Category: Business & Economy

KARNATAKA RECORDS: GREEN ENERGY / TRANSPORT : ElectricPe Aggregates 2,500 EV Charging Points in Bengaluru, Partners with Electric One

To expand its charging infrastructure in Bengaluru and in other parts of India, the company has entered into a partnership with Electric One that has 82 EV super stores across the country.

ElectricPe, an EV charging aggregator platform, claims to have 2,500 public charging points in Bengaluru.

ElectricPe has a B2C EV charging and demand generation app that offers EV users a one-stop platform where users could identify, access, and pay for EV charging points to make e-mobility easier.

ElectricPe has a mandate to facilitate 1,00,000 public charging points across India on its platform by the end of 2022.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA RECORDS : SOFTWARE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SECURITY: IISc-Bengaluru Develops Device to Improve Data Encryption

‘This will provide better protection for digital data such as credit card details, password  etc.’

A team at the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering (ECE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a true random number generator (TRNG), which, the team says, can improve data encryption and provide improved security for sensitive digital data such as credit card details, passwords and other personal information. The study describing the device has been published in the journal  ACS Nano.

“Almost everything we do on the internet is encrypted for security. The strength of this encryption depends on the quality of random number generation,” explained Nithin Abraham, a PhD student who is a part of a team led by Kausik Majumdar, Associate Professor at ECE, which has developed the device.

Encrypted information can be decoded only by authorised users who have access to a cryptographic ‘key’. But the key needs to be unpredictable and, therefore, randomly generated to resist hacking. Cryptographic keys are typically generated in computers using pseudorandom number generators, which rely on mathematical formulae or pre-programmed tables to produce numbers that appear random but are not. In contrast, a TRNG extracts random numbers from inherently random physical processes, making it more secure, the IISc release explained.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: TRANSPORT, ENGINEERING: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) to Run First Indigenously Built Trains of Namma Metro

First indigenously built coaches of Namma Metro have been recently given the green signal to be inducted into operations by the Railway Board. The seven brand new trains with 42 coaches, readied by BEML, are stationed at Peenya.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) now has a fleet of 57 trains with six cars each. They will be mainly used on the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line, which is set to be launched by year-end. 

The Railway Board communicated to the BMRCL director on May 18 that the coaches have been cleared to run at a maximum speed of 80kmph. It has also given permission to use the rolling stock for the Purple and Green Line corridors. 

BMRCL MD Anjum Parwez said, “We will utilise these trains for the  Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line and between Kengeri and Challaghatta”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY – ENGINEERING: Shimoga’s Government Junior College Student Sushanth N Prabhu’s Innovative System for Bike Chains Selected for National Level Inspire Awards

Sushanth N. Prabhu developed a system that can prevent a bike chain from getting loose.

An innovative project presented by a high school student of Government Junior College at Megaravalli in Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga has been selected for the national-level exhibition and project competition. Sushanth N. Prabhu, a SSLC student, has developed a ‘self chain adjustment system’ for bikes.

The competition, popularly known as Inspire Awards – Manak, is conducted by the National Innovation Foundation of the Department of Science and Technology. Sushanth presented the model for district level and state level competitions under the guidance of his mentor Raghavendra A.Bhat, a teacher in the school. Now it has been selected for the national level competition.

Ahead of the competition, the student and the mentor have been invited to take part in the mentoring workshop to be held at National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Suratkal in Dakshina Kannada on May 24.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA RECORDS: HEALTH & MEDICAL: KMC Hospital, Mangaluru Treats 10-year-old Patient with First-of-its-Kind ‘Dentofacial Deformity Procedure Correction Surgery’ in India

KMC Hospital has successfully performed a dentofacial deformity procedure correction caused by TMJ Ankylosis via Total temporomandibular joint replacement on a 10-year-old patient.

Philip (name changed) had a previous history of multiple surgeries following diagnosis of ankylosis with various modalities.

For the child, the medical condition had started 10 days postnatal in the form of a parotid abscess and had progressed to the current condition of ankylosis.

The full spectrum of treatment by way of multiple surgeries involved the use of ribs to promote growth in the lower jaw, creating a gap after the removal of bone at the level of joint and interposing muscle to prevent refusion.

In addition to the above maneuvres, the child was also subjected to the principles of bone lengthening using distraction osteogenesis, which stems from the principles of orthopedics by Ilizarov.

source/content: daijiworld.com (edited)

KARNATAKA : ENGINEERING INNOVATION: Hubballi firm Steira Technovation comes up with Mobile Tea Dispensers

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life from a tea seller at Vadnagar railway station in Gujarat to become the Prime Minister who advocates for innovations and start-ups, Steira Technovations, a company from Hubballi, has come up with mobile tea dispensers to help poor tea vendors at railway stations and bus depots. 

The tea vendors and sellers carry the hot tea or coffee in stainless steel containers. Holding the heavy container is tiring, and to reduce the burden, an insulated container with a capacity of 5 litres will be placed in a durable heat-resistant backpack attached to a cup dispenser.

Steira Technovations engineer Ganesh Balikai told TNIE that the company is not pursuing profits but it wants to solve the problems in the society. “We wanted to help the tea vendors who carry heavy containers to sell tea or coffee. The situation is the same in hotels and offices,” he said. Balikai said that the product can be carried easily on the back. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

GLOBAL PARTICIPATION: KARNATAKA RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE : First Time Filmmaker Shruthi Raju’s Short Film ‘What’s Up With Indian Men’ Goes to 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

The 15-minute film, mostly in English, is a lighthearted social satire that looks at different generations of men through a woman’s eyes.

Bengaluru-based Shruthi Raju, a first-time filmmaker, will be among the Indians participating in the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival in southern France. Her short film  What’s Up With Indian Men? will be shown in Cannes Court Metrage online Video Library on May 25 during the festival.

The 15-minute film, mostly in English, is a lighthearted social satire that looks at different generations of men through a woman’s eyes. 

After working on more than 120 original theatre shows across south India under the banner of Underdog Entertainment, which she co-founded, Shruthi recently ventured into films. The short film is adapted from a play she wrote and acted in.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: RESEARCH – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: HEALTH & MEDICAL: Researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have Designed Nanobots to Prevent the Recurrence of Infections after Root Canal

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has designed a nanobot that helps prevent recurrence of infections after a root canal.

The researchers, who also belong to IISc-incubated startup Theranautilus, were able to devise a way to remove all infection-causing bacteria left behind after a root canal procedure. 

The procedure needs to be undertaken when the flesh or ‘pulp’ inside a tooth becomes infected due to bacteria. The procedure involves removing the infected pulp or tissue and cleaning out residual bacteria. The bacteria often hides within microscopic canals in the tooth.

“The dentinal tubules are very small and bacteria reside deep in the tissue. Current techniques are not efficient enough to go all the way inside and kill the bacteria,” said Shanmukh Srinivas, one of the founders of the startup and a research associate at IISc. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: HEALTH & MEDICAL: First Successful Bone Marrow Transplant Performed at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology

The State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology has successfully conducted its first Autologous Stem Cell transplantation on an eight-year-old boy from Tumkuru. 

The patient, Jeevan Kumar, had been diagnosed with Refractory Hodgkins Lymphoma, S4, nine months ago. The transplantation was done on April 28 and the patient was discharged on Monday.

A team of doctors comprising Vasundhara Kailasnath, Linu Jacob, Smitha Saldanha and Gayatri from the Bone Marrow Transplantation unit at the hospital performed the surgery. The unit was inaugurated on February 15 on the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Day.

“We initially collected the healthy stem cells from the patient and cyropreserved (a process in which the cells are stored at minus 80 degree celsius). Subsequently, the patient was given high dose chemotherapy to kill the residual cancer cells and the stored stem cells were transfused back into the patient. This procedure is called Autologous Stem Cell transplantation,” said Dr. Kailasnath.

“The entire process has taken about 20-24 days and the patient has done well through the procedure. Autologous Stem Cell transplantation enables us to give very dose chemotherapy to the patient,” she said.

“We have 12 rooms plus five ICU beds in the transplantation unit. In the next four months, we will be ready to take up allogenic bone marrow transplantation for which about 15 patients are in the waitlist,” Dr. Kailasnath added.

Institute Director C. Ramachandra said the expensive procedure was done free of cost for the patient.  “About 20 patients have been lined up for this procedure and the next patient will be taken up within a week,” he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA RECORDS: BUSINESS & ECONOMY : Karnataka Ranked No. 1 in the Country in Foreign Direct Invesment (FDI) inflows

Minister of Large & Medium Industries, Murugesh Nirani said the state is ranked number 1 in the country in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.

Addressing a press meet at the TMA Pai convention hall, Nirani said, “Various companies are flocking to Karnataka with mega projects. For the past one year, Karnataka has been at the top position in attracting FDIs. Nearly, 42% of FDI into the country is from Karnataka. In the IT-BT sector, Karnataka is in the number one position. Karnataka is the silicon valley of India.”

For the first time in the country, he said Karnataka has introduced a policy for semiconductor companies. Under this, he said we have cleared three projects which would come in three locations. One project is coming up in Mysuru involving an investment of Rs 22,500 crore, he said.

He also said that the government is giving importance to EV vehicles and Ethanol fuel extracted from different raw materials. “In 2020-21, we have produced 12% ethanol in the country. In 2022-23, we would like to touch 20%. The Centre is providing an interest subsidy of up to 6%.

The Union government is supporting in increasing the GDP of the country. It is providing financial assistance for the various sectors for instance Bulk Drug Park. This would come up in three places in the country. Already, we have reserved 3000 hectares of land in Kadechur, Raichur. Almost 80 drug industries are all set to invest in this place. The Union government will release Rs 1000 crore for the project,” he said.

source/content: daijiworld.com (edited)