Tag: Bengaluru First

KARNATAKA: ’19th Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) Awards 2023′ Ceremony returns to Stage, February 18th

The 19th edition of the Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) awards recognised 10 winners across various categories, including literature, music, short film, photography, and digital art.

Dadapeer Jyman, a promising talent in the Kannada literary scene, could hardly contain his emotion as he accepted the award for creative writing in Kannada at the 19th edition of the Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) awards ceremony held at Bangalore International Centre on February 18. With a tremulous voice, Jyman expressed his joy at winning the prize. “I’ve dreamt of winning a Toto for three to four years now. I’ve been longlisted and shortlisted… It feels like finally being accepted after pursuing a loved one for long,” he said.

Having won the Sahitya Akademi’s Yuva Puraskar in 2022, Jyman is making a name for himself as a rising star in Kannada literature. His award-winning story, Taha’s Letter, explores the clash between two worlds, through the lens of two close friends, Dileep and Taha. One is stuck in the village, while the other has become an activist in the city. Taha is queer, and, as the story unfolds, we see how two worlds collide and get a chance to examine why it did not work out between them.

Following two years of virtual editions, the Toto Awards finally made a return to the physical stage. “Nothing compares to meeting young artists in person and hearing a live audience cheer them on. All of us at TFA were excited to do an on-ground event,” said CK Meena, chaiperson, TFA.

The TFA is a non-profit trust that was founded in 2004 to commemorate the passing of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, a 20-year-old art and literature lover. Every year, the trust awards prizes in a range of categories, including literature, music, short film, and photography, and hosts workshops, talks, readings, film screenings, and intimate addas to discuss arts-related topics.

A new category was established this year to pay tribute to the memory of abstract artist Mehlli Gobhai, dedicated to digital art, and an additional award was presented for music. The ceremony included a short ghatam performance by Sumana Chandrashekar.

“It is a great platform for youngsters riddled with self doubt about their potential,” said chief guest MS Sriram, Kannada writer and chairperson of the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. “This award is a big endorsement from the community. While there are several language-based art communities in Bengaluru, what makes this one unique is its diversity. I was amazed by the different regions the award winners came from, as usually in these gatherings we only see local talent.”

Moachiba Jamir, who won the award in the creative writing in the English category, said, “The story, Expecting Caterpillars, talks about grief in a way that also touches the culture that I come from, where very strong emotions such as grief and happiness are not really shared. We don’t really hug people, we don’t say we are sorry… I wanted to explore that in my story,” said Jamir.

A native of the Ao tribe in Kohima, Nagaland, Jamir includes his cultural roots in his writing. “I am inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who said there’s not just one story. So, I am not the only story from my culture; I am just a little voice out of all the voices that are around.”

This year’s ceremony recognised 10 winners across various categories, each of whom received a cash prize. In the music category, both Dindūn and Rudy Mukta were awarded ₹60,000 each. The creative writing in the English category saw Moachiba Jamir and Aparna Chivukula winning ₹50,000 each. Dadapeer Jyman won ₹50,000 in creative writing in the Kannada category. The photography category was won by Aswin Sharma and Anuja Dasgupta, with each of them receiving ₹50,000. In the short film category, Pratik Girish Bhoyar and Nikhil Vinay received ₹50,000 . Sankalpa Raychaudhury won the digital art category, receiving a cash prize of ₹50,000.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SCIENCES: 52nd Conference of Indian Pharmacological Society (IPSCON 2023) & Awards Presentation to be held in Mysuru, February 22-25th

The JSS College of Pharmacy will host the 52 nd annual conference of Indian Pharmacological Society to be held in the city from February 23 to 25 and will showcase the developments in the field of pharmacology in India.

M Pramod Kumar, Organising Chairman of 52nd IPSCON 2023, and Principal, G.V. Pujar, to media persons here on Tuesday that the theme will be latest technologies and better strategies to discover new drugs and the conference will also highlight several crucial and contemporary issues in pharmacology.

In all, 110 talks are planned by scientists from across the globe and experts as part of the conference and there will be a pre-conference workshop on Wednesday. More than 1,000 delegates are participating from across the country and there will be 17 scientific sessions comprising symposiums, plenary lectures, distinguished lecture series, current scientific updates, brainstorming sessions and panel discussions

The conference will also feature an exhibition of scientific equipment while a walkathon will be held on February 24 to create awareness about health. The walkathon will be led by former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath, according to the organisers.

During the inauguration three eminent pharmacologists will receive ‘’Lifetime Achievements Awards” for the contribution to drug discovery and development; 10 teachers will be awarded as “Best Teachers Awards”; 4 eminent pharmacologists will be given “Fellow of Indian Pharmacological Society-FIPS”; and eight researchers will be delivering the ‘orations’ talk during the conference.

Vice-Principal K.L. Krishna, Organizing Secretary of 52nd IPSCON 2023, B.R. Prashantha Kumar, Associate Professor, and other officials of JSS AHER and JSS College of Pharmacy faculty were present.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ROBOTICS – PETROLEUM INDUSTRY/ TECHNOLOGY: Start-up ‘Beta Tank Robotics’ Specialised in Hydraulic Robots for the Petroleum Industry Wins the ‘Best Startup Award’ at India Energy Week 2023

The start-up is developing specialised hydraulic robots for the petroleum industry.

City-based start-up Beta Tank Robotics Pvt. Ltd., which is developing specialised hydraulic robots for the petroleum industry, has won the best start-up award at the India Energy Week 2023, which was held in Bengaluru last week.

The robot can operate in oil tanks in petroleum refineries, and thereby eliminate risks to human beings.

It was incubated at IIT Guwahati, and the project was funded by State-owned Oil India Ltd.

The specialised robot can go from one taker to another, and it does the job similar to a vacuum cleaner. The robot at present is undergoing safety assessment as there are very stringent standards set by the oil industry.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ACHIEVERS: 9 Personalities Presented State-level ‘Sandesha Awards 2023’

Nine achievers, including an institution, were presented with the State-level ‘Sandesha Awards 2023’, in recognition of their achievements in different fields here on Tuesday.

The awards were presented in a programme attended by, among others, Sandesha Institute chairman and Ballari Bishop Henry D’Souza, Alva’s Education Foundation Chairman M. Mohan Alva, Bishops of Mangaluru and Udupi Diocese Peter Paul Saldanha and Gerald Isaac Lobo respectively, Sandesha Director Sudeep Paul, and others.

The literature awards, Kannada, Konkani and Tulu were presented to Raghavendra Patil, Andrew L. D’Cunha, and Chinnappa Gowda respectively; the media award to Shivaji Ganeshan, the Konkani music award to Joyce Ozario; the art award to M.S. Murthy; the education award to Kotiganahalli Ramaiah; the special award to Prerana Resource Centre, and the best teacher award was presented to Sabiha Bhoomigowda.

Mr. Alva in his address said: “Our cultural, religious and social life and values are compromised amid the growing worldly life and technological advancement. It is unfortunate that we miss many of those persons who nurture the socio-cultural values through their life. The real joy of living a virtuous life is when we work tirelessly and selflessly for society.”

“Human being is a spirit in the world who constantly strives to explore and grow the inner spiritual powers for the betterment of the society. Sandesha awards has displayed and honoured those who have selflessly contributed their resources and inner powers,” said Bishop Rev. Saldanha.

Bishop D’Souza said: “Today we are living in a world where environment, harmony, health, unity, sensitivity, relationship and cooperation are great matters of concern. Let us aspire to build a society without hatred, division and violence.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / EQUESTRIAN: 17-yr old Shlok Jhunjhunwala Wins 3 Medals at the ‘Jr National Equestrian Championship (JNEC)’ 2023, Bhopal

This Class 11 equestrian from a city-based riding school recently won two individual gold medals in the National Equestrian Championship.

The recently-concluded Junior National Equestrian Championship (JNEC) in Bhopal, witnessed 17-year-old Shlok Jhunjhunwala from city-based Embassy International Riding School (EIRS) emerge as champion in the young rider category, raking up two individual gold medals and one silver medal. He was also named the ‘Best Rider of the Year’ for the second consecutive time.

Jhunjhunwala also topped the first-ever freestyle dressage held in India at the event. “Freestyle was something that none of us knew how to do, and we had little time to practice. I chose to do my routine with Bollywood music, because I wanted to stand out. My sister helped me pick the music and along with my trainer, we planned everything well and it was a great experience,” he shares.

A Mumbai-native, Jhunjhunwala has been riding since he was eight. Lacking the physical fitness to take up other competitive sports, he says riding helped give him a sense of accomplishment. “I used to go to a riding camp near Pune a few times a year. I knew basic horse riding before that and loved riding ponies when I was young, but it was mostly just for fun. At that time, I wasn’t physically fit for a lot of other sports, so riding gave me a sense of accomplishment,” he says, adding that he started to compete in events at a trainer’s suggestion. “I started enjoying that feeling you get when you’re up against others, and are doing well. Once you achieve something, it drives you to do more,” he says.

On his first attempt at the JNEC in 2019, Jhunjhunwala was placed fourth and managed to achieve a team silver medal. The next year, he got his first individual gold medal in show jumping, which prompted him to take the sport seriously. “My parents started to get invested, both financially and physically. I started training with EIRS, which helped up my game, both in terms of fitness and technique. I have faced different challenges since then as well. Being away from home in 2020 took a toll on me, while in 2022, I was placed in a higher category where I was faced with riders with more experience. I guess 2021 was easier than the rest,” he shares.

In 2020, Jhunjhunwala also got his own horse, a major step to which he attributes a lot of progress since then. “Artemis was my first horse. She’s retired now because of a medical issue. But she took me a long way.  I have two other horses right now, Hulchul and Ignatius. The former is really special to me, he’s come a long way from not being able to do any sort of dressage to being in the top 10. Ignatius has a massive heart. I’ve given him a few terrible experiences in the arena through my mistakes, but he has always been great,” he adds.  

Currently studying in Class 11, Jhunjhunwala hopes to pursue engineering in the future and continue riding professionally. “India has a long way to go before being on the same level as the west. The level of competition we have here is nowhere close to that over there,” he concludes.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: Infosys Prize for 6 Researchers

IISc Prof Mahesh Kakde received the award in the mathematical sciences category for his contributions to algebraic number theory which is predicted to help in computing and cryptography.

Six researchers were awarded the Infosys Prize 2022 on Saturday in recognition of their work in their respective fields.The Infosys Science Foundation, a not-for-profit trust, annually honours researchers in the fields of engineering and computer science, humanities, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences and social sciences.

“The Infosys Science Foundation has instituted the Infosys Prize to highlight the importance of scientific research for the development of India and the world. From exploring the frontiers of brain research and astronomy to developing solutions for the urgent healthcare needs of underserved populations to examining the notions of justice in a fast-changing world inundated by the climate emergency and pandemics, our laureates are working on the cutting edge of science, technology, and scholarship….,” said Kris Gopalakrishnan, president, Infosys Science Foundation.

Prof Suman Chakraborty of IIT-Kharagpur has won the award in the engineering and science category for developing diagnostic devices for easy access and use in rural areas. In the humanities category, Vice-Chancellor of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Sudhir Krishnaswamy, was honoured for his work on “the importance of the basic structure doctrine of the  Constitution that was adopted by the Supreme Court in 1973”.

IISc Prof Mahesh Kakde received the award in the mathematical sciences category for his contributions to algebraic number theory which is predicted to help in computing and cryptography.

Chairperson, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Vidita Vaidya was honoured under the life sciences category for her work on understanding the brain in the context of mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Prof Nissim Kanekar of National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune, and Prof Rohini Pande, director, Economic Growth Center, Yale University, were respectively awarded for their work in the field of physical sciences and social sciences. Prof Kanekar was awarded for his studies on galaxies during the ‘cosmic noon’ era, while Prof Pande was awarded for her research on governance and potential policy change for the benefit of social justice.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: TRAVEL & TOURISM / ASTRONOMY / SKY GAZING: Talacauvery (Kodagu District) is India’s ‘2nd Dark Sky Reserve’ Qualifying as ‘Bortle 2 Sky’ & Bengaluru as ‘Bortle 9 Sky’. Also South India’s ‘Hanle’ top ‘Star Party’ Destination next scheduled for Jan 20 -24

The source of Cauvery is also among the most ideal locations to gaze at the sky.

Talacauvery in Kodagu district, which is the source of Cauvery river, has emerged as South India’s Hanle, as astronomers have been hosting “star parties” there for some time now. Hanle, located in Ladakh, and known for its pristine skies and minimal light pollution, is also India’s first Dark Sky Reserve.

A Dark Sky Reserve is a designation given to a place that has policies in place to ensure that a tract of land or region has minimal artificial light interference.

In south India, most dark sky locations are in the Western Ghats or some hill ranges nearby, and according to astronomers, Talacauvery is the most ideal location to gaze at the sky and have a star party.

Voluntary work

The Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS), a group of volunteers working for the promotion of astronomy as a hobby as well as a science, is now hosting star parties at Talacauvery. IT professionals Sudhash Natarajan, Vishwanath S.K. and Keerthi Kiran have been volunteering to conduct the star parties for BAS.

“We at BAS usually arrange star parties on New Moon weekends (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) format as it is the ideal time to observe the celestial objects which we are looking for. We inform people who are interested in joining us for the star party eight to days in advance. Members of the sky party after arriving at the dark sky location set up their equipment like telescopes, binacolours etc and the observation goes on until 4.45 am,” said Sudhash Natarajan.

Mr. Natarajan said that the group which attends the star parties are of all walks of life and that they are a mix of experienced astronomers as well as students and newbies to astronomy. He added that star parties have also been conducted in Koratagere, Hoshalli, Kavalur, and Yercaud in the past.

Less light pollution

“However, Talacauvery is possibly the best dark night location in south India due to less light pollution. In astronomy, there is something called the Bortle scale which measures the night sky’s brightness of a location on a nine level numerical scale. The lesser the numerical scale it qualifies for a better dark sky location. For example, Hanle skies would qualify as Bortle one skies, Talacauvery as Bortle two, and Bengaluru as Bortle nine,” he added.

The star parties are usually conducted in the winter months between December to March as the skies are clearer during these months which is very important for stargazing.

Mr. Natarajan said a star party was conducted between December 23 and 27, 2022, and the next one would be between January 20 and 24.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE: Int’l Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) Develops Platform to provide Aadhaar-like Digital Identities for 9 Countries

Citizens of Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Togolese Republic will enrol on the platform.

Around 70 million citizens in Philippines (80% of the population) have enrolled themselves on their national digital identity programme rolled out by Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), a digital identity platform developed by a team at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB).

Upon the request of World Bank to initiate research and development, the project provides digital identities similar to Aadhaar to underdeveloped and developing countries. So far, 16 lakh lines of codes have been developed and used by countries, free of cost.

People of 9 nations to enroll

Although the project was first aimed at providing MOSIP to five countries, it has now been extended to nine countries. Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and Togolese Republic are the countries whose citizens will enroll on the platform. A team of 30 people, comprising top designers and others from software, database design, security and privacy departments, are working on the project at IIITB.

“Along with technical know-how, we will also help the countries with technological training. Data, privacy, and security will all be within their own country and their policy, we will not interfere with it. We are providing digital identity for the world in a modular nature so that it can be customised to their needs. For instance, in Philippines, English, and Filipino are the languages which used, while in Morocco, it is French and Arabic. Different countries have separate biometric needs and accordingly, the modular biometrics will be used,” explained Debabrata Das, Director, IIITB, who is also the Chairman of Executive Committee for the project.

Scalable. secure

Prof. Rajagopalan, President of MOSIP project, added that the project is highly scalable and secure. The developers have also figured out a way to operate in 5,000+ habitable islands of Philippines where there is no good internet connection.

“We have developed a new technology to identify people where there is no internet or low bandwidth connection. A lot of research went into it and we developed a secure QR code which can be stored in local servers and mobiles and can be used to authenticate each other. Later, when they get internet connection, the information can be exchanged and authenticated,” he further said.

The project is also being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Norad, Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Pratiksha Trust and Omidyar Network.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL / KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: Confluence of Cultures Witnessed at ’13th Nirantharam National Music and Dance Festival’ Jan 01st-05, 2023

This ongoing festival will feature a variety of classical music concerts and dance performances.

It was a musical beginning to the year as the 13th Nirantharam National Music and Dance Festival kick-started on January 1 and will continue till January 5.

This five-day festival, happening at Seva Sadan, Malleswaram, will feature a variety of classical music concerts and dance performances.

The inaugural performance saw a colourful dance ballet, depicting the life and times of Nagarathnamma, a Carnatic singer, scholar, and courtesan. The show was conceptualised and directed by veteran director TS Nagabharana followed by Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi performances throughout the day.

P Ramaa, trustee of Sangeetha Sambhrama, which organised the festival says on January 2 there is a lineup of NRI artists. “It’s an internationally-known music drama and dance festival. Artists from the US and UK  are participating. There is a strong lineup of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi performances,” says Ramaa. The festival has many performers who have been looking forward to being part of live shows. “Performers are eagerly waiting to perform live, as before it was largely online. Even regular attendees of the festival, are awaiting this,” says Ramaa.

Ramaa adds on January 4 there is a dance ballet of Sri Ramanuja Vaibhavam, and suggests not missing it. It will be presented in the presence of  Yadugiri Yathiraja Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamy and Karnataka Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan. Apart from that, there will be a presentation of Sambhrama Puraskar Awards 2023 to eminent artists like R A Ramamani,  Sujatha Sreenivasan,  Sai Venkatesh,  Prasanna Kasthuri,  Praveen D Rao,  Padmaja Srinivas and V Murali Nadaswara.

“We are felicitating all the artists who were bestowed with the Sangeet Nataka Academy Award from the President of India in Delhi. Around 50 people are coming for the award function and some are being awarded posthumously,” concludes Ramaa.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / RACING: Mysuru Bike Racer Varun Nanjundegowda Wins National Title ‘JK Tyre National Racing Championship RE GT Cup 2022’

Twenty-four-year-old bike racer Varun Nanjundegowda from Mysuru grabbed the National Championship title in Coimbatore by winning six out of eight races in JK Tyre National Racing Championship RE GT Cup recently.

Varun entered the world of motorsports two years ago. With consistent passion and the right training, Varun has till now secured seven podium finish to be a National Champion. Now, he is all set to participate with the seniors in Pro Category.

He is the son of J. Nanjunde Gowda (Assistant Executive Engineer at Cauvery Neeravari Nigam) and Jyothi Gowda (home-maker), residents of Gururaja Layout, Mysuru. A BBA graduate from Vidhyaashram First Grade College, Varun trains under Jagadeesh N. Gowda and Ajai Xavier at Bengaluru, Chennai and Coimbatore.

“My interest in biking came from my cousin brother Raghu.

But my parents never wanted me to develop love for racing. I had no idea of motorsports until I was in college where I began to read about races and watch moto GP on TV. My interest took shape when I was part of a Biking Club named ‘The Lycans’ where I met some amazing people who pushed me towards my goal,” says Varun expressing his gratitude to his parents, coaches, family and friends.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)