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Jitesh Prasad, a globally acclaimed photographer hailing from Moodbidri, commonly referred to as ‘Porlu’, has been chosen to receive the prestigious ‘Gold of Golden Medal’ award presented by the Asian Photographic Union and Golden Peacock Award Singapore in Singapore.

Addressing press persons here on Saturday, Tharanath Gatty Kapikad, president of Tulu Sahitya academy, proudly presented Jitesh Prasad as, “The district’s unique photographer who has been representing Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on the international stage, bringing immense pride to our community. In the year 2023, he bagged Chitranjali award along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lac, organised by the Central Government Human Resource Department. And now, he has been chosen for the ‘Gold of Golden Medal Award’ in Singapore. He is someone who has widely travelled across countries, just as much as across different districts within Karnataka for capturing seasonal festivals and various folk sports through his photography.”

Jitesh Prasad presented his numerous medals of all sizes, bagged from photography competitions held at different countries throughout the year. He said, “To be selected for the ‘Gold of Golden award’, one must be qualified as an annual top ten photographers and exhibitor in the world, which is not easy. Yet, I have been achieving this position consecutively for the past three years.”

Highlighting the importance of participating in such competitions he added, “You might question the worth of such honour but it is not merely honorary, it enables you to test yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of thinking you are the best photographer. The more you realise your smallness, the larger you are growing. Another benefit included is the invitations I would receive is to be the jury member of the international photography completions.”

“This is not my first time receiving honorary medals but as I am not very much inclined to self publication, I remained in the dark however, after receiving ‘golden of gold medal’ I was compelled to come to the light to inspire other aspiring photographers.”

“The photography competitions at Singapore are held 10 to 12 times annually. They are theme-based namely, ‘people’, ‘monochrome’ and ‘travel’; we can enter our photos in any of these three categories. By the process of averaging, a yearly winner is selected. This year, three individuals from India won this award, but within Karnataka, I was the sole recipient.”

Jitesh Prasad’s photographs have been exhibited in countries like Cyprus, Singapore, Russia, Ukraine, Bosnia, Greece, Malaysia, Romania, and many others. Within India, he was recognised as the top five best photographers for two consecutive years by Indian Photographic Federation (FIP).

He is a member of Bangalore youth photographic society and his dynamic profession allows him to involve with many photographic organizations of India and abroad. Over the past 30 years, he has amassed a distinctive collection of rare photographs that he himself captured.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Ankita Basappa Konnur, 15, the daughter of a farmer from Bagalkot district, topped the Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination by scoring a perfect 625 out of 625.

Ankita Basappa Konnur, 15, the daughter of a farmer from Bagalkot district, topped the Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination by scoring a perfect 625 out of 625. A student of Morarji Desai Residential School-Mudhol, Konnur aspires to become an IAS officer.

“I am really excited about my performance. I never used to over-study or study late in the night. I used to stick to the normal study schedule. This way, I was able to overcome anxiety. I want to pursue science in PU (Pre University),” said Konnur.

Konnur’s English teacher Vinayak Mantor dubbed her as a “sharp” student who had a solid grasp of general knowledge. She also used to regularly participate in public speaking and quiz competitions. Konnur recently bagged the first prize during a public speaking competition, wherein she spoke on ‘Chandrayaan-3’.

“Ankita has been our student since sixth grade. She is always updated about current affairs and has a very sharp IQ. Her grasping power is very efficient. During her free time, she browses the internet and is always eager to glean new information,” added Mantor.

Meanwhile, Chinmay GK in Dakshina Kannada scored 624. Known as a soft-spoken person, Chinmay GK studied only three hours a day.

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I was definitely expecting above 620. I lost one mark in Science. I will go for a revaluation after accessing the scanned answer keys. I am a classical singer and I sing whenever I take a break from studying. It helps me focus better. I want to be a computer science engineer.”

He credits his success to his parents – Malini Hegde and Ganesha Ramachandra Bhat – who are both teachers.

Bengaluru students shine bright

Three students from Bengaluru – Medha Shetty (624), Sourav Kaushik (623), and Ankita Anand Andewadikar (623) – feature in the top 10 list of SSLC candidates. Bengaluru also improved its ranking from 2023 – Bengaluru South improved its ranking from 33 to 12 and Bengaluru North from 32 to 14.

Andewadikar, a student of VVS Sardar Patel English High School, said, “I am slightly disappointed because I lost two marks… I did not follow any fixed timings for studying. I followed concept-based learning, and studied concepts until I understood them,” said Andewadikar.

She further said, “My teachers always supported me and cleared my doubts. I also received immense support from my sister and my parents who are highly qualified. I still don’t have clarity on what to pursue in higher education. But I will take up science in PU for now.”

Kaushik from the same school also scored 623. “I think my teachers have helped me achieve this score. They helped me balance my focus between academics and extracurricular activities. Solving previous years’ question papers enhanced my performance,” he said, adding that he overcame anxiety by spending quality time with friends and family.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

Dedicated to the postal history of India, the Sandesha Museum of Communication in Bengaluru displays artefacts and exhibits showcasing the evolution of the Indian communication system.

From the British-era General Post Office that once stood in place of the modern one to the ancient Anche system of the Wodeyar rulers, Bengaluru has a long history intertwined with the postal service. For history enthusiasts and stamp collectors, the Sandesha Museum of Communication on Museum Road is well worth a visit.

To start with, the very name of the road is intertwined with the building that now houses the Sandesha Museum. While Sandesha itself is barely five years old, its high-roofed colonial bungalow is from the mid-1800s and is associated with the Government Museum — one of the oldest museums in India.

Located on Kasturba Gandhi Road, the Government Museum is housed in a heritage building dating back to 1865, and before this building was completed, the museum’s displays were housed in two buildings on Museum Road at different points in time — one of which is now the Sandesha Museum.

Preserved at the Sandesha Museum are relics from across the history of the postal service. The entry hall features a stack of letters pierced on a metal pole, as they were often arranged in days past. Interestingly, these were sourced from the house of Siddanagowda Patil, a leading figure in starting Asia’s first cooperative society in the Gadag district. On its shelves are unclaimed goods from throughout the decades — from small brass sculptures to beads and even entire logs of sandalwood. Charts with stamps attached also list the types of stamps and their histories, such as joint issue and omnibus issue stamps.

Timekeeping has also always been an important part of the postal service, and as such India Post has preserved a rare Ansonia wall clock, manufactured in New York. Another simpler clock is more sombre — it stopped at 11.18 pm when floods inundated the post office at Lolsur near Gokak where it hung at the time. Older equipment no longer in use is also on display — very recent equipment such as a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) dish that was once used to transmit money order data, old mallets and wooden machines employed to arrange records and punch holes in bundles of paper, along with old uniforms and leather satchels once worn by postmen.

The museum also has an audiovisual room to host visiting schoolchildren that examines the history of the postal service in pre-colonial times.

The museum is open on all days except Sundays and public holidays, with tickets available at Rs 25.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)