Category: Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore)

KARNATAKA: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) picks 5 Alumni: Dr.Bharat K Bhargava, Dr.Krishnan Nandabalan, Prof. Narasimha Murty, Col.(retd) HS Shankar & Dr Krishna M Vadrevu, all Scientists and Engineers for Distinguished Awards 2022

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, announced distinguished alumni awards felicitating five IISc scientists and engineers for their contributions to the society and the institution.


Prof Bharat Kumar Bhargava, professor of Computer Science at Purdue University, USA, Dr Krishnan Nandabalan, president and CEO of InveniAI LLC, IISc prof M Narasimha Murty, Col (retd) HS Shankar, Chairman and MD, Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, Dr Krishna Mohan Vadrevu, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech International Ltd, IISc prof M Narasimha Murty, will be felicitated
 in December 2022.

Prof Bhargava has developed a system to assist visually-challenged people in navigating their environment and social interactions, using mobile phones and cloud computing. Dr Vadrevu contributed to the development of a typhoid conjugate vaccine, a novel low-dose rotavirus vaccine, and Covaxin.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: POSTS & TELEGRAPHS / ARTS & CULTURE: A Time to Share Love and Letters ‘Postal Week’ – October 09th – 16th

The Karnataka Postal department is set to celebrate Postal Week starting next week by bringing orphaned, underprivileged children and senior citizens together to spend time on October 14.

Speaking to TNIE, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka, S Rajendra Kumar said, “It will give everyone an opportunity to bond with each other in the traditional role of grandparents and grandchildren. We are in talks with NGOs to facilitate this by identifying the right people.”

Some retired postal employees will also take up the role of grandparents. “The seniors will be goaded to write letters to the children they are introduced to on the day. We expect a total of 100 participants. A senior and a junior will form a pair, who will also take part in a quiz event,” he added. The day-long event will take place at the GPO.

The Postal Week is an annual event held from October 9 to October 16.

Walking 7km every day
Kumar has been walking 7 km every day since October 2 to follow Centre’s Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative observed from October 2 to October 31. “I have been walking 3.5 km from my residence at Museum Road to the CPMG office on Palace Road and back. I hope it also inspires staff in the Postal Department if they stay near the office,” he told TNIE. “I am enjoying it. I walk via Cubbon Park, and taking new routes to my workplace,” he said of his experience.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL RECORDS: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: Aasra Hospital claims ‘World’s First Robotic Total Hip Replacement Surgery’ for a Polio-Patient who is now back on his feet

Aasra hospital claimed that it conducted the world’s first robotic total hip replacement surgery for a polio patient with a history of an unsuccessful girdle stone arthroplasty. A team of doctors conducted the surgery enabling the polio patient to walk after two years of being confined to a wheelchair.

The 48-year-old patient suffered from a fracture a few years ago and underwent a girdle stone arthroplasty at an orthopaedic hospital but was unable to move or walk after the surgery. A robotic total hip replacement surgery was done and a specially modified implant was placed in the hip joint. The surgery was conducted using MAKO Smart Robotics platform – one of the most advanced robotic surgery equipment available. With this precision surgery, a patient will be able to walk within a day post the procedure and return to normal life within 4-6 weeks.

Dr Jagadish Hiremath, Chairman, AASRA Hospitals, said, “There has been no documented evidence in any medical literature across the world of a total robotic hip replacement surgery conducted in such a complicated case. With conventional surgery, surgeons work based on the gut feeling and skills. With robotic surgery, everything can be planned in detail and hence perfect alignment of the implant can be achieved.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: Jayadeva Satellite Centre at the State-run K.C. General Hospital is functional

Angiograms, angioplasties and stenting procedures apart from master cardiac evaluation can be done at the satellite centre.

Cardiac emergencies requiring the golden hour treatment in Central Bengaluru can now avail timely treatment at the State-run K.C. General Hospital. A 50-bed satellite centre of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICSR), which was inaugurated on Thursday, will start functioning from Friday.

The compact cardiac centre, set up on an equip, operate, and manage (EOM) model, has 20 ICU beds and 30 general wards. Facilities such as ECHO, treadmill, ECG and a cath lab are also available.

SJICSR Director C.N. Manjunath said angiograms, angioplasties, and stenting procedures apart from master cardiac evaluation can be done at the centre.

Work on setting up the centre that was announced during former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s tenure was delayed owing to COVID-19. The project was fast-tracked and completed within a year at a cost of ₹15 crore. While ₹8.7 crore has been given by the government, the remaining is through Jayadeva’s internal resources, he said.

“The required equipment and manpower (three cardiologists and supporting staff) has also been provided by Jayadeva. However, any cardiac emergencies that come after 5 p.m. will be shifted to the main Jayadeva institute as we cannot maintain two parallel emergency teams,” Dr. Manjunath explained.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who inaugurated the Jayadeva satellite centre and a 50-bed paediatric ICU that will be run by the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health on Thursday, said six regional command centres that will provide 24/7 support through telemedicine specialists to community health centres (CHCs) will be set up soon.

AB-ArK should cover high cost procedures

C.N. Manjunath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, suggested that the government should also include complex procedures costing above ₹2 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) health scheme.

“Although the total coverage is up to ₹5 lakh per family, many complex life-saving procedures or implants that cost above ₹2 lakh are not covered. This makes it inevitable for BPL patients to pay out of their pockets for such procedures,” he asserted.

Yeshaswini to be re-launched on November 1

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the Yeshaswini health insurance scheme for farmers will be re-launched on November 1. It was earlier proposed to be re-launched on October 2.

Initially launched in 2003, Yeshaswini was one of the largest self-funded healthcare schemes.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Bangalore Metro Rail Corp Ltd (BMRCL), Bharat Electronics Ltd Bag 2nd Infra Awards

Director of business development and corporate communications, Urban Infra Communications Vinod Shah said that this is the second edition of the awards, and the first was held in 2020.

Karnataka agencies, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), have bagged awards in the second edition of Urban Infra awards in five categories, organised by a Urban Infra Communications, a specialised Infra PR company.

The Most Innovative Urban Mobility Leader award, under the industrial category, was bagged by V Manjula, commissioner of Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT).

Under the corporate category, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) won the Best Public Transport of Silicon Valley award and Bharat Electronics Limited won the Excellence in Indigenous Innovation for Rail and Metro Systems award.

Under the transit and mobility category- the most preferred transit system award was bagged by Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit Systems Limited.

DULT also bagged an award of the most admired city planning body for urban development under the City Infrastructure category.

Director of business development and corporate communications, Urban Infra Communications Vinod Shah said that this is the second edition of the awards, and the first was held in 2020.

He added that a five member jury chooses the winners, based on work done in the past and projects planned ahead. Manjula (DULT) told TNIE that the award will boost the morale of young staffers in organisation to strive and improve mobility in the state.

source/comment: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: EDUCATION: Swarnalatha Attavara Wins ‘Best Administrator Award’ from Bengaluru Block Education Department (BEO)

Swarnalatha Attavar, hailing from Mangaluru, recently won the Best Administrator Award from the Block Education Department (BEO) here. She was honoured at an event organized by the Block Education Department, Bengaluru north region to commemorate the taluk level Teacher’s Day 2022.

Swarnalatha Attavara is currently working as branch operational manager at Orchids – The International School, Jalahalli branch.

The programme was organized by the joint association of Dr C N Ashwath Narayan Foundation, School Education and Literacy Department, Bengaluru north zone, and Primary and High School Teachers Union.

D V Sadananda Gowda, former chief minister, and Bengaluru north region MP was the chief guest at the event. He addressed the gathering and appreciated the efforts of award winners for their contribution to the field of education.

Swarnalatha was honoured by Uma, block education officer of Bengaluru north zone at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru.

Bengaluru north MP D V Sadananda Gowda, IT minister Ashwath Narayan and legislative council member Puttana were the dignitaries present at the event.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: President Murmu presents ‘Rajat Kamal Award’ for the Documentary Film ‘Naadada Navaneeta Pandit Dr Venkatesh Kumar’ Directed by Girish Kasaravalli

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Rajat Kamal Award for the documentary film ‘Naadada Navaneeta Pandit Dr. Venatesh Kumar’, produced by the Department of Information and Public Relations and directed by Girish Kasaravalli, at a function held at Vignan Bhavan, on Friday evening.

The Karnataka Department of Information and Public Relations Joint Director D.P. Muralidhar received the award on behalf of the department as producer, and Mr. Kasavalli as director, said a press release.

The film has been adjudged the best art and culture film in the non-feature film category at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020. The award consists of a cash component of ₹50,000 each for the producer and the director.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE, FOOD: COFFEE : October 01st – International Coffee Day to be Celebrated at Belur

Karnataka Growers Federation, an umbrella organisation of coffee growers in the Malnad region, will celebrate International Coffee Day at Belur on October 1.  This time the event will be part of the Sharannavarathri Dasara programme being held at Belur since September 26.

In a press release on Thursday, KGF president H.T. Mohan Kumar and general secretary K.B. Krishnappa said the KGF and other coffee planters associations will jointly hold the programme at Government Junior College grounds in the town at 10 a.m. Excise Minister K. Gopalaiah, who is also Minister in charge of Hassan district, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi and others will take part in the programme.

India has a prominent place among coffee-growing countries.

Every year, coffee production contributes ₹8,000 crore of foreign exchange to the government. The KGF will take up a programme to promote coffee consumption in the country, the press release said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) Tops the list of 93 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institutes in National ranking

Plant varieties and technologies developed by Institute located in Hessarghatta is contributing about ₹13,000 crore a year to country’s exchequer

Bengaluru has got one more feather in its cap with the Hesaraghatta-based Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) being ranked top among institutions run by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The IIHR has topped the combined list of ranking for 2019-20 and 2020-21 that was released by the IIHR on Wednesday.

In all, 93 various institutes run by the ICAR in different parts of the country were considered for ranking.

The ranking is done on various parameters including the institute profile, performance, recognition and awards received by its faculty, research output and outcome, impact of research taken up by the institute, and vision and future readiness of the institute.

While each of these parameters were allotted certain marks, the institutes were judged for a maximum of 100 marks.

Vast research

IIHR conducts research on 54 major horticultural crops and has released 330 hybrids and other varieties in these crops ever since its inception in 1967.

The institute has also released 157 technologies that have played a major role in boosting horticultural productivity in the country. The estimated impact of eight of these selected hybrids/varieties and technologies to the national exchequer is around ₹13,000 crore annually.

The institute is also focusing on the promotion of entrepreneurship through horticultural technologies and at present there are three technology business incubators in operation at the institute to hand hold and promote horticultural entrepreneurship.

Seed portal

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the IIHR recently launched an online portal for the sales of the seeds of the varieties released by it.

Institute Director Debi Sharma said the recognition for ICHR had increased the responsibility of the institute. IIHR was keen on pursuing its cutting edge research in new areas, she said.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources and the National lnstitute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease lnformatics, which too are ICAR institutes located in Bengaluru, have got the 23rd and the 50th rank respectively.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / AEROSPACE : Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) integrated Cryogenic Rocket Engine Facility to be Inaugurated by President Murmu in Bengaluru

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL’s) state-of-the-art Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility (ICMF) in Bengaluru on Tuesday which will boost self-reliance in manufacturing of High-thrust Rocket engines.

As per the HAL the facility will cater to the entire Rocket Engine Manufacturing under one roof for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). HAL in its statement said, “The Aerospace Division entering into manufacture of Cryogenic Engines is a major step in technology up-gradation cum modernization. Indigenous cryogenic technology is important as it will assist India to further develop its rocket programme for launching heavy satellites.

The facility is set up over an area of 4500 sq mts housing over 70 hi-tech equipment and testing facilities for manufacturing Cryogenic (CE20) and Semi-cryogenic (SE2000) Engines of Indian Space Launch Vehicles. The commissioning of all the critical equipment for the manufacturing and assembly requirement is completed. The pre-production activities which involve preparation of the process plans, drawings, quality plan etc. has also commenced. HAL will start realising the modules by March 2023.

HAL said, “HAL Aerospace Division manufactures liquid propellant tanks and launch vehicle structures of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MK-II, GSLV Mk-III and also stage integration for GSLV Mk-II.”

In 2013, an MOU was signed with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) for establishing the facility for manufacturing of Cryogenic Engine modules at HAL, Aerospace Division. The MOU for the Cryogenic Engine facility was subsequently amended in the year 2016 for setting up of Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility (ICMF) with an investment of R208 crores.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)