KARNATAKA: SPORTS / CRICKET: Bengaluru teen 19-yr-old Prakhar Chaturvedi smashes Record with 404* in Cooch Behar Trophy final

Having recently come to the fore, Prakhar Chaturvedi, the 19-yr-old B’luru cricketer who broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final, on the historic knock, and his next course of action.

 Earlier last month, the finale of the Cooch Behar Trophy saw Karnataka lift a historic maiden title after defeating Mumbai with a mammoth first-innings lead. And equally historic was the unbeaten innings by a teenager from Bengaluru – 404 runs off 638 balls – which not only helped Karnataka sail through to the title but also broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final.

“Honestly, it’s still sinking in! Throughout the innings, I was just trying to stay focused on each ball, build partnerships, and contribute to the team’s victory. During lunchtime when I was playing at 299, my friends told me that the old record was 358. So it was in the back of my mind after I crossed 300, but my main goal was to play my best and help us win,” says Prakhar Chaturvedi, who, a few years earlier, was not picked for the Karnataka U19 zonal tournament.

“I was determined to play for Karnataka, so the only way was to score as many runs as possible in the U19 league and zonal.

So, I worked hard for the next eight to nine months, and last year, I was the highest run scorer in the U19 league. When I got the opportunity to play zonal, I was the second highest run scorer of the tournament and it helped me in state selection,” adds the 19-year-old who is currently pursuing a degree in BA economics online, studying when his schedule permits.

Having started his cricketing journey at the age of 11, Chaturvedi grew up watching some of the biggest players of this generation, yet considers Sir Vivian Richards, the legendary West Indies cricketer, his role model. “I have been growing up watching Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. Though I have only watched them play on TV, I have picked up some of the tricks of the modern game from them.

However, I consider Sir Viv Richards to be my role model. I have learnt from him the pure joy of playing the game, the freedom to swing hard and trust your skills, and the feeling of owning the field like it is your backyard. Cricket, especially long innings, demands mental strength,” he adds.

Meanwhile, despite his historic knock, Chaturvedi remains grounded about his prospects. “I know this is the beginning and there is a long way to go. I have a lot to learn and improve, but it motivates me to work even harder and achieve even greater things in the future. The next five years are very crucial. I would say that the next two-three years are very crucial for my preparation.

I am yet to get exposed to the highest level of competitive cricket. So, my focus is to learn and adapt as quickly as possible and perform wherever I get the opportunity. I am currently representing Karnataka U23 at the CK Nayudu Trophy and I want to perform well in this tournament. I am a firm believer in process and taking one step at a time,” he says.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA – INDIA’s FIRST: Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd ( MRPL), becomes India’s First AS 9100: D Certified Refinery

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has been certified with AS9100:D standard prepared by International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) to assure customer satisfaction in aviation, space and defence organisations, under the scope of “production, storage, testing and distribution of aviation turbine fuel”.

MRPL is India’s first refinery to get this new aerospace standard. The aerospace industry demands the utmost precision, reliability, and safety in its supply chain. As a certified organization, MRPL is now well-positioned to serve as a trusted partner to aerospace companies within India and globally.

The standard ensures the interaction and configuration of various processes, from sourcing raw materials to the final product certification.

The certification process involves a stage audit of the entire life cycle of ATF, involving production criticalities like the addition of qualified additives and catalysts, standardisation of production processes, transfer through a dedicated pipeline network, ensuring fuel devoid of foreign object detection (FOD) in storage tanks, followed by certification and distribution to customers.

MRPL’s newly acquired certification is expected to give it leverage to expand its presence in the aerospace sector.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: REGIONAL: KARNATAKA: Asia Pacific conclave on Engineering Healthcare held in Mysuru, Jan 29-31

A three-day Asia Pacific conclave on Engineering Healthcare was held in Mysuru to discuss the next generation biomaterial having potential applications for cancer therapeutics, precision drug delivery, and bone replacement.

The conference organised by American Chemical Society (ACS) from January 29 to 31 brought together leading researchers from across the globe in the interdisciplinary field of bioengineering.

“The next generation biomaterials such as artificial cells, bones, and biomimetic materials, which have potential applications for cancer therapeutics, precision drug delivery, and bone replacement were showcased at the conclave held in Mysuru,” said a statement here from the organizers.

During the conclave, topics on polymer science, tissue engineering, 3D printing, drug delivery, electronic sensors, organic materials, and immunotherapy were also discussed.

The objective of the conclave, which is the first of its kind in the country, is to bring together the emerging and distinguished group of researchers under the same roof for the exchange of scientific expertise and foster potential collaborations to development of new biomedical products for the benefit of society, the statement said.

Sébastien Lecommandoux from France, who participated in the conclave, delved into the field of biomimetics and presented synthetic strategies for designing materials made from natural resources that can contribute towards advances in nanomedicine, biomaterials and artificial cells for biomedical applications such as detecting and healing diseases.

Bikramjit Basu from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, shared details of India’s National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, and said there was a huge multi-billion-dollar market potential for biomaterials in India. He and his team have developed new biomaterials for bone replacement and dental implants, said the statement.

Siddarth Jhunjhunwala and Kaushik Chatterjee from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, too emphasized that bioengineering had enormous potential for improvement of health care.

The conclave not only highlighted some of the emerging technologies that were likely to find wide clinical use, but also enabled doctoral students and early career researchers to discuss their work with global experts in person, the statement added.

Rajesh Parishwad from ACS said the Society was bringing global programs to India and the region. “Our aim is to promote broader engagement in the area of health care engineering,” he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL : KARNATAKA: Bengaluru Kendriya Vidyala Student R. Bhavana presents Science Project at PM’s Pariksha pe Charcha

R. Bhavana represented the KVS Bengaluru region at the programme in Delhi.

R. Bhavana, a class 9 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, DRDO, Bengaluru, presented her science project at the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme held on January 29 in Bharath Mandapam, Pragathi Maidan, New Delhi. As part of the programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students appearing for board exams this year.

R. Bhavana represented the KVS Bengaluru region at the programme in Delhi. Her project on a health monitoring system has earned recognition for its innovative approach, according to Kendriya Vidyalaya, DRDO, Bengaluru.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited0

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Two students from Kundapur, Sullia selected to participate in Pariksha Pe Charcha with PM Modi

Two students from Kundapur and Sullia have been selected to participate in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, which will be held on Monday, January 29, in New Delhi.

Gargi Devi, a ninth-grade student at HMM English Medium Primary and V K R Acharya High School, promoted by Kundapur Education Society, and Achal Bilinele, a first PU science student at Mudipu Jawahara Navodaya Vidyalaya, are the participants in this event.

This year, 2.05 crore students, 14.93 lakh teachers, and 5.69 lakh parents from all over the country will take part in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme online.

Two individuals who won in the national-level art festival have the opportunity to participate in the Republic Day parade and have a discussion in person with PM Modi during Pariksha Pe Charcha.

Gargi Devi secured the first place in the state-level art festival of 2023-24 and won a bronze medal in the classical dance competition of the national-level art festival.

Achal Bilinele has been selected to demonstrate a science model that explains the functioning of Chandrayana-3 in a simple manner understandable by commoners.

Achal is representing the Hyderabad zone of Navodaya Vidyalaya. Out of the 600 Jawahara Navodaya Vidyalayas in the country, eight have the opportunity to participate in the programme. Achal is the son of lecturer Chandrashekhara Bilinele and Dr Anuradha Kurunji.

Achal’s mother, Dr Anuradha, met the then PM Atal Bihari Vajapayee exactly 25 years ago on January 29, 1999. Achal will be meeting PM Modi on the same date and month after 25 years.

Gargi is the daughter of Ashok Suvarna and Natya Vidushi Pravita Ashok, a couple from Devalkunda. She is the second student from Kundapur to be selected to participate in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme. In March 2021, Anusha, a student of Albady-Ardy Charamakki Narayana Shetty Memorial High School, participated in the same programme.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited0

WORLD RECORD: NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: World No.1 Ranking will Inspire ‘Gen-Next’ of Indian Tennis, says Rohan Bopanna after Achieving the Feat

Bopanna is set to become the oldest tennis player to achieve the world No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open along with his partner Matthew Ebden of Australia.

Rohan Bopanna feels that his ascent to world No. 1 in doubles rankings at the twilight of his career is perfect boost that Indian tennis needed just when it was falling off the radar.

Bopanna is set to become the oldest tennis player to achieve the world No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open along with his partner Matthew Ebden of Australia here on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old, who had entered the tournament with a career-high ranking of world No. 3, and Ebden recorded a comfortable 6-4 7-6(5) win over sixth seeded Argentinian duo of Máximo González and Andrés Molteni in the quarterfinals that lasted an hour and 46 minutes here.

Bopanna will be crowned the new numero uno spot on Monday after the end of the tournament.

“It (the feat) means a lot not to just me but for Indian tennis also. You need something to inspire the next generation. Sumit (Nagal) also had a great Australian Open. He won a round,” Bopanna told PTI in an exclusive interview from Melbourne.

And the star player said the feat came with a lot of sacrifices.

“Extremely proud of this (world no.1 ranking in men’s doubles). It’s a special moment. Lot of sacrifices have gone into this. My coaches, family everyone. My family is travelling with me, so different feeling,” he said.

In fact, he is more happy that for the past week, Indian tennis has been in the news.

“Nothing at all was happening in Indian tennis. You (journalists) also did not have much to write about, so this has happened at the right time.” Earlier, Rajeev Ram of the USA was the oldest player to be ranked world no. 1 when he had achieve the top ranking in October 2022 at the age of 38 for the first time in his career.

Ebden, on the other hand, is set to reach the world no 2 spot.

Bopanna twice reached the US Open final but never won a men’s doubles major.

He, however, has a mixed doubles trophy at the French Open when he and his partner Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada won the crown at the 2017 French Open, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Robert Farah in the final 2–6 6–2 12–10.

But Bopanna’s desire to win a men’s doubles title at the Slam still remains unfulfilled, something which we wants to achieve before hanging up his racquet.

“That’s a personal goal (winning men’s doubles title at a Grand Slam). It’s no one else’s goal,” he said.

For the veteran, it is always one step at a time.

“When you reach second round, next you want is third round then fourth, quarters, semi-final. So, yes I have been in two Slam final and now want to win but it’s a natural. You always try to go one better,” Bopanna said about his future goal.

Bopanna, who had achieved the highest of world No. 3 for the first time in 2013, is the fourth Indian after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to take the world number one rank in doubles.

He also didn’t forget to acknowledge the contribution of his long-time coach Scott David of the USA in his breathtaking journey in the game.

“I am probably fifty world number one of coach Scott David. It’s a proud moment for him also. I switched to doubles in 2010 and since then I have been with him only,” Bopanna said.

Bopanna and Ebden have been one of the most consistent pairs on the tour over the last 12 months. The duo reached the final of US Open 2023, their best result so far in Grand Slams.

En route the semifinals here, the second seeded Bopanna and Ebden, had to over come two close contests in the first and third rounds to book their place in the semifinals.

Their first hurdle came in the opening round against wildcards James Duckworth and Marc Polmans of Australia, whom Bopanna and Ebden defeated 6-7(5) 6-4 6-7(2).

Their next steep challenge came in the third round where they overcame 14th seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Croatian Nikola Mektić 7-6(8) 7-6(4).

And Bopanna attributed the ability to finish close matches to his experience on the circuit.

“Experience is a great factor in getting those wins. Ever since, I started focussing only on doubles in 2010, it has taken me 13-14 years to reach this. I have been a journeyman,” said Bopanna, who will take over the top position from USA’s Austin Krajicek, who and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost in the second round.

The Indo-Australian pair will play unseeded Tomas Machac of Czech Republic and Chinese Zhizhen Zhang in the semi-finals.

His former Davis Cup teammates Mahesh Bhupathi and Somdev Devvarman termed it as one of the greatest stories in Indian sport.

“Rohan Bopanna getting to World Number 1 today after 20 years on tour in my opinion is one of the greatest stories in Indian Sport!!!,” Bhupathi wrote on ‘X’.

“Bops first told me he was contemplating retirement 5 years ago, then 4 years ago, then 3 years ago…Moral of the story is…. Who cares… He’s number 1! Couldn’t be happier for the Bopanna family! rohanbopanna is the best story in indian sport,” Devvarman wrote.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY: Karnataka yet again Rated one of Best Performer in Country’s Start-up Ranking

The annual exercise by DPIIT assesses performance of States and Union Territories across seven reform areas.

Karnataka has emerged as one of the best performers in the fourth edition of the States’ Start-up Ranking, a yearly capacity building exercise by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The other best performers include Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Karnataka has bagged the top honour. The exercise was launched in 2018. The results were announced by Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on National Start-up day on Tuesday.

The exercise assesses the performance of States and Union Territories across seven reform areas divided into 25 action points. The seven reform areas include institutional support, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, access to market, incubation and mentorship support, funding support, capacity building of enablers and roadmap to sustainable future.

The ‘best performer’ title is awarded to States and Union Territories with model State start-up ecosystems that could be benchmark for other States to follow. While the Bengaluru, the State capital, also adorns the title of ‘India’s start-up capital’, there has been push from the government and other ecosystem players to encourage more start-up clusters in the State under ‘Beyond Bengaluru’. Mysuru, Hubbali, and Mangaluru have seen some of these emerging clusters.

The Karnataka government has also introduced schemes like the ELEVATE programme which offers up to ₹50 lakh for innovative early stage start-ups for no equity in return and the ELEVATE – Unnati programme for start-ups with founders from SC/ST communities. The government also recently introduced preferential market access for start-ups registered in the State.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: AVIATION : MANUFACTURING – MAKE IN INDIA: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates in Bengaluru Largest Aerospace Engineering Facility of Boeing outside the United States

The state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) is built with an investment of ₹1,600 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru along with the Boeing Sukanya Program, on January 19.

The state-of-the-art BIETC is built with an investment of ₹1,600 crore. It is located in a 43-acre campus, and is the American aerospace major’s largest such investment outside the U.S.

Boeing said that the BIETC will become a cornerstone for partnering with India on next generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program that aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector.

The program will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and train for jobs in the aviation sector.

For young girls, the program will create STEM labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers. It will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots. Investments will support flight training curriculum, obtaining certifications, funding for simulator trainings, and career development programs.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / EQUESTRIAN: Karnataka State Police Team’s V. Shylendra, Commandant KARP Wins Gold in 42nd All India Police National Equestrian Championship

V. Shylendra, Commandant, KARP Mounted Company, Mysuru, has won the gold medal in the National-level Equestrian Competition ‘Hacks’ event in the 42nd All India Police Equestrian Championship and Mounted Police Duty Meet – 2023 held at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana State, from Dec. 26, 2023 to Jan. 5, 2024.

A native of Chitradurga, Shylendra represented Karnataka State Police team with the horse named “King’s Power” and has won the individual gold medal after 12 years for Karnataka.

The last individual gold medal in this event was won in the year 2012.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: TELECOMMUNICATIONS & AERIAL TECHNOLOGY / SATELLITES: Pixxel Unveils New Facility to Manufacture & Integrate Satellites, making it the First Spacecraft Manufacturing Facility in Bengaluru

This state-of-the-art facility spans over 30,000 square feet and is designed to streamline the satellite manufacturing process from conceptualisation to launch readiness.

In Short

  • The facility boasts the capacity to manage over twenty satellites concurrently
  • It will have a turnaround time of six months per satellite
  • The facility includes advanced camera integration labs

Pixxel, a space data company known for its cutting-edge hyperspectral earth-imaging technology, has inaugurated its first Spacecraft Manufacturing Facility, MegaPixxel, in Bengaluru.

This state-of-the-art facility spans over 30,000 square feet and is designed to streamline the satellite manufacturing process from conceptualisation to launch readiness.

The MegaPixxel facility will ensure spacecraft assembly, integration and testing (AIT), allowing Pixxel’s satellites to be crafted, integrated, and tested against the rigors of launch conditions before being dispatched to their respective launch sites.

“As we approach our fifth anniversary, the opening of this new facility is a significant achievement for Pixxel. It enhances our capability to act as the planet’s health monitor, increasing our satellite production capacity and enabling us to supply vital data to our clients more rapidly. This data is crucial for informed decision-making across various sectors, including agriculture, energy, forestry, and environmental monitoring,” Awais Ahmed, CEO of Pixxel, said in a statement.

The MegaPixxel facility boasts the capacity to manage over twenty satellites concurrently with a turnaround time of six months per satellite. This impressive throughput could see up to forty large satellites produced annually.

The facility is uniquely equipped with two modern clean rooms rated at ISO Class 7 and ISO Class 8 to prevent contamination that could compromise satellite functionality during assembly and integration.

In addition to the clean rooms, the facility includes advanced camera integration labs, electronics R&D, electrical assembly areas, a mechanical workshop, a mission control room, and office space capable of accommodating over 200 employees.

MegaPixxel is fitted with smart heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to optimise energy efficiency and minimize the carbon footprint.

Pixxel is the second private company to open its facility after Skyroot Aerospace, which unveiled its newly developed HQ in Hyderabad last year. 

source/content: indiatoday.in (headline edited)