KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, LIVING MUSEUM, RECORDS: Farmer Anil Balanja Grows 700 Different Types of Exotic Fruits from 40 different Nations on His Farm

Anil Balanja, a farmer in Karnataka, has been growing exotic fruits from 40 different nations on his land for the past 20 years.

Anil Balanja, a native of Karnataka, grew up seeing his father grow several jackfruit and mango varieties. He always knew he wanted to be a farmer, and at the age of 19, he began by sowing areca, coconut, and rubber.

The youngster made the decision to emulate his father five years ago. On his farm, he grew a variety of exotic fruits that are uncommonly grown in the nation. This includes foods like avocados, Malaysian santol, Indonesian kepel, and many others.

Currently, Anil’s farm in the Dakshina-Kannada district is flourishing with over 700 exotic fruit types gathered from 40 different nations. Each fruit’s seeds are obtained from nurseries and his international pals.

Additionally, he maintains a thorough record of every fruit, including its scientific name, therapeutic properties, ideal growing temperature, and kind of soil. To continue growing the fruits he collected, he now owns and operates his own nursery.

source/content: krishijagran.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BIRD CONSERVATION: Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is Karnataka’s First Ramsar Site

Ranganathittu sanctuary also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society.

After a wait of over ten years, Karnataka got its first Ramsar site on Wednesday.

The ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) declared Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya as a Ramsar site. With this, the forest department, local administration and tourism department will not just be able to ensure better conservation but also scale up its eco-tourism potential to international standards. Located in the mid-stream of the Cauvery river, Ranganathittu is an integral part of the wetland system and spreads across 517.70 hectares.

It also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society. Ranganthittu houses 188 species of plants, 225 species of birds, 69 species of fish, 13 species of frogs, 98 species of medicinal plants and 30 species of butterflies.

It is an important breeding site for around 20 species of water birds, 17 of which breed on trees growing on islands on the spot. It houses healthy populations of mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris), smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the endangered hump-backed mahseer fish (Tor remadevii).

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL RECORD BREAKER: SPORTS, AQUATICS: Dhinidhi Desinghu 12-year-Old Bengaluru’s Little Swimming Champ Breaks 13-year-old Swimming Record

Bengaluru’s Dhinidhi Desinghu has been making waves in the swimming circuit. The 12-year-old rose to prominence last year when she set national records in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley at the Junior and Sub-Junior National Aquatic Championship.

This year, she has kept up her gold-winning performances, bagging three gold medals in the Karnataka Mini Olympics in May and following it up with three more golds at the Karnataka Junior and Sub-Junior Aquatic Championship, including a recording-breaking effort in 100m freestyle (59.64 seconds) that rewrote a 13-year-old record.

The youngster has the tough task of balancing her academics and swimming commitments. “Since school timings have changed after the easing of the pandemic restrictions, it is a bit more stressful and my academic workload has increased since the previous year. But I am able to cope,” says Dhinidhi, a Grade 7 student at Kendriya Vidyalaya DRDO in CV Raman Nagar.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: Accomplished Clarinet Musician Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati Selected for the 2nd ‘Bidari Endowment Award’ 2022

Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati, a well-known clarinet musician, has been selected for the Bidari Endowment Award given by the Bidar District Cultural Forum. The award carries ₹15,000 in cash and a citation. It will be presented to Pt. Vadavati at the Bidari Utsav 2022 to be held between August 12 and 14 in Bidar.

“It is the second year that the Bidari Endowment Award is being presented.

The first year’s award was given to Pt. Vaikuntadatta Maharaj, a Bidar-based musician.

The selection of Pt. Narasimhalu Vadavati for the second year’s award was unanimous. The Raichur-based clarinet player belongs to Jaipur and Gwalior Gharanas.

He had presided over the international clarinet musicians conference held in the United States,” Rekha Apparao Sowdi, president of the District Cultural Forum, said in a media release on Tuesday.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: TECHNOLOGY, IT & DIGITAL: Catch Them Young: HCL’s TechBee Career Programme to Hire 2,000 Class 12 Students in Karnataka

HCL Technologies is currently conducting walk-in training interviews across four cities – Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Hubballi and Mysuru – to hire Class 12 students.

HCL Technologies, an IT services and digital transformation solutions provider, is planning to hire over 2,000 fresh talent from Karnataka, under its ‘catch them young’ drive.

As part of its early career programme, TechBee, the firm is currently conducting walk-in training interviews across four cities — Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Hubballi and Mysuru — to hire Class 12 students. Students who have completed Class 12 in 2021 or 2022 with a minimum of 60% with Mathematics or Business Mathematics in their curriculum would be eligible to be part of this programme, the company said.

Bespoke training and mentoring

To offer bespoke training and mentoring initiatives, HCL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) to train tech-savvy, enthusiastic individuals seeking to accelerate their careers in IT.

Subbaraman B, Vice President, HCL Technologies, said, “Under TechBee, we aim to hire the best talent, train them and enable them to achieve financial independence at the start of their career. So far, over 8,000 students have been selected for the TechBee programme across the country and are in various stages of their career journey with HCL.’‘

“We, at HCL, observed a lot of interest and potential in students in Karnataka as well. That is why we chose to do these walk-in drives in the state,’‘ he told The Hindu.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY/ MINING, DRONES: Tata Steel Signs MoU with Bengaluru Start-up Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) for Drone-based Mining Solutions, Analytics & Geo-Technical Mapping

Tata Steel will also work jointly with AUS to provide exclusive drone-based solutions, including mine analytics and geo-technical mapping, to Tata Steel group companies.

Domestic giant Tata Steel on Wednesday said it has inked a pact with a Bengaluru-based startup for drone-based mining solutions for effective mine management.

The primary goal of this collaboration is to jointly develop and offer sustainable and end-to-end integrated solutions that will focus on efficiency, safety, and productivity of open cast mining operations.

“Tata Steel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS), a Bangaluru-based startup, providing end-to-end drone solutions… for effective mine management,” the company said in a statement.

Tata Steel will also work jointly with AUS to provide exclusive drone-based solutions, including mine analytics and geo-technical mapping, to Tata Steel group companies across mining locations in India, it said.

On the partnership, D B Sundara Ramam, vice president, Raw Materials, Tata Steel, said: Drone survey enabled digitalisation and other technology will assist in gathering impactful and actionable insights. We see enormous potential in redefining core mining processes such as exploration and mine planning using drone data and adequate analytics.

source/content: business-standard.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS: COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Weightlifter Gururaj Poojary Wins Bronze – India’s 2nd Medal at CWG 2022, Birmingham

Weightlifter Gururaj Poojary won the second medal for India at Commonwealth Games 2022 after he bagged a bronze medal in the men’s 61kg event, here on Saturday July 30. 

Poojary successfully pulled off a combined lift of 269kg, (118kg in snatch and 151kg in clean and jerk) to claim a podium finish at Birmingham 2022. This was also his second straight CWG medal after he won the men’s 56kg silver medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Gururaj Poojary hails from Jeddu in Chittur gram panchayat of Kundapur. Gururaj, son of Mahabala Poojary and Paddu Poojary couple living at Jeddu village.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: SPORTS, SAILING : The Royal Mysuru Sailing Club (RMSC) hosts the ranking event ‘4th National Youth Championship 2022’

The National Youth Championship that concludes on August 4 is supported by the Yachting Association of India.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is hosting its 4th event on the KRS backwaters – the National Youth Championship – which was allotted to it by the National Federation- Yachting Association of India (YAI).

The event is a ranking event and will take place from July 29 to August 4.

The RMSC is also shortly launching a programme titled ‘Vision 2028 Olympics’ which is an endeavor directed towards producing Olympians from Karnataka, in line with the National Sports Policy launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a release here.

Following the ranking event, RMSC is organising a National Fun Regatta event from August 4 to 7 which will help bring participants and visitors from across the country to come together and explore Mysuru as a tourist destination. By elevating Mysuru’s presence as a metropolis city and a noteworthy vacation spot, the event will also aid in boosting the city’s tourism, the release stated.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is also taking the initiative in launching a campaign directed towards the growth of Mysuru as a city. The campaign is titled ‘City of Sails’ which refers to the significance of sailing as a sport and the importance of the KRS backwaters associated with Mysuru.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is approved by the Karnataka State Sailing Association (KSSA) and the Mysore District Sailing Association (MDSA).

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: NATIONAL, KARNATAKA: AVIATION & DEFENCE: Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Signs $100m Contract with Honeywell for HTT-40 Engines

There is potential requirement of 70 aircraft.

Defence Public Sector Undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Wednesday signed a contract worth over $100 million with Honeywell for supply and manufacture of 88 TPE331-12B engines/kits along with maintenance and support services to power the Hindustan Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40), the basic trainer aircraft

The contract was exchanged by Eric Walters, Senior Director OE Sales, Honeywell Defense & Space, and B Krishna Kumar, Executive Director (E & IMGT) in the presence of R Madhavan, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL.

Entering into this ‘Manufacturing & Repair license agreement for Honeywell TPE331-12B Turboprop engine’ marks a major milestone in the execution of 70 HTT-40 aircraft contract with IAF.

HAL is working closely with Honeywell for its support for export potential of HTT-40. HAL and Honeywell are exploring other areas such as 1MW Turbo Generators, manufacturing, Repair & Overhaul of TPE 331-10GP / 12JR engines for variants of Dornier.

“HAL has successfully developed the Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) to address the basic training requirements of the IAF.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY: Women Members of Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) Collaborate, Celebrate at 2nd Meet

The women members of Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) gathered for their second meet on July 22 at Hotel Iris, to celebrate the central theme of the evening – Collaboration.

Following the KE prayers led by lead member, Reshma Saldanha, Leena Lobo, mentor of the KE women entrepreneurs group aptly set the tone for the evening by lauding the members present for being bold and beautiful – for having the courage to take on the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship and for being beautiful inside out through all their relationships and phases in life.

Inspired by the welcome note and encouragement to participate whole heartedly in the meets, KE member, Laveena D’Souza facilitated an enjoyable ice breaker helping everyone get to know each other better by adding a short but memorable professional adjective to their names. It was gratifying for members to have their businesses and work seen, heard and acknowledged.

The elegant emcee for the evening, KE member Ranjeeta Greta Chatterjee deftly led to the guest speaker, Cherian Kuruvilla introduce by KE member, Uma Maheshwari. With over 4 decades of corporate experience and as an eminent coach and business mentor, Cherian succinctly shared powerful insights on the idea of #WeCommerce and Collaboration.

With active audience input, Cherian, delivered key collaborative ideas through mnemonics and prompts. He stressed on the importance of adjusting, adapting and leveraging each other’s strengths to successfully collaborate. Interestingly, he broke down the word, ‘Collaborate’ to include a host of values within it:

KE member, Manish Michael of Siel Blu India and his team energized the gathering with a demo of their adaptive fitness session using balloons as the prop of the day. Activities involved building lung capacity from blowing up the balloon, core strength, dexterity and balance through effective fun that hardly felt like exercise.

The table activity of the evening was prompted by an impromptu collaborative fun project that had initiated in the KE women entrepreneurs WhatsApp group a few weeks prior. The women members came out in high spirits and a giving attitude to offer their services to support a fellow member’s wistful desire for a beautiful wedding. KE member, Luvena Rangel, the bride in question, skilfully facilitated the ideation to develop a project using the resident businesses at every tables and present their business proposals. Projects that surfaced included an integrated event solution, a stress-free bridal package, a project bearing the initials of the businesses involved as well as one which focused on mental wellness.

Ranjeeta took the next few moments to highlight the achievements of the women members:

• Janice Pearl D’souza – Accredited as a professional facilitator with BYLD
• Luvena Rangel – Appointed as India chair for communication and advocacy for G100
• Vilina Sequeira – Honoured by Barkur Association of Bangalore for her contribution in recruitment in the hospitality industry.

Additionally, Laveena D’Souza was also acknowledged with a special prize to highlight her contribution towards the meet as the Best Networker Award.

The concluding bit on the agenda was a moment of warmth and gratitude where many women members took the opportunity to express their thanks to other members for both business leads and a listening ear. It is heart-warming to state here that the ripples of those shared words are echoing in the Women Entrepreneurs WhatsApp group even now.

The evening drew to a well-timed end with Leena’s closing message urging bonding and inviting more women to join KE. The strong ask for better participation from members in future events also made a resonant impact.

Needless to say, Friday evening was completed with a thorough celebration of collaboration with KE women entrepreneurs – a streamlined and focused agenda put together by the organizing committee that was well received and much appreciated

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)