* Azim Premji Foundation, Salesforce to launch app to accelerate Covid-19 vaccination

‘To cover 110 million people in 25 States by June 2022’

Salesforce, a customer relationship management player, and Azim Premji Foundation have entered into a collaboration to introduce VaxIT, an app to help accelerate Covid-19 vaccination in India.

The programme would use VaxIT across 25 States to cover a population of 110 million (11 crore) across over 3,500 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) by June 2022.

The VaxIT app, developed on the Salesforce platform for Azim Premji Foundation and its partners, would capture the status of vaccination to help individuals plan and stay updated on their progress in the healthcare programme. VaxIT is available on the Android app store and offers multi-lingual, and offline capabilities.

* The man and his vision

Did you know as a tribute to former Prime Minister HD Devegowda, farmers in Punjab have named a rare variety of rice crops by his name?

Author Sugata Srinivasaraju has penned down more such lesser known facts in his latest book Furrows in a Field:

Furrows in a Field: The Unexplored Life of HD Deve Gowda (Penguin Random House, `799) which is a biography of the former prime minister. 

* Mangaluru: Dr Edward Nazareth elected president of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association

Dr Edward Nazareth, renowned orthopaedic surgeon of the city has been elected unopposed as the ‘President-Elect-2022’ of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association. The Karnataka Orthopaedic Association is the registered official organization of the state with more than 1,700 members from all over the state of Karnataka and also a few members from the adjoining states.

Dr Edward has worked from 2012 to 2015 as the founder-editor of the ‘Journal of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association’ and later on from 2015 to 2018, he served the association as the ‘Secretary General’. During his tenure as the secretary general, the financial base of the association was consolidated and several reforms like online voting were initiated.

* Shankar Foundation awards for Sudarshan, Choontharu

Medical practitioner and chairman of the State Government’s Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 M.K. Sudarshan and dentist Muralimohan Choontharu have been selected for the prestigious Dr. P.S. Shankar National Vaidyashri Award and Dr. P.S. Shankar Shreshta Vaidya Sahitya Award, respectively.

Dr. Sudarshan, who is serving as the Director of Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences in Bengaluru, was a former member of the World Health Organisation (WHO). His work in the field of rabies control is recognised worldwide.

Mangaluru-based Dr. Choontharu is known for his writings on various topics in the field of medical science. He has published over 20 books in Kannada that deal with different aspects of preventive care.

“P.S. Shankar Foundation has been offering financial assistance to medical students from poor and rural backgrounds in the form of scholarships

* NCC cadets selected for R-Day parade

St Aloysius NCC cadets Lohith, Rishika T B, Gauthami C S from Air Wing (6 Kar Air Sqn NCC), Soorya C Adka from Army Wing (18 Kar Bn NCC) and Manisha D Suvarna from Navy Wing (5 Kar Naval Wing) have been selected to represent Karnataka and Goa Directorate to participate in the Republic Day Parade 2022 in New Delhi.

Soorya C Adka got selected as a Best Cadet from Karnataka and Goa Directorate and represented the state for the National Level Best Cadet Award, a press release stated.

* Bengaluru Man MD Ahmed Bags Guinness Record For Memorising Most Three-Digit Flash Numbers

Bengaluru-based author and coach Mohammed Ali Athar Ahmed, also known as MD Ahmed, entered the Guinness World Records for memorising the most number of three-digit flashcards.

Ahmed bagged the world record for recalling 32 three-digit flash numbers. The previous record was held by an Iranian (30 three-digit cards).

* Vivek Subba Reddy elected president of AAB

Senior Advocate Vivek Subba Reddy has been elected president of the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru (AAB) for 2021-24 in an election held on December 19 under the supervision of a high-level committee appointed by the HC.

While T.G. Ravi has been elected General Secretary, Harisha M.T. has been elected treasurer in a keenly-contested election to the governing body of the AAB, which has around 16,500 registered members. The tenure of the earlier governing body ended in January 2021 and non conduct of elections resulted in the State government on September 4 appointing an administrator. This action was challenged before the HC by the AAB.

* BCIC holds Indian diaspora meet with Japan

The Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), representing large, medium, and small industries in Karnataka, held a virtual meeting of the Indian diaspora in Japan as a prelude to the 70th anniversary celebration of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Japan.

According to a release by BCIC, the meeting held recently was attended by Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India to Japan, Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, besides many industry heads.

* First-ever Konkani song made in Canada released

A golden chapter in the history of Konkani music has been unfolded and the much awaited first-ever Konkani Song ‘Novo-Bhorvoso’ made in Canada under the newly created banner ‘DoReMiFa Creations’ released on YouTube on December 19, 2021 at 8.00 pm Toronto time.

A couple of months ago, a brilliant thought came into the minds of two stalwarts and visionaries of the Konkani literature and music world in Canada, Gerry D Mello Bendur, and Ashith Glen Pinto. Both of them have always worked in the past to exhibit and transform revolutionary ideas into reality. This time too, they thought of the same process. First, they launched a banner DoReMiFa Creations with the utmost desire to work for the Konkani Music in Canada through uniting many talents based in Canada. The second thought was to formulate and create a song in Konkani to be presented by the renowned Konkani musicians and singers residing in Canada.