Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore) – Page 16

INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM: KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: ‘Gauri’ bags ‘Best Long Documentary Award’ at South Asian Film Festival of Montreal

‘Gauri’ is a documentary based on journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, directed by Kavitha Lankesh.

“Gauri,” a documentary based on journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, directed by Kavitha Lankesh, has won the “Best Long Documentary Award” at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal 2023.

According to a release, the citation of the award reads: “A brave and uncompromising pulse-taking of the current crisis in Indian politics, focusing on the 2017 political assassination of trailblazing Bengaluru journalist Gauri Lankesh. A “J’accuse” docu-thriller directed and narrated with verve by Gauri’s sister, Kavitha Lankesh”.

The documentary “All That Breathes”, which was an Oscar nominee, was also in competition and won the runner-up prize.

The documentary film “Gauri” has been commissioned by Free Press Unlimited, Amsterdam. Free Press Unlimited mission stems from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: ARTS & CULTURE: Deepika Padukone Appears on Cover of TIME Magazine

The influential American magazine described Padukone as a ‘global star’ bringing ‘the world to Bollywood’.

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has been featured on the latest cover of TIME magazine. The iconic American magazine described Padukone as a ‘global star’ bringing ‘the world to Bollywood’. It had previously named Padukone among its list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

On Instagram, Padukone shared pictures and videos from the cover shoot. The Pathaan and Padmaavat actor is seen clad in an oversized light brown suit with no footwear.

Padukone’s international profile has risen over the years. In 2017, she made her Hollywood debut opposite Vin Diesel in XXX: Return of Xander Cage. She unveiled the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy in Qatar and was a jury member at Cannes.

Earlier this year, Padukone was seen presenting at the 95th Academy Awards, where ‘Naatu Naatu’ won Best Original Song.

In the accompanying profile in TIME magazine, Padukone was asked about the frequent political controversies that have marked her career. These include protests against her 2018 period drama film Padmaavat, the reactions to her appearance at a student vigil in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2020, and the backlash against her “saffron” outfit in a song in Pathaan.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel something about it,” Deepika was quoted as saying about the political backlash. “But the truth is, I don’t feel anything about it.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Tech blog winner’s programme to identify plants may prove a game changer in Ayurvedic pharma sector

Dr K V N Rajesh, a certified trainer on the Azure platform and holds a doctorate in deep learning, says that his model has achieved 95 per cent accuracy in identifying images of leaves available on the internet, based on the plant “flavia”.

With Ayurveda making rapid strides in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, the winning entry by Dr K V N Rajesh in the first phase of the ongoing Microsoft Azure Blogathon contest may prove to bring dynamic change rooted in this direction. The programme, written in the Python programming language and using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, is intended to help distinguish between different types of plants.

Rajesh, who is a certified trainer on the Azure platform and holds a doctorate in deep learning, said that there are many species of plants and identifying them based on the leaves is a task that needs to be solved. “Many companies making Ayurvedic products use leaves in their products, and identifying the exact species is a crucial problem,” he says. He also explains that the same concept can be applied in the agricultural field, specifically with regard to dealing with plant diseases and pests.

“Plant leaves have attributes such as colour, shape, texture etc. based on which you can identify them. I developed an architecture based on a deep learning model, a subset of artificial intelligence which will automatically grasp these attributes. The model which is generated is trained with images of leaves. When the model training is complete, it is validated based on the data set of the leaves,” he points out.

The second phase of testing involves testing the accuracy of the model. According to Rajesh, his model has achieved 95 per cent accuracy in identifying images of leaves available on the internet, based on the plant “flavia”.

“Thirty per cent of the images were used to train the model, and the rest were used to test it,” he says. He intends to take the programme further by incorporating it into a mobile application.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: CORONATION INVITATION: Bengaluru’s Dr. Issac Mathai Invited by Buckingham Palace to attend King Charles III Coronation

Dr. Issac Mathai, a city doctor and the Chairman of SOUKYA, International Holistic Centre, has been invited by Buckingham Palace, London, to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla on May 6.

Dr. Mathai, already in London, said he would attend the pre-coronation party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Dr. Mathai’s association with the British royal family goes back many years. While Camilla had visited SOUKYA around eight times for holistic treatment, Charles visited once in 2019.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Mathai said, “For 18 years, both the King and Queen Consort have been consulting me as a holistic consultant. The Queen Consort has visited SOUKYA eight times, and the King came once. They really enjoyed being in India at our centre for treatment.”

“Being a part of the coronation is the proudest moment of my life. I regularly meet the King and the Queen Consort in London. Other than medical consultation, the King has some interest in holistic medicine. The King and I also have a common interest in organic farming and climate change,” he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL RECORDS: Bengaluru Cartoonist Panduranga Rao’s ‘Hand Made Flip Books’ In India Book And World Records

The creation of ‘Hand Made Flip Books’ by noted Bengaluru-based cartoonist B.V. Panduranga Rao has earned the honour of getting entry into India Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, Unique World Records and World Records India as Maximum Hand Made Flip Books.

Fifty unique Flip Books created in different sizes included the smallest size Flip Book 0.3 cm X 1.2 cm and are with the theme on sports and games, environment degradation, water, COVID-19 and on other educative 3D subjects. The 3D animated sketches are drawn in each page, coloured in pencil and video recorded of playing Flip Book also added with music.

When these pages of Flip Books are flipped rapidly, one can see the movement of the images just like a movie of playing Foot Ball, Cricket, Tennis, Javelin throw, Swimming, Tree Cutting, Vehicle Pollution, taking care against COVID, etc.

The 79-year-old cartoonist Rao’s various creations and achievements have already entered 14 times in Limca Book of Records, 12 times in India Book of Records, 5 times in Unique World Records, 3 times in World Record India, Universal Record Forum, URF Asia Record, Elite World Record, Asia Grand Master Certificate and URF legend award. He is a recipient of numerous National and international awards and honours.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & KARNATAKA:SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / RESEARCH: Bengaluru and Dresden Researchers Discover Novel Molecular System

Researchers have discovered a novel molecular system that uses alternative chemical energy and employs a novel mechanism to perform mechanical work.

Researchers from Bengaluru and Dresden have discovered a unique two-component molecular motor that uses a kind of renewable chemical energy to pull vesicles toward membrane-bound organelles.

Researchers have discovered a novel molecular system that uses alternative chemical energy and employs a novel mechanism to perform mechanical work.

The researchers, whose work has been published in the journal Nature Physics, are from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life and the Biotechnology Center of the Technische Universität Dresden in Dresden, Germany.

Motor proteins are remarkable molecular machines within a cell that converts chemical energy stored in a molecule called ATP, into mechanical work. The most prominent example is myosin which helps our muscles to move.

In contrast, GTPases, which are small proteins, have not been viewed as molecular force generators. One example is a molecular motor composed of two proteins, EEA1 and Rab5, said NCBS.

“Our results show that the proteins EEA1 and Rab5 work together as a two-component molecular motor system that can transfer chemical energy into mechanical work. As a result, they can play active mechanical roles in membrane trafficking. It is possible that the force-generating molecular motor mechanism maybe conserved across other molecules and used by several other cellular compartments,” said Marino Zerial of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics.

Overall, the researchers hope that this new interdisciplinary study could open new research avenues in both molecular cell biology and biophysics.

Researchers from Bengaluru and Dresden have discovered a unique two-component molecular motor that uses a kind of renewable chemical energy to pull vesicles toward membrane-bound organelles.
Motor proteins are remarkable molecular machines within a cell that converts chemical energy stored in a molecule called ATP, into mechanical work. The most prominent example is myosin which helps our muscles to move.
In contrast, GTPases, which are small proteins, have not been viewed as molecular force generators. One example is a molecular motor composed of two proteins, EEA1 and Rab5, said NCBS.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: AEROSPACE & AVIATION: Boeing announces Winners of ‘8th Annual Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition’

This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India.

Boeing announced the winners of the 8th annual Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition in India, on May 3.

This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India, and saw a two-fold increase in participation across zonal and national rounds. 39 finalists from 12 teams were selected for the finale, held at R.V. College of Engineering in Bengaluru.

Arshad Khan from Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal was declared winner of the competition.

Sharanya Acharya Nishmithe, Aman Kumar Srivastav and Gagan G. Nayak from Nitte Mahalinga Adyanthaya Memorial Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, Karnataka bagged the second spot

Divyamshu, Rathan Raj K. Nancy and Anantha Krishna, also from NMAMIT-Nitte, took the third spot.

The zonal rounds of the competition were held at IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Madras. The top three teams from each zone then travelled to Bengaluru for the finale.

The competition started as an annual event in 2013 to provide a nationwide platform for students who have a keen interest in aerospace engineering and related fields. The competition allows them to demonstrate their skills and creativity in designing, building, and flying fixed-wing aircraft models of different types and sizes.

Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India, said, “This national aeromodelling competition provides an excellent platform for young aviation and technology enthusiasts to present their creativity, and engineering and design skills. It is a testament to our commitment to encourage engineering talent to pursue careers in aerospace and defence in India.”

Ahmed Elsherbini, managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India, said, “Aeromodelling competition plays a crucial role in the aerospace sector. It brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. With the aerospace industry constantly evolving, student innovation can be a driving force in the development of new technologies and sustainable solutions.”

Over the years, Boeing has strategically invested in developing talent for the aerospace sector in India.

Its programs, including Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) Program, the Boeing HorizonX India Innovation Challenge, and the Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) Apprenticeship program, have all helped empower entrepreneurs and contributed to building a skilled frontline workforce for India.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: TRANSPORT / GREEN: Zypp Electric Deploys 2,000 Electric Scooters in Bengaluru, aims to deploy 8,000 more in next 2 months

EV startup Zypp Electric has announced the deployment of 2,000 electric scooters in Bengaluru. It has also onboarded 2000 delivery executives to facilitate efficient last-mile delivery, and boost employment opportunities in the gig economy. Zypp aims to integrate 5000+ more riders with its service in the coming 2 months, and add 8,000 additional electric scooters to its fleet in the city. Zypp further plans to install 100+ Gorogro battery swapping stations at its Bengaluru hubs in the next 12-18 months.

Zypp presently manages deliveries and ride-sharing services for many quick ecommerce service providers like Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart, Dunzo, and Blinkit.

Speaking about the deployment, Rashi Agarwal, CBO and Co-founder, Zypp Electric, said, “We are thrilled to announce our latest endeavour – the deployment of 2,000 electric scooters in Bengaluru. Our aim is to provide companies with affordable and sustainable last mile logistics solutions. Following our successful operations in Delhi NCR, we see a strategic opportunity to expand our services in this city. By increasing our electric fleet, Zypp Electric is taking a step forward in making green logistics accessible to businesses. This initiative will not only benefit our partners in reducing costs but also create more job opportunities in the gig economy. We are confident that our electric scooters will become a vital component of the logistics infrastructure in Bengaluru and are committed to serving the city’s businesses.”

As part of its larger plan to extend services to 30 cities in India and expand its fleet size to 2 lakh e-scooters by 2025, Zypp Electric has announced the deployment of these electric scooters. Recently, Zypp Electric has also raised $25Mn in Series B led by Gogoro and a few other new and existing investors. The funding round consisted of both equity and debt funding, with a $20Mn equity round and $5Mn debt allocated for fleet expansion from global impact fund IIX, in addition to a prominent national bank. This also marked the first instance of global impact funds and Indian banks participating in EV Debt for any startup or fleet operator in the country.

Zypp Electric claims to have completed 15 million deliveries, saving 33Mn KG Co2. According to Zypp, it has 10,000 gig workers.

source/content: economictimes.indiatimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: 02 Bengaluru Institutes among 4 Spearheading National Quantum Mission (NQM)

Research will be carried out by thematic hubs, which are consortiums of research institutions. Each such hub will tackle one among the verticals of quantum research — quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing and quantum materials.

A week after the Union cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at Rs 6,003 crore, several leading experts in the field met at the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru this week to break down the course the NQM intends to take.

According to a statement, these hubs will “undertake translational research, incubate and support startups, network with industries and international collaborators alongside running outreach programmes.”

Institutes are also likely to drive the functioning of these hubs based on their expertise. For instance, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumabi is one of the leading institutes in quantum computing, the Raman Research Institute’s Department of Science and Technology in quantum communications, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, in quantum sensing, and Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Quantum Material Research.

The Raman Research Institute itself has made breakthroughs recently. After prior success in quantum key distribution (QKD) between stationary transmitters, the feat was replicated with a moving transmitter this year.

Dr Urbasi Sinha of the Raman Research Institute said, “We have been actively working on quantum communications for several years. The goal is to connect the whole country using QKD and satellite-based communication. The NQM will take quantum research and technology to the next level.”

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RECORD – SPORTS / CRICKET: KL Rahul Completes 7000 T20 Runs, Breaks Virat Kohli’s Long-Standing Record To Achieve Massive Feat

KL Rahul is the third-fastest overall, in terms of innings taken, to reach the 7000-run landmark in T20 cricket.

K L Rahul became the 41st male cricketer to have scored 7000 runs in T20 cricket during match number 31 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday.

KL Rahul became the fastest Indian to reach the landmark, beating Virat Kohli.

INNINGS TAKEN TO REACH 7000 T20 RUNS

KL RAHUL	197
Virat Kohli	212
Shikhar Dhawan	246
Suresh Raina	251
Rohit Sharma	258

Overall, KL Rahul is the third-fastest in terms of innings taken to reach the 7000-run landmark in T20s.

source/content: news18.com (headline edited)