Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore) – Page 25

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES, AYURVEDA: 2-day National Conference on ‘Ayurveda Dhara’ Inaugurated

A two-day national conference on ‘Ayurveda Dhara’, inaugurated on Friday at The University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU) in Bengaluru, stressed on the need to revitalise traditional health knowledge and its relevance.

The TDU university Vice Chancellor Darshan Kumar said the aim of the conference is to strive for achieving ‘Ayurveda Vision 2047 ‘.

Calling it a complex domain, Kumar said that India can become a leader if there is successful integration of various sciences along with the traditional knowledge of Ayurveda. Prof Ganti Suryanarayana Murthy, National Coordinator, Ministry of Education, called for promoting Indian knowledge system from the primary school level to higher education.

Pramoda Devi, member of the erstwhile Mysore royal family and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush were present.

The conference is jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and TDU.

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: 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 / 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)

KARNATAKA: FOOD & ECONOMY / AGRICULTURE, COFFEE: Coffee Board to Launch 4 Premium Varieties under ‘India Coffee’ Brand on Amazon

As international price volatility challenges prevail, the Coffee Board is strengthening the domestic appeal for pure coffee across the country.

Coffee Board of India, a body that represents coffee growers and coffee industry in the country, has decided to expand its reach by launching four premium coffees under the ‘India Coffee’ brand as well as two affordable coffees under the ‘Coffees of India’ brand on Amazon, said K.G. Jagadeesha, IAS, CEO & Secretary, Coffee Board on Monday.

“Now, we are expanding our reach by launching four premium coffees such as Coorg Arabica Coffee (GI), Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee (GI), 100% Arabica coffee and a blend of Arabica and Robusta under ‘India Coffee’ brand,’‘ he said.

The launch would also include affordable coffees such as 100% Arabica and a blend of Arabica and Robusta under the ‘Coffees of India’ brand, he said.

“Coffee Board’s collaboration with Amazon is expected to boost domestic coffee consumption. Our coffees are sourced from the best coffee estates to suit the taste of millions of coffee connoisseurs across the country,” Dr. Jagadeesha added.

As international price volatility challenges prevail, the Coffee Board was in the process of strengthening the domestic appeal for pure coffee across the country, Coffee Board CEO further stated.

Sourced from Karnataka

Coffee consumption in the country is on the rise. Through this association, a premium range of coffees will be available on Amazon.in, that are sourced from the coffee-producing regions of the country in Karnataka, as per Amazon.

“This is in line with our endeavour to offer flavours of Indian coffee at value offers to our customers,’‘ said Nishant Raman, Director – IN Consumables, Amazon India, in a statement.

The country’s coffee exports stood at a rise of 90% in April-June 2022 over the same period in FY 2013-14. As the seventh largest coffee producer in the world, India exports 70% of its coffee overseas. Acclaimed as a region known for the origin of high-quality coffee, India has created a niche for itself with seven GI-registered coffees that are offered globally, according to Coffee Board.

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)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: TRAVEL, TOURISM: French Hospitality Brand ‘ibis’ of the Accor Group opens its 4th Hotel in Bengaluru near Manyata Tech Park, Hebbal

Accor will have 100 hotel properties in India in the next five years

Global hospitality chain ibis announced its fourth and 21 hotel property in the city and in the country, respectively, near Manyata Tech Park at Hebbal on Wednesday.

The 154-room ibis Bengaluru Hebbal built-in 8-floors will have a fully-electric fireless kitchen, as per the hotel chain.

J.B. Singh, President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and Accor Asia Pacific, said, “This is the fourth ibis hotel in the city. ibis Bengaluru Hebbal has been designed with our ‘New Generation’ theme, which features highly dynamic, colourful and lively public areas coupled with a unique dining experience.’‘

Puneet Dhawan, Senior Vice President, Operations, Accor India & South Asia said, “Bengaluru is known to attract both business and leisure travelers, and this launch will provide them with a comfortable stay with a dynamic atmosphere to suit a globetrotter’s tastes.”

Accor is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties under 40 different brands. It operates in 5,300 locations in over 110 countries.

Mr. Dhawan said the outlook for the hospitality sector in the country looked very positive for the next five to 10 years and Accor would have opened 100 hotels in the country in the next five years, up from 56 at present.

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)