Category: Amazing Feats

NATIONAL: EDUCATION, ACADEMIC RESOURCES: Open Access Digital Repository of Academic Resources unveiled by Azim Premji University

It is the first-of-its-kind digital repository of academic resources translated from English to Indian languages.

‘Anuvada Sampada,’ touted as a first-of-its-kind open access digital repository of academic resources translated from English to Indian languages, was unveiled by Azim Premji University here on Tuesday.

Aimed at making these resources freely and widely available to students, teachers, teacher educators, etc., across the country, the repository has close to 2,000 academic resources and growing and is currently available in Hindi and Kannada.

The translations repository was launched by the Vice Chancellor of Azim Premji University, Indu Prasad and seeks to address the paucity of high-quality academic resources in Indian languages at the graduate and post-graduate level. The initiative, said a release, will enable students, academics, and practitioners to mine, use and reuse academic resources in sciences, social sciences, humanities, and languages. The repository is also expected to help promote original writing, reading, deliberation and discourse in Hindi and Kannada.

“Non-availability of academic resources in Indian languages is a major constraint in expanding access to education and ensuring inclusion. We believe this initiative will help students engage more deeply with concepts and ideas currently available only in English, encourage nuanced debates, and develop perspectives in diverse contexts,” said Hriday Kant Dewan, who leads the initiative at Azim Premji University.

The repository includes select academic resources for postgraduate programmes in education and development, and undergraduate programmes in arts, sciences, and diploma courses. Besides these, there are select articles from journals, extracts or complete chapters from books, podcasts, short films, brief lectures, and panel discussions related to higher education.

Articles focused on various aspects of school education from different publications of Azim Premji University like Learning Curve, At Right Angles, I wonder.., and Pathshala, apart from books and research studies published by Azim Premji Foundation, form part of the collection, added the release.

The University is also in the process of seeking copyright permissions from various publishers to expand the number of open access academic readings on the site.

Anuvada Sampada is available at: https://anuvadasampada.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/.

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Mysuru Zoo Rated 2nd Best in Central Zoo Authority (CZA) Evaluation

The century-old Mysuru zoo has been rated ‘very good’ by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), which conducted the Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Zoos in India 2022. The country’s medium and large zoos were comprehensively evaluated during the first-ever exercise by the CZA.

Though Mysuru zoo has been adjudged ‘very good’ among large zoos during the assessment by the experts, it, however, stands second as Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai has secured a score of 83 marks and was graded ‘very good’ by the CZA. The Mysuru zoo has got 80 marks but yet graded ‘very good’ in the evaluation considering its best management practices and standards.

Expressing happiness over the rating, Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni said the evaluation was done for the first time by the CZA and an expert team had visited the zoo to appraise the zoo and its practices. “Whatever suggestions have been made for the zoo’s improvement will be implemented. The action to be taken, as endorsed by the CZA, will be looked into,” he said.

Among the medium zoos, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, is rated the best, according to the evaluation report.

The CZA, in its report, said the mission, vision, objectives and strategies mostly identified at the Mysuru zoo but need to be systematically formulated and documented as per the National Zoo Policy. The zoo has been told to make efforts to pair all single animals.

Also, the conservation breeding program MEs for Gaur, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-tailed Macaque, Dhole, Indian Grey Wolf etc., can be managed with improved scientific rigour and with the development of detailed plans for conservation breeding including genetic profiling, individual marking of names for identification, community engagement plan, plan for soft release, and survey of release sites, the CZA said, in its evaluation of the Mysuru zoo.  

The Mysuru zoo management must pursue the development of an interpretation centre, according to the report.

Citing about the best practices at the Mysuru zoo in its evaluation, the CZA said the zoo is one of the self-sustainable zoos. In the past two decades, the zoo administration has introduced many interventions, innovations and programs — from waste management policy, to a flexible animal adoption programme. After segregation of the waste, the biodegradable waste is used for making biogas, vermicompost, and manure in the campus itself. Biogas is used in zoo kitchens. The zoo has tie-ups with various NGOs for the recycling of plastic waste. The zoo harvests 79 crore litres of rainwater through directed infrastructure changes. The surrounding areas of the zoo and the farmers have also been benefited by the system as no borewells go out of water during summer. The zoo also provides RO drinking water for free to the visitors. Seventy percent of water that gets wasted from the RO units are reused On the zoo premises.

The CZA said the MEE assessment is an inclusive exercise – the assessment is based on information and documentation produced by the zoo and the detailed site visit.

The actionable points derived from the assessment, along with pillars of change indicated in the vision plan for Indian zoos (2021-2031), can become the catalyst for the transformation, build innovation and leadership and help zoos deliver experiences that inspire visitors to take conservation action and affirm deeper community connect, the CZA concluded in its assessment, a report of which has been sourced by The Hindu.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORT, CHESS: 15-year-old Bengaluru teen Pranav Anand becomes India’s 76th Chess Grandmaster

The 15-year-old, having already met the other requirements that are necessary for a GM title, achieved the honour late on Thursday.

Bengaluru teenager Pranav Anand became India’s 76th Grandmaster after he crossed the 2,500 Elo mark in the ongoing World Youth Chess Championship in Mamaia, Romania.

The 15-year-old, having already met the other requirements that are necessary for a GM title, achieved the honour late on Thursday.

To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points. Anand had scored the third and final GM norm at the 55th Biel Chess Festival in Switzerland in July.

“He is passionate about chess. Extremely interested and passionate about the game. He can work for any number of hours,” Anand’s coach V Saravanan said.

“He is especially good in calculation and end games; they are his two biggest strengths right now,” Saravanan said about his ward’s ninth-round win in the under-16 section of the World Youth Chess Championship 2022.

“Also, the most important reason for Pranav’s achievement is the dedication of his family; his mother, and father. They have spent so much time on and supported him. If the pandemic was not there, Pranav could have become a GM at least a year ago. He is one of the most talented kids I have ever come across,” the International Master added.

Anand had secured his third and final GM norm in Biel by drawing his game against Spain’s number five GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2619) in the penultimate round.

He had also beaten GM Maxime Lagarde of France (2631), GM Sethuraman S P(2623), drawn with GM Aryan Chopra (2610) and GM Shant Sargsyan of Armenia (2661) in the event.

His first two GM norms came in the Sitges Open (in January 2022) and Vezerkepso GM Round Robin (March 2022) tournaments.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: GREEN ENERGY: Shell enters Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Business, Starting with Bengaluru

The energy company has plans to install over 10,000 charging points across India by 2030.

Shell, an integrated energy firm, has chosen Bengaluru to set up its first sets of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for four-wheeler and two-wheeler segments in India.

To start with, the company on Thursday opened five Shell recharge stations at Yeshwanthpur, Marathahalli, Old Madras Road, Brookefield, and on Kanakpura Road.

Shell will provide customised charging solutions at on-the-go locations such as Shell fuel stations, standalone EV hubs, home charging, and destination locations.

For on-the-go and standalone EV hubs, the company will deploy 100 kilowatts (KW) and above direct-current (DC) fast chargers to enable fast charging and the lowest possible dwell time, as per company officials.

The company has plans to expand its EV charging infrastructure beyond its existing retail markets of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh.

Shell Energy said it has plans to set up over 10,000 such stations across the country by 2030. Shell recharge chargers would be 100% powered by green energy, it said.

Customers will be able to operate these chargers through the ‘Shell Recharge India app’, available on both Android and iOS operating systems.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / INNOVATION: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Scientists Develop Gold-Coated Vesicles to Fight Tuberculosis (TB)

The spherical vesicles, which can be delivered to immune cells, are expected to potentially trigger an immune response.

To combat tuberculosis, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a new method under which a vaccine candidate for the disease can be delivered by making use of Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs). These spherical vesicles, which can be delivered to immune cells, are secreted by bacteria coated on gold nanoparticles. The deliverance is expected to potentially trigger an immune response to offer protection against TB.

Across the world, TB, which is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, claims the lives of over a million people every year. Currently, BCG is the only effective vaccine against TB. It contains a weakened form of the disease-causing bacterium, which when injected into the bloodstream, produces antibodies which can help fight the disease.

However, the scientists have said that the BCG vaccine does not protect adolescents and adults as effectively as it does children. Prompted by this, Rachit Agarwal, Assistant Professor at the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), IISc, and his group worked on developing a potential subunit vaccine candidate that contains only parts of the infectious bacterium to stimulate an immune response.

Although other scientists had developed subunit vaccines based on a handful of proteins from the disease-causing bacteria earlier, they had not been effective in the treatment. Agarwal’s group decided to take a slightly varied approach and made use of OMVs — which are spherical membrane-bound particles released by some bacteria, and contain an assortment of proteins and lipids which could induce an immune response against the pathogen.

“They’re safer compared to a live bacterium, and since they are membrane-derived, they contain all kinds of antigens,” explained Agarwal, the senior author of the paper published in  Biomaterials Advances. The researchers further explained that while subunit vaccines typically only contain a limited number of antigens — bacterial proteins that can elicit an immune response in the host, the OMVs contain a variety of antigens, which can induce a better immune response.

“Mycobacterium-derived OMVs are usually unstable and come in different sizes, making them unsuitable for vaccine applications. But the OMVs coated on gold nanoparticles (OMV-AuNPs) by the IISc team were found to be uniform in size and stable. The researchers also found that human immune cells showed a higher uptake of OMV-AuNPs (gold nanoparticles) than of OMVs or gold nanoparticles alone”, said an IISc press release. 

According to Avijit Goswami, a former postdoctoral fellow at BSSE and one of the first authors of the study, the most challenging part was the production and scaling up of OMVs as it was a complex process. “To synthesise OMV-AuNPs, the OMVs and the gold nanoparticles are forced together through a 100 nm filter. The OMVs break up in the process and encapsulate the gold nanoparticles,” explained Edna George, a former postdoctoral fellow at BSSE, and co-first author of the study.

During this study, the immune cells, which were cultured in the lab, were treated with OMVs derived from a related bacterial species which does not cause disease in humans, called as Mycobacterium smegmatis. Furthering their research, the team plans to develop gold-coated OMVs derived directly from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They will then test the same on animal models and carry the results forward for clinical applications.

“Such efforts could open up new avenues for the development of vaccines for other bacterial diseases as well”, the release said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY: WeTie Organises 2-day Woman Entrepreneurs Expo ‘Koushalya 2k22’ in Hubballi, September 16-17

The two-day exhibition, Koushalya 2k22, is being organised by WeTie

A two-day exhibition of products manufactured by woman entrepreneurs, Koushalya 2k22, is being organised by WeTie (Women’s wing of The Indus Entrepreneurs-TiE), Hubballi, from Friday.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday, TiE Hubballi president Shravani Pawar, convenor of WeTie Shilpa Shetty and co-convenor Shruti Hebsur said that the event is aimed at promoting woman entrepreneurs of North Karnataka.

The exhibition will be held at Hebsur Bhavan on Gokul Road in Hubballi. The exhibition will showcase products and services by woman entrepreneurs from across the State and also from Maharashtra, Gujarat and other States.

Ms. Shravani said that apart from providing training in various business skills to facilitating upscaling of their business, WeTie wanted to provide them marketing space so that they can reach out to a larger number of customers. So, the exhibition is being organised, she said.

Ms. Shilpa Shetty said that there will be 50 stalls, in all, at the exhibition showcasing different products and services.

Ms. Shruti Hebsur said that the exhibition will be inaugurated by Joint Director of District Industries Centre T. Siddanna at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

Managing Director of Swarnaa Group of Companies V.S.V. Prasad and entrepreneur Kalpana Nayak will be the guest of honours for the inaugural session.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: EDUCATION: Bengaluru boy R.K. Shishir of Naryana E-Techno School Tops JEE(Advanced) Exam

R.K. Shishir, a student of Narayana E-Techno School, Vidyaranyapura, obtained 314 marks out of 360.

A Bengaluru student aced the JEE (Advanced) exam, the results of which were announced on Sunday.

R.K. Shishir, a student of Narayana E-Techno School, Vidyaranyapura, emerged as the top ranker in the Common Rank List (CRL) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay zone. He obtained 314 marks out of 360.

Vishal Bysani, a student from Allen Carrier Institute, got a CRL 13 of IIT Bombay zone and is the second topper of the State.

Shishir got 109 marks in Chemistry, 96 in Physics, and 109 in Mathematics. He also got the first rank in CET-2022 pharmacy and fourth rank in the Engineering stream. He got second rank (AIR) in Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana, which was conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

Shishir wants to pursue Computer Science Engineering at IIT, Bombay. He shared his happiness with The Hindu: “It was really challenging, but I am very happy that I could make it. I would definitely thank the Narayana system, my parents, and my teaching faculty who were with me in and out during two years of my advanced preparation.”

“Narayana Micro Schedule, the weekly and cumulative exams, the rectification of errors list and national-wide analysis made me understand the pros and cons in every subject, which helped me understand my position and worked on it continuously. As my goal was to achieve a seat in top-notch IITs, COVID-19 didn’t affect me in any way. During the pandemic, I preferred self-study. In fact, it helped me to prepare well. IIT Bombay is the startup hub of India. I am interested to set up a startup and contribute to society,” he added.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai lauded Shishir’s achievement. In his tweet, he congratulated him, “Hearty congratulations to Shishir R.K, who got the first position in JEE (Advanced) examination and increased the fame of Karnataka. I wish you further success in the future.”

Vishal, who was also the fifth topper in CET 2022 and second topper in COMED-K in the Engineering stream, said, “The habit of performing consistently every year was due to my mentors. They had unquestionable faith in me, my preparation instincts and approach towards studies. During this entire period of preparation, my parents and my teachers’ unstinting support played a big role in my success.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & HEALTH SERVICES: OPHTHALMOLOGY: SAP, CleaVision to Deploy Deep Tech to minimise Blindness in Premature Babies

The solution is currently being piloted at Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute in Bengaluru.

The power of machine learning and data analytics can be explored to reduce blindness that occurs as a result of Retinopathy of Prematurity, a condition where abnormal growth of blood vessels inside the eyes of pre-term babies can cause bleeding, scarring and retinal detachment, as per SAP.

SAP and CleaVision, a social venture, on Thursday announced an initiative aimed at reducing the risk of preventable blindness as a result of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in pre-term babies.

A solution driven by machine learning and data analytics would help doctors to arrive at a more accurate diagnosis while treating such babies, said SAP in a statement. The solution is currently being piloted at Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute in Bengaluru.

“We are piloting the software through the KIDROP (Karnataka Internet Assisted Diagnosis of ROP) programme, which performs up to 2,500 imaging sessions each month from 135 neonatal units across Karnataka,” said Dr. Anand Vinekar, Head, Paediatric Retina Department at Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute.

Automating the screening process

Explaining the process, the company said, the CleaVision solution would integrate image data processing with SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP AI Platform, and SAP Analytics Cloud to automate the identification of retina and blood vessel features and to make a recommendation on plus disease – a severe manifestation of ROP in premature babies.

The screening data would then be served to hospitals and could be reviewed in the KIDROP telemedicine network.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION in AI : Australia’s AICRAFT and Bengaluru’s VALDEL Inks MoU on AI in Aerospace

One more memorandum of understanding was inked between India and Australia to use artificial intelligence and machine learning in aerospace, on the final day of the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX), 2022. 

The MoU was signed between Bengaluru-based aerospace company Valdel Advanced Technologies and Australian artificial intelligence company AICRAFT. The MoU, which was signed in the presence of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientific secretary Shantanu Bhatawdekar and Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo, will work towards using the AI capabilities of AICRAFT to help Valdel with simulation and manufacturing capabilities through the use of advanced AI and machine learning.

“We are pleased that Australian industry has continued to explore tangible space collaboration with India over the past few days. Both parties have agreed to utilise AICRAFT’s advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capability and products to support Valdel’s modelling, simulation and manufacturing capabilities. Valdel’s facilities will also be used to test AICRAFT’s systems and platforms,” said Sarah Kirlew, Consul General for South India, who announced the MoU on Wednesday.

On Monday, as many as six MoUs were signed between several Australian and Indian companies, including two Bengaluru-based companies. In addition to this, Australia’s Space Machines Company, an aerospace company, opened a new research and development office in Bengaluru.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

GLOBAL: Infosys enters a five-year collaboration with Kansas, U.S. based ‘Spirit AeroSystems’ to Boost Aero Structural Services

IT services major Infosys on Wednesday announced a five-year agreement with Spirit AeroSystems, the manufacturer of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defence platforms and business or regional jets.

The IT company will collaborate to provide aerostructure and systems engineering services for product development of commercial, business jet and emerging aircraft programs, and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit has facilities in the US, UK, France, Malaysia and Morocco.

As part of this engagement, Infosys said it will offer end-to-end product development services, including design engineering, sustaining engineering, systems engineering, stress engineering, manufacturing engineering, and repair and maintenance. 

“Our longstanding collaboration with Infosys means we are well-positioned to co-innovate on critical stages of product development. This strategic agreement will leverage mutual synergies to accelerate the development of sustainable aerostructures and services across our commercial and aftermarket business segments,” said Sean Black, Senior VP and Chief Engineer, Engineering and Technology, Spirit AeroSystems.

Infosys collaborates with 7 of the top 10 global aerospace companies.

Jasmeet Singh, Executive VP and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, “Aerospace and defence organisations need to rapidly reinvent their digital foundation.”

The company has been investing in aerostructure engineering and next-gen technologies like artificial intelligence and the cloud.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)