Category: Records, Bengaluru (Bangalore)

KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES : Clinical Psychology Society of India (CPSI) Launched to Boost Mental Healthcare

More investment should come into the crucial clinical psychology segment, said Capt. P Manivannan, secretary to the government, Social Welfare Department.

At the launch of the Clinical Psychology Society of India (CPSI), he said 75 per cent of employees face mental health issues because of an unstable work environment and initiatives like CPSI will help in educating professionals to provide the right care.

NIMHANS Director Dr Pratima Murty said the number of clinical psychologists at 2,900 is meagre in the country. Efforts are required to bring a drastic change in resolving mental health issues. CSPI will help in providing quality healthcare to people and training and education to medical graduates, she said.

CPSI president Dr Jamuna Rajeshwaran said the organisation will establish evidence-based care for psychological disorders. CPSI was formed as a regulating and monitoring body was lacking, she added.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INDIA OVERSEAS: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Opens Office in Kuala Lumpur to Explore Business Operations both in Malaysian and all of Southeast Asia

HAL’s new office in Kuala Lumpur would take up the market promotion of the company’s range of products and services not only in Malaysia but also all of Southeast Asia.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will set up an office in Kuala Lumpur to tap business opportunities in Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asian region, the PSU said in a statement on Thursday.

The new office is expected to help the public sector firm to explore business around Fighter Lead-in Trainer (FLIT) LCA and other requirements of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) like Su-30 MKM and Hawk upgrades, as per HAL.

“It will reinforce the commitment of India in supporting the Malaysian Defence Forces and industry for sustainable aerospace and defence landscape in Malaysia,’‘ said a company communique.

According to HAL, the company had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Malaysia in October 2021 for the supply of 18 FLIT LCAs against a global tender issued by RMAF.

The final winner of the tender is expected to be declared soon by Malaysian authorities and LCA Tejas stands a fair chance of selection in the bid as it meets all the parameters sought by RMAF, as per the release.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: India’s largest lender the State Bank of India (SBI) opens its first National operation dedicated to startups – the First ‘SBI Start-UP Branch’ in Koramangala, Bengaluru

State Bank of India, while integrating the ‘SBI Start-Up Branch’ at Koramangala, said the facility comes under a pact between the Karnataka government and SBI to further boost the state’s startup ecosystem.

India’s largest lender SBI on Tuesday opened its first-ever startup branch in Bengaluru, which will be dedicated to fund and support early-stage entrepreneurs in setting up new companies till their listing on stock exchanges.

Karnataka has been ranked the best state in the country in terms of startup ecosystem and creating new avenues for them to access credit and funding, SBI said in a release.

“It is the first in the country to provide financing to support startup growth, facilitating entrepreneurs all the way to realise their dreams,” Ashwath Narayan C. N., Minister for Higher Education; IT & BT, Science & Technology; Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, government of Karnataka, said on Twitter, the release said.

Exclusively for startups

The exclusive branch for startups will provide services such as loans, deposits, transaction banking, outward and inward remittances, payments, cash management, forex, insurance, custodial services, capital market and legal advisory, structuring, demat and trading.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / ACQUISITION: William Penn, India’s leading Brand for Premium Writing Instruments Acquires ‘Sheaffer’, the 110-year-old Iconic American Manufacturing Company of Writing Instruments,

William Penn, India’s leading brand for premium writing instruments and lifestyle accessories recently acquired Sheaffer, the 110-year-old iconic American manufacturing company of writing instruments, mainly known for their luxury fountain pens.

In 1907, Walter A. Sheaffer invented an ink-loading system for fountain pens and W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated in the US on May 16, 1913 and grew to spread its footprint in over 75 countries. With the Sheaffer ac quisition, William Penn has become a global brand.

Founder and Managing Director of William Penn Nikhil Ranjan, who is a Mysurean, always believed in the power of the written word. After getting a mechanical engineering degree in Mysuru, Nikhil thought out-of-the-box and founded William Penn in Bengaluru in 2002, to introduce the beauty of fine stationery. He launched a line of luxury stationery and soon, his business flourished. Today,  William Penn is also credited with bringingthe fountain pen and ink back from the brink and reclaiming its rightful place in fine writing. B.C. Thimmaiah of Star of Mysore spoke to him about the acquisition and what it means to William Penn. —Excerpts:

Star of Mysore (SOM): What do you have to say about this acquisition?

Nikhil Ranjan: Well, we have been in the business for the last 20 years and until now, we have been the retailer and distributor of global brands. This is an opportunity for us to own a global brand and that’s a big step for us. This allows us to design and market products across the world because Sheaffer is an iconic brand, it is a 110-year-old brand present in 75 countries. We will have a footprint in those countries and it is a huge leap.

We also believe that as a company which is home-grown, out of India and being a global brand, having the opportunity to design and market products to have an impact around the world is what excites us.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: COMMONWEALTH GAMES (CWG2022) : Bengaluru-based Ace Shuttler 21-year-old Lakshya Sen Creates History, Wears the Crown of Champion by Winning Gold in the Badminton Men’s Singles Category

From bronze to silver and now gold, 21-year-old ace shuttler Lakshya Sen has etched his name in history at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with the crown of champion in the Men’s single category.

A gold at the Commonwealth Games debut and beating a world champion with a stunning comeback after losing the first game narrowly, and the exhaustion vanished giving way to exhilaration for Lakshya Sen who has travelled from Birmingham to Hyderabad and finally, Bengaluru. The golden boy of the Men’s single badminton, Sen was given a rousing reception with a live band playing the dhol.

Before heading home, Sen went to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where he was coached by the champion Prakash Padukone, who was the first to win a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, and forme r national champion Vimal Kumar. For a champion, the place where he hones his skills is always sacred, and Sen was extremely grateful to his coaches for his victory by pummelling Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong.

fter that, I will resume training for the world championship,” says the 21-year-old, who hates ice baths which help athletes recover. What does the champ do when he is not following a gruelling training regime or thrashing opponents? Like anyone his age, Sen hangs out with friends.

“Since I stay far away from the city, I have to plan out my day when I catch up with friends. I also love playing on my playstation and watching thrillers,” says Sen, who moved to Bengaluru from Uttarakhand, when he was about nine to fulfil his ‘lakshya’ of becoming a champion shuttler.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA, FREEDOM FIGHTERS: On the Anniversary of ‘Quit India Movement’ & ‘India’s Independence Day’ the Governor Honours Three Freedom Fighters – H.V. Nagabhushan Rao, R. Narayanappa and Shankaranaraya Rao

On the anniversary of the Quit India Movement and the Amrit Mahotsav of India’s Independence, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday visited residences of freedom fighters and felicitated them.

Mr. Gehlot visited the residence of H.V. Nagabhushan Rao at Malleswaram in the city and felicitated him with a shawl, Mysore peta, and a bouquet. “I was jailed twice,” Mr. Nagabhushan, 102, said. “The first time was in 1942. Then, in 1947, when we started the fight against colonial British rule”.

Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan, also the Malleswaram MLA, accompanied Mr. Gehlot.

The Governor also visited 97-year-old freedom fighter R. Narayanappa’s residence at J.P. Nagar. He recalled his teenage days during the freedom struggle. Revenue Minister R. Ashok accompanied the Governor.

In a statement, Mr. Gehlot said no one can appreciate freedom without those who fought for it. “It is our duty to respect and serve all of our freedom fighters and their families for their selfless dedication and sacrifices,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot then visited Shankaranaraya Rao, a 91-year-old freedom fighter residing in Banashankari III Stage. He took part in the Quit India Movement as well as a rally in 1947.

Generally, the State government extends invitations to freedom fighters requesting them to participate in the Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Grounds in Bengaluru.

On the same day, in the evening, the Governor has the tradition of hosting high tea at Raj Bhavan for freedom fighters and other dignitaries of the State.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: FREEDOM FIGHTERS: Bidar’s Shaheen Group of Institutions Launches Online Database of Freedom Fighters

Bidar-based Shaheen Group of Institutions has launched a multi media programme to spread awareness about freedom fighters and their contribution to India’s Independence movement. QR codes used to share text,audio and videos.

The school and colleges in the group will share a database on the lives of 100 freedom fighters that includes photos, videos, audios and documents. The sharing will be done online using social media and websites, and offline by attaching Quick Response codes (QR codes) to the images of freedom fighters that are pasted in prominent places across Karnataka.

“We hope to reach at least one crore people with this programme,” Abdul Quadeer, school society chairman, told journalists on August 8 during an exhibition of photographs and images in the park adjoining Shaheen PUC College in Shahapur in Bidar.

Bidar Deputy Commissioner Govind Reddy and Superintendent of Police Dekka Kishor Babu inaugurated the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open till August 10. Each of the 100 photographs has a QR code at the bottom. Scanning the QR code will lead to the data base of text, audio and video clips related to the image in Kannada, English and Urdu languages.

The exhibition has images of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev, Chandrashekar Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Nana Saheb, Lala Lajpat Rai, Rani Lakshmibai, Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali, Mirza Khasim Ali Khan, Siraj Ud Daula, Haji Shariatullah, Begum Hazrat Mahal and others.

After the exhibition, the images will be kept in public places around Karnataka.

“Our freedom fighters are already well known. We hope that the exhibition and the online data base will kindle the spirit of the independence movement among the youth and students,” said Dr. Quadeer said.

This exhibition is part of the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, which is a celebration 75 years of independence.

The group will promote hoisting of the national flag as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga programme. The group will motivate at least 1,000 students to fly the tricolour in their homes. It aims to distribute 50,000 pocket-size flags and 10,000 hand-held flags among the people.

The activities include essay writing and elocution competitions with a focus on the independence movement.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE, MOVIES : The 12th Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 (BISFF): Short films, big impact

With 250 short films selected from over 90 countries, the ongoing Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 offers two new categories on women-centric movies, and disabilities.

Brevity, experimentation and different varieties of storytelling in the visual medium often grips the audience quicker. Bengalureans are watching some of the best films in the 12th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) which will continue till August 14.

The festival is dedicated to master filmmaker Satyajit Ray to celebrate the Oscar-winning director’s birth centenary, as the poster of Pather Panchali pays homage to his legacy. More than 3,000 submissions poured in for the prestigious festival from across 90 countries, of which around 250 films have been shortlisted. Among the directors, 23 per cent are women.

The platform has been coveted by young and amateur filmmakers to make a mark in the hearts and minds of discerning audiences, and more importantly, mingle with the achievers of the field, to absorb constructive criticism and feedback. BISFF has come a long way in identifying and nurturing young and talented filmmakers. “It’s been a good reception.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES, VACCINE: RT-PCR Detection Kit for Human Monkeypox Virus Developed by NeoDv Biotech Labs Released

Company obtained manufacturing licence from CDSCO and is awaiting clinical validation of kit, which uses gold-standard RT-PCR method.

A human monkeypox virus (MPXV) multiplex RT-PCR detection kit was released by Minister for IT and BT and Science and Technology C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Friday.

Developed by NeoDx Biotech Labs, the MPXV kit is designed for specific detection of the Central African (Congo Basin) and West African Monkeypox virus clades. The kit uses gold-standard Taqman chemistry-based RT-PCR method.

The company has obtained the manufacturing test licence from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and is waiting for clinical validation of the kit, according to a press release.

The kit was released on the occasion of the foundation-laying ceremony for the “Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases” held at the Centre for Human Genetics (CHG) in Bengaluru.

The CHG, under the guidance of the founding Director, Professor H. Sharat Chandra, for the past 20 years, has been providing high quality genetic services to patients with rare diseases from all over Karnataka and other states, the release said.

Meenakshi Bhat, Associate Director at CHG said nearly 35,000 families with genetic disorders have been diagnosed and counselled in the past 15 years. “The genetic laboratories at CHG provide diagnostic testing in around 5,000 patients per year. The majority of these patients are from government hospitals in Karnataka and these services are provided free to BPL and other eligible patient families and at cost to others,” she said.

The Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases is an extension of the present CHG building. This 40,000 sq. ft extension will have three floors in which comprehensive genetic counselling facilities for around 2,500 families with rare disorders will be evaluated annually, she said.

content/source: thehindu.com (headline edited)