Category: Education

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / LEADERS: Dr M Srinivas from Yadgir Appointed Director of Prestigious All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)

Dr M Srinivas, appointed director to the prestigious All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Friday, is from under-developed Yadgir district.

His elevation proves that those who have studied in government schools and that too in Kannada medium can also reach highest levels in academics and any other field they choose.

The Department of Personnel and Training of the Union government stated in the order that Dr Srinivas will serve as director for five years or till attaining the age of 65.

He assumed charge on Saturday, his brother Dr Nagaraj told The New Sunday Express. Dr Srinivas is the first person from the Kalyana-Karnataka region to become the director of AIIMS.

Son of Ashappa, he was born on August 11, 1966. He studied at the Government Model Primary School at Station Bazar locality and later as a Kannada medium student at the Government New Kannada Proudha Shaale in Yadgir. He completed his PU from the Government PU College in Yadgir. A brilliant student all along, he got a seat at the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences where he completed his MBBS. Later, he pursued his MS in Davanagere and then MCh at AIIMS.

Dr Nagaraj said his elder brother was a gold medallist in MBBS and MS courses. “Our father was a government servant and retired as a tahsildar. He was an admirer of government schools and especially of Kannada language. That is why he admitted Srinivas to a government school. Srinivas was hardworking and always dreamt of achieving something big,” he added.

Students and staff of New Kannada Proudha Shale congratulated Dr Srinivas by assembling on the school premises and holding up his posters. VIMS is planning a felicitation function soon, sources said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ARTS & CRAFTS, FILMS: ‘Chalshiksha’, India’s First Education Film Festival, Bengaluru – September 24-26

The festival will see independent filmmakers telling stories of innovative education practices as well as educators using cinema as a medium to teach.

Come weekend, Bengaluru will witness Chalshiksha, a first-of-its-kind three-day residential film festival that will celebrate education in all its forms through the medium of films.

More than 35 independent films and documentaries will be screened at the festival organised by SchoolScape Centre for Educators and Project Nomad in association with Abheek Lifeversity. It will be held from September 23 to 25.

With the Union government’s new education policy soon to be implemented, teacher-educators believe it is time for education to be reviewed. Chalshiksha is attempting to do that through films, as the visual medium offers a fresh avenue for a relook at education and schooling.

Amukta Mahapatra, Director of SchoolScape, was part of an innovative programme some years ago called “Neel Bagh”, run by educationist David Horsburgh. “When Neel Bagh completed 50 years, Sourav Dutta, who runs Project Nomad, documented it but failed to find good avenues to showcase his work. When he approached me, I suggested that we screen it as part of this film festival,” she says. Dutta’s film David and his Neel Bagh will be screened on the first day of the festival.

Coming together of films and education

Chalshiksha will see independent filmmakers telling stories of innovative education practices as well as educators using cinema as a medium to document the field. The line-up includes both fiction and documentary films, on topics such as child labour, autism and educational initiatives.

While films on education are not given due importance in India, Mahapatra says given the didactic nature of many films, educators are also unsure how to use them effectively.

According to organisers, the event will seek to explore how filmmaking and education can go hand in hand and encourage filmmakers to make films around education, especially in India.

Mahapatra says they have been overwhelmed by the number of films received for the very first edition. “There are enough films being made on this field and we have more than what we can screen for this edition. So, we are making a repository that will be made available to the public soon.”

Open to public

To make the event truly democratic and inter-generational, the organisers have thrown it open to the public. Children, parents, teachers, school heads, filmmakers as well as educationists are expected to come together, blurring the lines of hierarchy.

The event will be attended by well-known names from the worlds of education and filmmaking, including Arvind Gupta, Deepa Dhanraj and Vijay Padaki.

Apart from film screenings, Chalshiksha will also feature plays, talks and open discussions. To make it an interactive experience for young ones, activities like yoga, bird watching, storytelling workshops, theatre games have been organised.

The residential event is being held at the Ecumenical Christian Centre in Whitefield and will have facilities to host participants who wish to stay onsite for the festival. Spot registrations are available too.

For more details about the event and to register, visit http://chalshiksha.schoolscape.org.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

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: KARNATAKA: 25th Annual National Homoeopathic Conference ‘Impetus 2022’ inaugurated on September 16th at Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College (FMHMC), Mangaluru

The inaugural programme of the 25th Annual national homoeopathic conference ‘IMPETUS 2022 – Kindle The Process To Success’ of Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College (FMHMC) was held on September 16 at the Father Muller Auditorium, Deralakatte.

The chief guest of the programme was Prof Dr Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, MS (ENT), FRCS (England), vice chancellor NITTE (Deemed to be University) and the president of the function was Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, the director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions.

The chief guest of the programme, Prof Dr Satheesh Kumar Bhandary gave his inaugural address in which he highlighted the immense contribution of Father Muller Institution to the field of health and Education. He expressed his wishes and hopes in forming collaborative joint ventures in the field of Scientific Research and Education in the form of Memorandum of Understanding. The chief guest, then proceeded with the release of the souvenir and was accompanied by the other dignitaries on the stage. Dr Raisa Cherian the Chairperson of the Souvenir Committee joined the release of the Souvenir Magazine.

Father Muller Homoeopathic Pharmaceutical division is famous all over the world for its quality products and medicines and is always in the process of modernizing, renovating and creating better products. Fr Roshan Crasta, administrator, FMHMC&H and FMHPD, launched a series of new products, along with the director Fr Richard A Coelho. In his message on the occasion, the administrator explained about the new products and also conveyed his wishes for the day.

Research and innovations are the life blood of any educational institution and the research unit of FMHMC have brought out a research bulletin, aggregating and spotlighting the achievements of the staff and students in this arena. The first introductory volume of the research bulletin was released by the director, Fr Richard A Coelho. The Research and Scientific Committee coordinator Dr Kurian P J also joined the dignitaries for the release.

source/content: daijiworld.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 / BOOKS : 8th edition of ‘Bangalore Business Literature Festival’ 2022 from September 13 to 17

One attraction this year is startup literature and a full day session has been dedicated to it in hybrid mode at Bangalore International Centre.

The Adani juggernaut, less-known mega corporate scandals, meltdown of big brands, such as Café Coffee Day, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, future of money, data half-truths, start-up literature: these are just a few topics the Bangalore Business Literature Festival will feature in its eighth edition, which will be held from September 13 to 17.

Another attraction this year is startup literature and a full day has been dedicated to it in hybrid mode at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC).

A release said Indian and international authors and business leaders will engage in fireside chats that are sure to excite and entertain entrepreneurs, executives, and students, while professionals and entrepreneurs can expect insights that will help them wade through rough times.

“The festival will capture the spirit of resilience and how this will help businesses, entrepreneurs and executives lift themselves up and consolidate from setbacks from the pandemic, economic slowdown, and plan for a better future,” added the release.

The 2022 winner of the BBLF C.K. Prahalad Best Business Book Award will be announced on September 17. The award carries a cash prize of ₹1 lakh. The jury includes Rishikesha Krishnan, Director, IIMB, Jessie Paul, thought leader marketing, and Malavika Harita, branding guru.

For details, visit www.bizlitfest.com.

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: EDUCATION: AMAZING ACTION: Teacher Umesh T.P. this year’s National-Awardee 2022 Built his School brick-by-brick the GLPS, Amruthapura,Chitradurga

This government lower primary school (GLPS) teacher, recipient of this year’s national award from the Union Ministry of Education, did not wait for the government to help him improve the school, but went the extra mile to do it with the help of locals and donor NGOs.

Over the last 12 years, Umesh T.P., teacher at GLPS at Amruthapura, Chitradurga, has built the school infrastructure slowly and steadily.

Mr. Umesh got transferred to Amruthapura, a village 35 km away from the district headquarters, in 2010. Most residents here belong to the backward Golla community. To this day, the village has no bus service and though there is a railway station here, hardly any trains stop here.

Mr. Umesh says the school was in a poor state when he arrived here, but it has slowly developed infrastructure, including a building, toilets, drinking water, school compound, and others, with the supports of various NGOs and other organisations.

Amidst pandemic

During the pandemic, he stayed back in school and taught classes in shifts whenever he could. He executed initiatives like Vidyagama, Jagali school and Gudi school, besides online classes for the students. He has also written six books and got the State’s Uttam Teacher Award in 2021.

“There is no point in just cribbing about a lack of infrastructure in the school. Twelve years ago, I was teaching students in tin sheds. Then, with the help of various NGOs, we constructed the building and then provided all the basic infrastructure. Today not only is our infrastructure good, our students are confident. They are giving programmes on All-India Radio.”

Social reform

Apart from teaching, Mr. Umesh has put in efforts to eradicate the system of segregation of women outside the village during menstruation in Golla community. “I created awareness in the community and finally the system is eradicated,” he claims.

Mr. Umesh will be presented the national award by the President on September 5 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

COVID-19: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES / HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore Researchers Develop Covid Doppelganger

When the pandemic hit, IISc professor Soma Das and his team began working on a VLP for SARS-CoV-2.

 The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed and tested a novel virus-like particle (VLP) – a non-infectious nanoscale molecule that resembles and behaves like the virus but does not contain its native genetic material – in a study published in Microbiology Spectrum.

When the pandemic hit, IISc professor Soma Das and his team began working on a VLP for SARS-CoV-2. They artificially synthesised a VLP with all four structural proteins – spike, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid. “The main challenge was to express all four structural proteins together,” said Harsha Raheja, PhD student at MCB.

Such VLPs have several uses and can also potentially be developed into a vaccine candidate that can trigger an immune response in our bodies, Das said, adding that they can also be used to reduce the time taken to screen drugs that can fight the virus. When the team injected a high dose of VLPs into mice in the lab, it did not affect the liver, lung, or kidney tissues.

Testing immune response
To test its immune response, they gave one primary shot and two booster shots to mice models with a gap of 15 days, after which they found a large number of antibodies generated in the blood serum of the mice. These antibodies were also capable of neutralising the live virus, the team found. “This means that they are protecting the animals,” explained Raheja.

The researchers have applied for a patent for their VLP and hope to develop it into a vaccine candidate. They also plan to study the effect of the VLP on other animal models (using the expertise of SG Ramachandra, one of the inventors), and eventually humans. Raheja said they have also developed VLPs that might be able to offer protection against the more recent variants, like Omicron and other sub-lineages.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION: Mysuru’s Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) Students Develop an ‘Automated Stick for the Visually Challenged’

Four students from Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE), Mysuru, have developed an automated stick as a supportive device for the visually challenged.

Constant worry about potholes and obstacles affects the confidence of the visually impaired when they step out of their home. The stick helps them traverse safely, identifying potholes and hurdles while moving in crowded places, according to the students.

The stick developed by the students uses ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection and pothole detection for ensuring timely alerts to the visually challenged person.

Smrithi Baliga, a third-year Electronics and Communications Engineering student at VVCE, was worried seeing visually-challenged persons facing difficulties while crossing roads.

Teaming up with enthusiastic classmates Sapna H.M., Shreyas N., and Yogesh Gowda V., Ms. Smrithi came up with the idea of developing the stick. The Internet of Things (IoT)-based stick with an obstacle and pothole detection system using ultrasonic sensors was developed with guidance from Chandrashekar M. Patil, professor and Head, Department of ECE, and Girijamba D.L., assistant professor.

B. Sadashivegowda, principal, VVCE, said: “We are proud of our students for taking up the project. In recent times, technology has helped improve healthcare across the world. Through this project, our students have proven how technology could be used to fight visual impairment. The automated stick helps visually-impaired individuals move freely with confidence.”

The students have proposed to bring in some improvements to their product. Voice output via Bluetooth; upgrade of pothole detection from ultrasonic sensors to image-processing technique; LDR to sense lighting conditions; RF remote to locate the stick itself are among the additions, a note from the college said.

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)