Category Archives: Science & Technology

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

August 10, 2016Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World OpinionK Ummer Thalhath, Prime Card, Ummer Thalhathmpositiveone@gmail.com

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

JITS prof. wins accolades at World Congress on Engineering

July 14, 2016Education, Leaders, Science & TechnologyPrincipal-A.R.Naseer, Principal-Jyothismathi Institute of Technology and Sciences(JITS)mpositiveone@gmail.com

Karimnagar, TELANGANA :

Jyothismathi Institute of Technology and Sciences (JITS) associate professor Vankudhotu Malsoru won accolades for his paper presentation at the 24th World Congress on Engineering-2016 organised by the International Association of Engineers in London, from June 29 to July 1.

30 countries

Mr. Malsoru presented a paper on ‘domain specific performance evaluation sequential pattern mining approaches’, and won appreciation from the gathering from over 30 countries.

JITS chairman J. Sagar Rao, principal A.R. Naseer and other faculty members accorded a warm welcome to the associate professor for bringing laurels to the college and the State on Wednesday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Karimnagar – July 14th, 2016

Starting with caution, they emerge victorious

July 6, 2016Business & Economy, Science & TechnologyShahab Elias Iqbal, Shahab Elias Iqbal-Semilon Technologies Pvt.Ltdmpositiveone@gmail.com

Peroorkada (Thiruvananthapuram) , KERALA :

Success story:The LED manufacturing unit of the start-up Semilon Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Peroorkada.

Start-up by five youths makes turnover of Rs.1 crore in 2014-15

While several start-ups have been launched in the State in the past few years, not many have been able to break even and go on to register profits.

The feeling of uncertainty could easily have dissuaded a group of five youths from floating their start-up company soon after graduating from a self-financing college at Karakulam in 2010. But, pooling in the caution deposits they received from the college, they launched their endeavour, which primarily focused on supplying LED lights.

“Despite many odds, we were confident of tapping the potential of such a venture though LED lights were not in vogue then as they are now,” says Jino V. Manohar, one of the founders of the company. Amal Raj, Arul Raj, Shahab Ellias Iqbal and A.K. Surjith are the other members of the group.

Their decision turned out to be a masterstroke with their company, Semilon Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Peroorkada, witnessing a turnover of Rs.1 crore during the 2014-15 fiscal. The company has a workforce of 12 people at present.

Their journey has been far from smooth. However, the company has gone on to bag the commendation award from the Kerala State Energy Management Centre in 2012 for manufacturing energy-efficient equipment.

Diversification

After establishing themselves in the market, they ventured into lighting design services in 2014. “Lighting design is an important component in architecture and has become increasingly popular over the years. There are several takers for planning the specifics of lighting equipment while designing the interiors and exteriors of a building right from its planning stage,” Mr. Manohar says.

Besides having commenced a solar power plant division, the group also diversified to create a R&D consulting division. They were recently empanelled as one of the few channel partners by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to implement solar power plants.

e-crop

The R&D division had recently developed ‘e-crop’ for the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) at Sreekaryam.

The device is equipped with multiple sensors for various purposes, including assessing soil parameters, solar radiation and predicting crop yield.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – July 06th, 2016

In defence of Kashmir’s unpopular poplars

June 28, 2016Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & TechnologyAsst.Prof.Actuarial Mathematics-Islamic University of Science & Technology-Srinagar, Dr. Fozia S. Qazi, Dr. Sajad Gangoo, Dr.Naveed Nazir Shah, Government Medical College-Srinagar, Mathematician Fozia Qazi, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Agricultural Sciencesmpositiveone@gmail.com

JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Srinagar :

Mathematician Fozia Qazi has undertaken a campaign to protect the trees that are in danger of being axed in large numbers in the valley.

With around 16 million poplar trees facing the axe in Kashmir Valley following a High Court order, noted mathematician Fozia S. Qazi has started a campaign to “dispel the myths” that led to the systematic felling of the trees synonymous with the Valley landscape for decades.

In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court first banned the sale, purchase and plantation of female Russian poplars (Populus deltoides) following a public outcry and medical warnings that their cotton shedding laden with pollen, during late spring was the main cause of allergies in Srinagar.

Chopped down

Thereafter, lakhs of poplar trees were cut down across the Valley. A compliance report submitted to the court by the Deputy Commissioners of Kulgam and Pulwama district in June this year claimed that it targeted felling of six lakh poplars.

Dr. Qazi, Associate Professor of Actuarial Mathematics at Islamic University of Science and Technology, believes that the High Court’s decision to fell poplars is not only an “exceptional exercise but also a misinformed decision.”

Dr. Qazi, who is filing a petition before the court against the felling, has organised a meet of experts to collate scientific data on the subject and create mass awareness.

Backing Dr. Qazi’s contention that poplars are not the main cause of allergy in Kashmir during April and May, Dr. Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah, Consultant and Assistant Professor at the Department of Chest Medicine of the Government Medical College, Srinagar, said: “Poplar-induced allergy stands at number six as a cause of allergy. While dust remains the main cause, it is followed by lawn grass, deodar, kikaarand chinar pollen.

“Also, the size of its cotton is big enough to enter human body. There is no connection to prove that the poplar was the main cause of the allergies.”

Instead of felling the trees, Dr. Sajad Gangoo, an expert from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Agricultural Sciences, argues that pruning these trees during autumn would cut down cotton circulation by 80 per cent in spring.

Key to rural economy

Dr. Qazi, a doctorate from the Syracuse University in the U.S., argues that poplar trees are central to rural economy here.

“The tree grows faster [than the local species]. It’s a source of livelihood for many because fruit boxes are made of it,” she pointed out and said that while “it consumes water, purifies it more than any other tree and could be helpful for water bodies too.”

Poplars live up to 40 years and mature in just three years. They attain height up to 20-30 feet.

“Given its height, poplars stand distinctly in the landscape of Kashmir and dot most highways, forming a mesmerising canopy and fast becoming a tourist attraction too,” Ms. Qazi said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / Peerzada Ashiq / Srinagar – June 24th, 2016

IT employees to have a body to press for their demands

June 27, 2016Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & TechnologyAll India Information Technology Employees Association (AIITEA) Bengaluru, Bengaluru, Syed Muqeem-Head of AIITEA, Syeed Muqeemmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

The AIITEA will hold its first meeting on June 30 on the ITC Infotech campus

Amid the opportunities and growth prospects, the problems faced by employees of the information technology sector are among the least addressed. The struggles within these workplaces often get sidelined or swept under the carpet by the ‘terms and conditions’ of the company. Consequently, employees often have little say in such matters.

Now these unhealthy workplace practices have forced IT employees to join hands to make a forum where they can address their issues.

The All India Information Technology Employee Association (AIITEA), a registered body meant to take up and resolve problems faced by people in the IT sector, is going to have its first meeting on June 30, on the ITC Infotech campus to announce in the open its arrival in the IT city.

Syed Muqeem, head of AIITEA and one of the founder members of the association, said: “There is a general perception that unions and associations are for blue-collar people, but there are many instances where the IT employees, the so-called white-collar staff, face workplace-related problems, but there is no group to support them.”

“Most associations that have been formed earlier either play in the hands of the big multinational companies or have failed to take up the issues faced by the employees in the sector, and take it to a logical conclusion. This void that the industry has created over a period is what we are trying to fill up. Our main aim is to ensure equal employee representation in resolving employee grievances,” said Muqeem.

Bengaluru, deemed India’s IT capital, is home to 35 per cent of the 8 million IT employees and in the last financial year, it clocked around 1 lakh crore in software exports. But beneath this glitter is a dark cloud looming and that is the ever-deteriorating state of the IT employees.

A global study done by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) says 50 per cent of employees in India Inc are under stress and around 30 per cent software engineers in the city show signs of psychiatric disorder. One in every 20 employees has contemplated suicide.

The fast pace at which the IT industry is progressing has its own side-effects and employees are at the receiving end. Muqeem said that till date “we have helped resolve around 15 cases where the employee was being harassed by the employer, but on an average we receive 15-20 complaints per week, but the fear of losing one’s job, coupled with the feeling that engaging with an association might hamper future growth prospects is what is keeping many from coming out in the open”.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / June 27th, 2016

Award for physician

June 5, 2016Science & TechnologyDr. M. Muhammad, First N.M.Muhammed Ali Memorial Award, Physician Dr.M. Muhammadmpositiveone@gmail.com

Thiruvananthapuram, KERALA :

Physician M. Muhammad has been selected for the first N.M. Muhammad Ali Memorial Award instituted by Kerala Gazetted Officers Association.

The award, which carries a purse of Rs.50,001, a statuette, and citation, will be presented to Muhammad at a function to be held here on June 10 at the VJT Hall. The winner was selected by a jury headed by public health activist B. Ekbal.

Other jury members were psychologist K. Praveen Lal, dancer Rajashree Warrier, and journalist R. Parvathy Devi. Minister for Electricity and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran will present the award.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by A Corrrespondent / Thiruvananthapuram – Junel 05th, 2016

ATME students develop Nano Tractor

June 4, 2016Education, Science & TechnologyAathir Md. Suhaib, Aquib Arbaz, ATME College of Engineering, Mujahid Khan, Mysuru, Nano Tractor Designedmpositiveone@gmail.com

Mysuru , KARNATAKA :

A boon to small farmers

Mysuru :

The final year Mechanical Engineering students of ATME College of Engineering, Mysuru — Aathir Md. Suhaib, Anthony Johny, Aquib Arbaz and Mujahid Khan — as a part of their project work, has developed a low cost, compact and versatile tractor named Nano Tractor.

The farming sector, especially vegetable growers and horticulturists, were in need of a small sized, economical and easy to maintain type of farm equipment. The new Nano Tractor developed by the students may be the answer for it.

Students to begin with have surveyed the farmers in and around Mysuru and understood the necessity of a smaller and versatile farm equipment at affordable cost. Then they have come up with the idea of fabricating a Tractor with a relatively smaller engine but can perform various farming activity with advantages like easy handling and less maintenance.

They have used an old 600 CC, 7.5 bhp engine of an auto- rickshaw and other parts from old vehicles. The performance test conducted indicates that it definitely fulfils the requirements of the small farmers as stated above.

The subject knowledge gained in their engineering course and with the able guidance of N. Rakshith, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, they have successfully completed the Nano Tractor Project at a cost of Rs. 60,000.

The Model and Concept can be used to design and manufacture in large scale can definitely help a sector of Farming community.

The students’ effort has been hailed by many including the industry people and the farmers. Principal and staff members have congratulated them on their feat.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General Nes / June 03rd, 2016

Kerala’s farmers reap a rich plant genome saviour award harvest

May 18, 2016Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & TechnologyMalappuram, Melethil Beerankutty, Muhammed Moopan, National Genome Saviour Farms Award, Tirurmpositiveone@gmail.com

Thrissur, KERALA :

The Kerala farmers dominated the National Plant Genome Saviour Awards-2013 by winning seven out of fourteen rewards announced by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV & FR) Authority, Government of India.

The seven farmers involved in conservation of traditional crop varieties were nominated for awards by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).

K V Kannan ( Kannur), Benny Mathew (Agali, Palakkad), Melethil Beerankutty (Malappuram) and Muhammed Moopan (Malappuram) have been selected for Plant Genome Saviour farmer’s reward which consists of a purse of `1.5 lakh, a memento and a citation, while K Raman (Cheruvayal, Wayanad), P Krishnan (Palakkad) and K Narendran (Kollam ) will receive Plant Genome Saviour recognition which consists of a purse carrying `1 lakh, a memento and a citation at a function to be held in Delhi shortly.

KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr P Rajendran described the seven awards as a significant acknowledgment for Kerala farming community as well as farm scientists. “Bagging seven out of fourteen awards is very special. The role of KAU in supporting such activists and helping them earn such recognition are often forgotten. I appreciate the efforts of our scientists, especially Dr C R Elsy, Coordinator, KAU IPR cell, Dr M C Narayanankutty, RARS, Pattambi and Dr M R Bindu, ORARS, Kayamkulam, who nominated these farmers,” he said.

The KAU had played a pivotal role in helping the Pokkali Rice farming Community (2011), Akampadam Padasekhara Samithy (2012) and Ciby Kallungal of Thrissur and N Vasavan of Kannur ( 2012) win the Plant Genome Saviour Awards earlier.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / May 11th, 2016