NATIONAL / KARNATAKA: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE: How a Space for Biological Sciences shaped up in Bengaluru

An event at National Centre for Biological Sciences traced the premier institute’s genesis and growth over the last two and a half decades.

U.B. Poornima, the first resident architect of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), remembers what the campus was like in 1994 when she first landed there.

“The compound wall construction was already done, and a sump was being laid,” she recalls. But the land, back then, was barren, a far cry from today’s bustling, verdant campus. “Only snakes were seen crawling around,” she says at “Building (for) Biology: The NCBS Campus”, an event that consisted of a historical campus walk, followed by a talk that delved into the genesis of the institute and its campus.

Nostalgia and memory, often tinctured with humour, repeatedly made their way into this event, part of a public lecture series regularly held by the Archives at NCBS that sought to “understand the environment built for doing science, how space shapes the culture of science, and how science, too, is shaped by the space it inhabits,” as the event’s invitation put it, adding that the campus walkthrough is an experiment in seeing the space as a historical site.

Insights and changes

Peppered with insights from these campus members and enlivened by questions from curious audience members, the walk ended up becoming a freewheeling discussion on various aspects of the campus, ranging from the rationale behind the lovely view of the lawns at the Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines to how the pond on campus became one, about the first set of buildings designed by the Delhi-based architect Raj Rewal and the curious case of how the Godrej locks in campus housing could once be opened with a single key (a mistake that was rectified).

“A lot of changes have happened since we moved into the campus … people grew, space grew, a lot more occupants in the building,” says Poornima, while T.M. Sahadevan, who served as the first administrative officer at NCBS, lingers on the somewhat serendipitous origins of the campus.

“There were a lot of problems,” he says, recalling how when the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) first approached the government of Karnataka, wanting to set up NCBS in Bengaluru, they were told that no more expansion in Bengaluru was possible since Hosur was already putting a load on Bangalore back then.

“Then someone suggested that we ask GKVK,” he says, adding that this came through. “We got 20 acres of land and took over in February,” remembers Sahadevan, the first TIFR person to set foot on campus back in 1991.

Admittedly, the event was somewhat unstructured, unearthing the memories and lived experiences of some of its past and present campus members rather than a linear building biography. Still, it succeeded in leaving attendees more enlightened (and often amused) by the end.

A 25-year-old history

According to the NCBS website, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) has been directly or indirectly responsible for forming at least six research institutions in the country, of which NCBS is one.

While the initial proposal made in 1982, following a suggestion made by Prof. S. Ramaseshan, the then Director of the Indian Institute of Science, was to have a joint TIFR-IISc Centre on the IISc campus, this did not reach fruition. Then, in 1984, the Planning Commission agreed to fund a centre for fundamental research in biological sciences at Bangalore, functioning as “an autonomous unit under the aegis of TIFR and conduct fundamental research and teaching in areas of biology at the frontiers of knowledge,” as the website notes. The next few years were spent scouting for an appropriate place to set up, culminating in this 20-odd-acre campus leased from the University of Agricultural Sciences, with an MOU signed in 1991.

While NCBS technically celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2016 since it spent its first few years at the TIFR Centre at the Indian Institute of Science Campus before moving to its current location, people began trickling in by 1998 or so.

“Depending on who you speak to, people have been living in this space for around 25 years,” says Venkat Srinivasan, who heads the Archives at NCBS, at the talk that followed the campus walk. Though he agrees it is only a rough estimate, he adds, “It is a good moment to reflect on the physical space that you inhabit daily.”

Extraordinarily particular

In this talk, augmented by audio interviews, old photographs, documents and interjections by the faculty members who were also part of the audience, Srinivasan traced the institute’s genesis and growth over the last two and a half decades. From an audio clip of an interview with Obaid Siddiqi, the co-founder and first director of NCBS, that reflects on the idea of NCBS to documents detailing the nitty-gritty aspects of lease and construction and old photographs reflecting the barrenness of the land before the institute came into being, the talk’s biggest takeaway was this. “How extraordinarily particular this group of individuals were at getting what they wanted,” he puts it.

Poornima, who was deeply entrenched in the construction process right from the start, is wont to agree. In most government institutions, she points out, the final users of the buildings, too busy with their research, give the architects instructions in one go, which goes on to be developed by the latter. In this case, however, the users were deeply involved in the process from the start to the finish. “They took away time from research and were involved at every stage,” she remembers. “They knew what they wanted.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CRAFTS / FASHION: Namratha Manjunath Wins ‘Miss Mysuru 2023’ Crown and First Runner-Up Bhavana Narayan

Inner Wheel Club of Mysuru Aisiri with Nandini Nagaraj Pageant Initiative and RK Universe Coorg had hosted ‘Miss Mysuru 2023’ event recently at The Viceroy Comforts in Mysuru.

‘Miss Mysuru 2023’ winner Namratha Manjunath , a medical student, first runner-up Bhavana Narayan and second runner-up Harshitha, are seen with the jury members Dr. Hemamalini Lakshman (Mrs. India Universe 2018), Prathiba, K. Kavya and Sowhardini.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

WORLD / NATIONAL/ KARNATAKA: WORLD RECORD SPORTS : Sibling Sisters, 10-year old Ovee Malve and Ruchi Malve from Bengaluru become World’s Youngest Certified Scuba Diver Sisters

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving.

A day after turning 10, Bengaluru-based Ovee Malve set a world record of becoming the youngest certified scuba diver.

With this, both Ovee and her sister Ruchi, daughters of Bangalore Mountaineering Club founder Neeraj Malve, have become the youngest certified scuba diver siblings in the world. Neeraj himself has been a scuba diver for 16 years now. Ovee achieved the feat in Puducherry at 7.18 am on October 11, becoming the youngest Professional Association of Diving Instructors-certified open water diver. 

Elated and proud, Neeraj said he understands that adventure sports are not easy, especially at a young age. He never pressured his children and ensured that they underwent proper training. The daughters were water babies since they were little and were fascinated with his scuba diving videos.

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving, he said. Ovee enrolled for a junior open water diver course at Temple Adventures, Puducherry and trained under coach Shreya Mehta. 

Her sister Ruchi (14) trained under Shaurya Tarni of Dive Goa in Goa. Ruchi enrolled for the Junior Open Water Diver certification course on October 27, 2022 and received the Scuba Schools International certificate on October 30, 2022. At the age of 10 and 13, both Malve sisters have become the world’s youngest scuba diver sisters.

Previously, a Mumbai-based boy, Dwit Nandu, at age 10 set the world record around 8 am on August 25, 2023.

Both the sisters underwent two-day rigorous training which included a 200-metre nonstop swimming and floating for 10 minutes without any support. 

They studied five chapters of theory about performing underwater skills in confined waters, passed a written exam and successfully performed four dives in open water up to 18-metre depth to earn their open water diver certification.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: SPORTS / GOLF: Kavery Muthanna Represents India As A Golf Official At Asian Games

Mukkatira Kavery Muthanna, a resident of Mysuru, is currently serving as a member of the officiating team in the game of golf at the ongoing 19th Asian Games, which are taking place in Hangzhou, China. 

She holds a role in the Technical Rules Official team, which consists of 24 referees from various countries. The official rounds are scheduled to take place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 at the West Lake Golf Course in Hangzhou, featuring 121 players.

Kavery Muthanna is well-qualified, having completed the Level 3 Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar (TARS) under the R&A. (R&A is a leading body within the world of golf and engages and supports activities to ensure it is a thriving sport for all on a global scale.) 

She has actively officiated various amateur and women’s professional golf tournaments in India, showcasing her expertise in the field. Her experience also extends to her role as a Rules Official at the 36th National Games in 2022, held in Ahmedabad.

In addition to her involvement in golf and sports officiating, Kavery Muthanna is part of the Kavery Education Trust in Virajpet and serves as its Chairperson. She is married to Mukkatira Manju Muthanna and is the daughter of Guddanda Kanthy and Nanda Ganapathy.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: Sudha Murty, the First Woman to get Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation

Renowned author, philanthropist and wife of Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murty, Sudha Murty, was conferred with the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation at the biggest Indo-Canadian gala here.

The Global Indian Award, which is worth $50,000, is given each year to a prominent Indian who has made a major mark in his or her chosen field.

“We are so pleased to present the Global Indian Award to Sudha Murty. She has spent her entire career paving the way for future generations to find success in whatever field they choose, and is passionate about giving back to society,” said Canada India Foundation chairman Satish Thakkar on Saturday night.

Accepting the award from Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, Sudha Murty said, “It is my honour to get this award from your country.”

Thanking the Canada India Foundation (CIF) for choosing her for this award, Murthy said, “The CIF is like Krishna in the Mahabharata. Krishna is the son of Devki as well as Yashoda. Devki was his biological mother and Yashoda brought him up. You are born in India but settled here – that is Yashoda – and your mother is India. You belong to both mothers.”

Lauding the Indo-Canadian diaspora as a bridge between the two countries, she said, “You are the carriers of Indian culture in a different land. Please keep it up.”

As her husband was also given the same award in 2014, Sudha Murty said amid laughter, “There is a funny thing about this award because Narayana Murty also got it in 2014 and I got it in 2023. So we’re the first couple to get this award.”

She donated the award money to The Field Institute (University of Toronto) which is internationally renowned for strengthening collaboration, innovation, and learning in mathematics and across a broad range of disciplines.

Sudha Murty was accompanied by the parents of her son-in-law and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the Toronto gala event.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: SPORTS :Asian Games 2023: Karnataka’s Aditi Ashok Wins Historic Silver In Golf For India

Indian shooters clinch gold and silver

Karnataka’s Golf star Aditi Ashok today bagged a historic Silver medal for India at the Asian Games 2023 after missing the Gold medal in Hangzhou.

Aditi finished the four-round event with a score of 17 under 271 to take the second prize. Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol leapfrogged the Indian to take the Gold medal home.

Aditi was in the Gold medal contention on the final day of the contest as she had a 22-under score after three rounds. She was seven shots clear of Yubol but had a poor day with 5 over on the final day. However, Aditi Ashok is the first Indian woman to win a medal in golf at the Asiad.

Indian shooters won two medals, clinching gold and silver in men’s and women’s trap events. The Indian men’s team comprising of Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaiman has claimed gold in the Trap event on Sunday, October 1 to continue India’s fantastic run in shooting so far in the Asian Games 2023.

India were able to fend off competition from Kuwait and China to secure the top spot on the podium to take the tally in shooting to 21 medals with 7 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze. In addition to the gold medal win Chenai and Sandhu have also qualified for the individual final as well.

The Indian trio secured 361 points in total as compared to Kuwait’s 352 and China’s 346.

Earlier in the day, India had won the silver medal in the women’s trap team event in shooting. The trio of Rajeshwari Kumari, Manisha Keer and Preeti Rajak finished second with 337 points, behind China.

So far (till 1.30 pm on Oct. 1), India stands 4th in the medal tally with 41 medals including 11 gold, 16 silver and 14 bronze.

Yesterday (Sept. 30), Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale won gold in the Mixed Doubles after winning the third set tie-breaker against Chinese Taipei to secure India’s second medal in tennis after Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni’s silver in Men’s Doubles.

The Indian men’s team beat Pakistan men’s squash team event to give India its 10th gold in this Asian Games.

Sarabjot Singh and Divya Thadigol topped the qualification in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team but settled for a silver in the final, going down 14-16 to China.

In the men’s 10000m, Kartik Kumar and Gulveer Singh won silver and bronze, respectively.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: SPORTS / CRICKET: Siddaramaiah felicitates Gold Medal-Winning Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team

 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah felicitated the members of the Indian blind women’s cricket team and the blind men’s cricket team from Karnataka at the Home Office Krishna on Friday.

The Indian blindwomen’s cricket team won the gold medal, and the blind men’s cricket team won silver medal in the IBSA World Cricket Tournament (Cricket for Bind) .

The Chief Minister felicitated the captain of the Indian blind women’s cricket team Varsha.U and team players, Deepika, Gangavva, and Prakash J, Sunil Kumar, Basappa Voddgol of the men’s team from Karnataka.

The visually challenged Indian women’s cricket team in August scripted history by winning a gold medal beatingAustraliaby nine wickets at the IBSA World Games.

The team of medal winning players led by Govinda Raju, the president of the Karnataka State Olympic Organisation and political secretary to the Chief Minister, met the Chief Minister and presented their demands.

The Chief Minister responded positively and assured tohold a separate discussion with Govindaraju and to takeappropriate decisions to fulfill their demands.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah interacted with the players and asked them interesting questions about the training the players get, how they recognize a ball, how many matches have they played, etc..

The Chief Minister’s Political Adviser Naseer Ahmed, Life President of Cricket Association for Blind India Mahantesh, CABI President Boosagowda and representatives of Samarthanam Trust were also present.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Karnataka team wins nine medals in National Sea Kayaking and Stand-Up Paddling event


Team Karnataka, under the leadership of Udupi-based Rohan R. Suvarna and comprising seven members, bagged nine medals in the recently concluded National Sea Kayaking and Stand-Up Paddling Championship-2023 at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

The championship, conducted for the first time, was organised by the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association.

The Karnataka team bagged the medals in various events. Sinchana D. Gowda achieved an impressive feat, clinching four gold medals (one in the individual category and three in doubles), one silver, and four bronze medals. Anne Mathias secured three gold medals in the doubles category. Tharuna Kumar B.R. and M. Manjunatha Naik jointly won the bronze medal in the doubles category.

Karnataka team’s exceptional performance led the team to emerge as the runner-up champion. Dileep Kumar, secretary, Karnataka Canoeing and Kayaking Association, supported the athletes throughout this event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: EDUCATION : IIT gets its First Woman Director. Mysuru-Born Dr. Preeti Aghalayam Is IIT Zanzibar-Tanzania Director

IIT gets its first woman Director

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), the country’s top-ranked educational institution, has achieved the distinction of being the first IIT in India to establish an international campus, set to be located in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The institute has also set another first by appointing the IIT’s first woman Director.

Heading this initiative is Mysuru-born Dr. Preeti Aghalayam, who is an alumna of IIT Madras. She is also a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

The Zanzibar Offshore  Campus of IIT Madras will be situated on Zanzibar Island, off the East African mainland and is slated to commence its inaugural academic session in October 2023.

The establishment of this offshore campus aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, which encourages high-performing Indian Universities to establish campuses abroad.

Dr. Preeti grew up on 13th Main Road in Saraswathipuram and attended Demonstration School (DMS School) in Mysuru. After completing her Pre-University, she made it to IIT Madras and chose Chemical Engineering as her field of study.

According to Meena Mysuru, a retired officer from the Indian Information Service (IIS) and resident of city, a close friend of the family, Dr. Preeti hails from a family of educators.

Her father, late Dr. Janardhan, was a Chemistry Professor at the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Mysuru, while her mother, Dr. Rama, taught linguistics. Both her parents held Ph.Ds and her grandfather was a renowned historian.

Professional journey: Dr. Preeti Aghalayam completed her B.Tech in Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras in 1995 and later earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2000. Her professional journey includes a stint as a post-doctoral researcher at MIT in Cambridge and a faculty position at IIT Bombay.

Dr. Preeti joined IIT Madras as a faculty member in 2010 and is actively involved in the Office of Global Engagement at the institute, where she oversees international academic programmes.

Her contributions led to her recognition as one of the 75 Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by the Principal Scientific Advisor’s office.

Running enthusiast

Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Preeti has a strong sports background and was an avid basketball player during her school days. She is also an accomplished marathon runner.

In an interview, she said, “Running is everything for me as it helps me shred off the stress. If I am under a lot of stress, my family asks me to run and come back. Running makes me feel human again.”

In the initial plans, faculty members for the Zanzibar campus will be either deputed from IIT Madras or recruited from India. Presently, the institute will operate from a temporary campus in the Bweleo district of Zanzibar, with the permanent 200-acre campus on Zanzibar Island set to be completed by 2026.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: 3 Achievers from Mangaluru enter into Worldwide Book of Records & India Book of Records

These three achievers have made Mangaluru proud to find mentioned in the Worldwide Book of Records and India Book of Records, and they revealed it during a press meet held at Mangaluru Press Club.

The three achievers are K Chandrashekar (Swimming), Ms Kavitha Ashok (Yoga) and Miss Madhulashree (Yoga Gandabherundasana).

Addressing the media personnel, Chandrashekar said, ” I did 28 front flip somersaults underwater with one breadth, creating a World Record. I work as a swimming coach at Mangaluru City Corporation Swimming Pool near Ladyhill, Mangaluru. The world record for the highest somersaults (36) was in the name of Lans Davis of California, USA. I was inspired by Guinness Book of Record holders Gopal Kharvi, Gangadhar Kadekar and Nagaraj Kharvi.

KAVITA ASHOK, who has taught yoga at Nazareth school, Bethany institutions and Apostolic Carmel institutions, completed her YIC training at Vyasa Vivekananda University in Bangalore. She has been the Hero of Champions at State Level Yoga in 2004, and in 2007 got the first place Worldwide Level competition. She deserves credit because so many of her students have taken part in yoga at the taluk, National, District, and State levels. By performing Sirsa Padmasana on March 23, 2023, in 29 minutes and 6 seconds, she has equalled Kerala’s Kiran Surendran’s record of 25 minutes and 8 seconds and entered the India Book of Records. She has received instruction and guidance from V.L. Rego, an international yoga guru. She has received constant support from staff K. Chandrashekhar Rai Soorikumeru and Manager Ramesh Bejai of MCC Swimming Club.

S. MADHULASHREE, the daughter of M. Saravanan and Tamil Selvi, studying in class VI of Ladyhill English Higher Primary School, Mangaluru has entered into the India Book of Records in Ganda Bherundasana with a timing of 15 min 36 seconds as confirmed on 21st March 2023. She has been trained by Kavitha Ashok, the Yoga Instructor oatLadyhill English Higher Primary School. Sr Jenifer Morasa AC-the Principal of Ladyhill English Higher Primary School complimented Ms Kavitha and Madhulashree for their achievements. Teacher Mrs Lavita Correa was also present during the press meet.

source/content: mangalorean.com (headline edited)