adding diversity to the texture. The fiery goolare kabab, made of ground lamb and stuffed with fig, stands out, owing to the contrasting taste and texture offered by the figs. The shahi mangodi kebab, made of pounded lentils, however, fails to leave a mark.

Soup is Gosht shalgam shorba, a peppery broth that smells invitingly of lamb and lentils, which can be topped with fried shallots, fresh mint and coriander.

Main course commences with rich, meaty haleem, which we pair with a thick and buttery kali mirch aur lasoon ki roti. We then try the paneer haldi, which offers tender chunks of paneer with a sour edge that grows on me, before we move on to the disappointing macchi kofta that is heavy on salt. We finally dig into moist javahi biryani, which is the only dish that makes me go back for seconds. I pair it with tangy chugur gosht, made of succulent pieces of mutton, and a delightfully creamy raita.

The spread is heavy on meat and rich in spices. And also, rich in general. However, no one dish leaves an indelible impression, even though nothing on the menu fails either. After working our way through the special cuisine, there is very little space for much else. We take a breather before we venture towards the dessert spread; the chef even recommends we take a walk around the resplendent restaurant to recover our appetites.

The winning stroke for the evening is double ka meetha — rice bread cooked in sugar syrup and finished with reduced milk — which proves to be as delicious as it sounds. The grainy moong dal halwa, however, doesn’t match up in comparison. Also available is an inviting array of Indian and continental desserts, including cherry cheese cake, zucchini mint cake, condi caramel rice pudding, badami nazakat and mango chum chum.

The cuisine of the Nawabs of Arcot is available for dinner till September 14. The buffet is priced at Rs.1950, plus taxes. Call 22200000.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / by Raveena Joseph / September 10th, 2015

Amjad Ali Khan presented ‘Swati Puraskar’ by Kerala govt

September 9, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Renowned Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was today conferred with Kerala Goverment’s prestigious music award, ‘Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram’ for his outstanding contribution to Indian music.

The award, instituted in memory of legendary music composer Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, carries a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and a medal, and was presented to the maestro by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, at a function at the Durbar hall of the Secretariat here.

Chandy said the state government had identified a two- acre land at nearby Veli for setting up the proposed music academy of the maestro.

“Government has launched some proceedings. We have identified two acre land at Veli and are planning to give this land for the academy.”

“Conferring the award on Amjad Ali Khan is a proud moment for the state,” he said.

Khan said, “it is a great honour and privilege to receive the award.”

Remembering great musicians like Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Tyagaraja and Swathi Thirunal, he said their contributions helped Indian music flourish. “It is due to their commitment, our Indian music exists.”

Referring to music, he said the sound of sitar, sarod and tabla connects to God. But language does create ‘barriers’.

“Because we do not deal with language, we communciate with sound. Other kind of music is based on texts and krithis.”

“Language does create barriers and can be manipulated. But I thank god, I belong to sound (community),” he said.

Profusely thanking the chief minister and state government for the award, he said he felt at home in Kerala and knew that he would get all support from the state.

He also said it would a take year for the academy to become a reality. “We have identified a place,” he said, adding, the plan was to take ‘only committed’ students. “It is not for entertainment.”

The citation described Amjad Ali Khan as the “most distinguished sarod maestro who has rendered meritorius services to preserve and promote the tradition of Indian classical music in general and Senia Bangash Gharana in particular.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / by Press Trust of India / Thiruvananthapuram – September 09th, 2015

Mukhtar Naqvi comes to Jamia, says minorities need political empowerment

September 9, 2015Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Delivering an Inaugural Address at the National Seminar on ‘Shifting Paradigm: Re-Envisioning Minority Issues and Minority Studies in India’, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs said that NDA-II Government is committed to change socio-economic environment in the country to promote security and inclusive growth. The overwhelming mandate obtained by the NDA established beyond doubt that young India has sought both systemic change and elimination of stereotypes. He talked about the need to empower minorities politically so that they could become agents of change.

Prof. Imtiyaz Ahmad, an eminent Political Scientist and formerly at Jawaharlal Nehru University, giving his Keynote Address, talked about how a democratic state, which was a distributor of rights, could provide insurance for survival and sustenance of the subordinate groups for want of which market forces would bring about their marginalization and exclusion.

The progress of subordinate groups cannot be realized by mere dependence on market forces, he elaborated. He felt that the rights enjoyed by minorities in a democratic set-up can be fully realized only if the state chooses not to abdicate its responsibilities. He went on to add that minorities should move away from identity-politics and get themselves mobilized in respect of socio-economic issues. Talking about the strengths of Indian Islam, he said that it was informed by eclecticism, diversity and tolerance and felt that promotion of democracy, moderation and economic development by the state since Independence had instilled confidence even amongst minorities who realized that despite being subordinate groups they could exercise their rights. It was important, he observed, to prevent erosion of confidence that has got built assiduously over years.

Prof. T.K. Oommen, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, delivering his Keynote Address, presented the need to evolve a social morphology of minorities to understand and promote issues of equity, identity, security and dignity that stood intertwined and intersected. He felt that it was important to bring about a socio-economic environment wherein issues of equity and dignity could be addressed in concrete terms.

Prof. Talat Ahmad, giving his Presidential Remarks, said that there was diversity in the country which could be best upheld by the state. It was important to bring education to all the diverse groups in the country that could lead to social democratization, he said. He averred that the efforts of the political leadership to bring about economic growth and prosperity would help address the real issues that confront the nation. State policy formulations should not only be informed my economic and legal inputs but also sociological, he added.

Earlier, Dr. Arvinder A Ansari, Organizing Secretary of the Seminar, presented the theme of the seminar. Later, Dr. Neshat Quaiser, Head, Department of Sociology, JMI gave his concluding remarks.

source: http://www.okhlatimes.com / Okhla Times / Home> JMI / by Okhla Times Campur Reporter – JMI / OT – September 09th, 2015

KCR Greets Sania for Khel Ratna

September 9, 2015Amazing Feats, Leaders, Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Lawn Tennis player Sania Mirza | (File/PTI)

Hyderabad :

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday congratulated Hyderabad- based Indian lawn tennis player Sania Mirza for receiving Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

The Chief Minister wished her all the best, expressed the hope that in future she would get many more such awards nationally and internationally, an official release from the CMO said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / August 30th, 2015

An Immortal Hero Brigadier Mohammad Usman

September 8, 2015Amazing Feats, Leaders, Videosmpositiveone@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwcMoGYtw4o

Published on Sep 15, 2013

AAJ TAK “Vande Matram” Remembering An Immortal Hero , Brigadier Mohammad Usman Khunambir (M.V.C.,15 July 1912 — 3 July 1948) Symbol of” India’s “Inclusive Secularism His Mother Was Jamilun Bibi D/o Abdul Kabir Ansari Belongs to Ansari Family of Yusufpur And Father Was Mohammad Faqooq

source: http://www.youtube.com