Karnataka First – Page 15 – Karnataka First

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CRAFTS / LITERATURE / KANNADA: Meet Kannada’s Golden Girl Soubhagya who Won 2 Gold Medals and Cash Prize too

It was the moment that Soubhagya was waiting for all these years. She has won not one but two gold medals in Kannada apart from a cash prize. A teacher by profession, she was adamant on pursuing Kannada. But due to her professional and personal commitments, it was not possible for her to pursue it regularly. But she found a way out through Karnataka State Open University.

“I could not have achieved it without the support of my family. They stood by me whenever I faced difficulties.

Besides, I am thankful to KSOU for giving this kind of opportunity for me and lakhs of students like me to pursue our dream.

Earlier, it was difficult for me as I found Kannada to be tough. But I am passionate about the Kannada language. Besides, the faculty was quite supportive, hence, I could win such accolades,” Soubhagya said.

source/content: mysoorunews.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & INDIA / KARNATAKA: SPACE TECHNOLOGY: 4th edition ‘G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru: ‘Space technology has entered every household in one way or the other’

G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting begins in Bengaluru.

The 4th edition of G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) commenced in Bengaluru on Thursday July 6.

This is the first face-to-face meeting under the G20 umbrella, with the previous meetings organised in virtual and hybrid formats. Heads of national space agencies from 18 of the G20 countries and nine of the 11 invited members are participating in the two-day meet whose theme is ‘Towards a New Space ERA (Economy, Responsibility, Alliance)’.

Senior representatives from 32 global industries, and 53 local industries, are also participating in the meet.

During the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, PMO; MoES; S&T; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions; Dep. Of Space; Dept. of Atomic Energy, said that this gathering (G20 countries along with partner countries) represents nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, the best brains across the world in the space sector, 85% of the global GDP, and 75% of the world trade.

“You are not only spearheaders, torchbearers but also opinion-makers, and I am glad that India is in a position to share its inputs with other member countries as well. The new chapter of public-private participation is going to make it a value for all of us to learn the virtues of an integrated approach. An era of partnership is in the offing. Our concerns are common and our efforts have to be common. Therefore, the time has come to carry forward the collaboration to discover wider horizons in the times to come,” Dr Singh said.

“I hardly need to reiterate the importance that space technology has gained of late across the world. Rather, I would put it in a single sentence saying that space technology has virtually entered every household in one way or the other.”

He added that every aspect of human life, be it disaster management, agriculture, education, health, navigation, defence, is connected to space technology.

G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, said the space economy is experiencing rapid growth with increasing revenues and more commercial actors entering the industry. “Studies project that space could become a trillion dollar sector in the coming decades. This exponential growth necessitates support from governments worldwide. That is why, we are discussing space as a formal element in the G20,” Mr Kanth said.

Round-table meetings for the heads of space agencies, panel discussions, bilateral meetings and a plenary session are a part of the first day of the event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICALS: Biocon Biologics’ HULIO, a Humira biosimilar now available in US for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

The company also offers a robust patient support programme — HULIO360, providing benefits like verification and prior authorisation support, copay assistance, a bridge programme for eligible patients.

Biocon Biologics Ltd has announced that HULIO (adalimumab-fkjp) injection, a biosimilar for Humira (adalimumab) — used to treat rheumatoid arthritis — is now available for patients in the US, after five years of experience in Europe and two years in Canada.

HULIO meets the rigorous biosimilar approval standards of the FDA. Like Humira, HULIO is citrate-free and is made without natural rubber latex (to help reduce hypersensitivity reactions). The company also offers a robust patient support programme — HULIO360, providing benefits like verification and prior authorisation support, copay assistance, a bridge programme for eligible patients, and at-home nurse injection training.

“The launch of HULIO, our biosimilar adalimumab, is an important milestone as it expands our well-known biosimilar product offering to patients in the United States. This launch builds on our strong presence in oncology and diabetes and reaffirms our commitment to enabling affordable access to biologics,” said Shreehas Tambe, CEO and MD, Biocon Biologics Ltd.

“We are pleased to make HULIO, a patient-friendly, two-click, pre-filled pen available in the US for patients with certain inflammatory diseases,” said Mathew Erick, Chief Commercial Officer of Advanced Markets, Biocon Biologics Ltd.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

REGIONAL: KARNATAKA: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: South India’s First Vertebral Stentoplasty Conducted at Bengaluru’s Aster CMI Hospital

A stent was inserted along with the balloon in the vertebrae, and the balloon was inflated later to raise the collapsed vertebra.

A 57-year-old woman, having suffered a spine fracture along with rheumatoid arthritis, underwent a vertebral body stenting procedure at city-based Aster CMI Hospital. This is claimed to be the first such surgery performed in South India.

The woman was brought to the hospital in severe pain and was even unable to walk. With her limited mobility, the doctors decided to perform a vertebral body stenting procedure (stentoplasty), which was minimally invasive. Dr Umesh Srikantha, Sr Consultant – Neurosurgery, Head of Spine Services, Aster CMI Hospital, explained: “The surgery was minimally invasive and was performed using the latest medical procedure in vertebral augmentation which gave immediate relief to the patient, who was able to walk in less than 24 hours. Balloon Kyphoplasty prevents the vertebral body from collapsing and also helps in vertebral body height restoration and shape.”

A stent was inserted along with the balloon in the vertebrae, and the balloon was inflated later to raise the collapsed vertebra.

The cavity formed after deflating the balloon, and was filled with bone cement to support the bone surrounding, Dr Srikantha explained. The whole procedure was completed within an hour and the patient saw significant improvement. She was able to walk comfortably without any assistance, he added.

S Ramesh Kumar, CEO of Aster CMI Hospital proudly called it South India’s first such surgery conducted at their hospital, which was made possible with the help of high-end technology.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: COOKERY CONTEST: ‘The Hindu Our State Our Taste’ Contestants come up with a Variety of Dishes in Bengaluru

A good start to “The Hindu Our State Our Taste, a cookery competition that was held at Bengaluru on July 1 in Uttara Kannada Bhavan saw an overwhelming response and good numbers.

Namitha K.N. was adjudged the winner of the preliminary round. She showcased her talent by cooking Mangaluru style, Coorg Style and Mixed Types of foods that represented the flavour of Karnataka with Gold Winner Cooking Oil. Judges for the contest celebrity chef duo Oggarane Dabbi Murali and Suchitra Muralidhar said that the judging criteria for the dishes were based on taste, texture, flavour, and presentation.

Akila T. was adjudged the first runner-up and Uma Janardhan was adjudged the second runner-up.

The regional rounds will be held in 24 cities, and the winners will participate in the grand finale in Bengaluru on September 10, 2023. The first prize will be ₹1 lakh, the second prize is ₹60,000 and the third prize is ₹40,000.

The participants must cook a traditional Kannada dish or give it a special twist and bring it to the venue.

Celebrity Chef Mr. OggaraneDabbi Murali and Mrs. Suchitra Murali, Mr. Raghunandhan from The Hindu Group, Subha Rajashekar – beauty miss Karnataka 2017, Trishula Trust secretary and Suvarna Ladies Club president from Suvarna channel, Mr. Rajashekar, Mr. Mahesh from Gold Winner, Mr. Anantha Swamy Sri Enterprises from RKG Ghee, Mr. Raghunath from Butterfly and Mr. Sudarshan from Everest gave away the prizes to the winner and runners-up.

Our State Our Taste is presented by Gold Winner, co-presented by RKG, powered by Butterfly, in association with Aashirvaad, Parrys Sugar & Everest. Vermicelli partner is Bambino. Television Partner is Siri Kannada.

We are moving into the next round of OSOT Karnataka at Chikballapur on July 2. Venue: Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: DEFENCE SERVICES / TECHNOLOGY :DRDO, Navy Fly TAPAS Drone, Land it on Warship

The TAPAS UAV took off from Chitradurga’s Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) and flew 285 km and landed successfully on INS Subhadra.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully demonstrated the transfer of command and control capabilities of TAPAS unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The TAPAS UAV took off from Chitradurga’s Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) and flew 285 km and landed successfully on INS Subhadra. According to the Navy, the vessel was 148km off the Karwar Naval base. A ground control station and two ship data terminals were installed on INS Subhadra to control the UAV.

The UAV took off at 7.35 am from the ATR and soared to a height of 20,000 feet and flew for three-and-a-half hours non-stop to land on INS Subhadra. “After this test, the UAV flew back to the ATR safely,” said the Navy.

“This test is called C2 — command and control capabilities — to check the ability of the operator to control the drone’s flight, sensors and payloads. C2 capabilities are essential for the safe and effective operations of a drone. This is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone, which has a flight endurance of 24 to 48 hours,” informed Girish Linganna, a Bengaluru-based defence expert.

TAPAS was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and can be used for patrolling and intelligence gathering for all the three forces. These UAVs are considered the Indian version of Predator drones of the United States.

They are equipped with electro optics sensors to capture images and videos both during the day and night, long-range electro optics sensors to take images and videos from long distances that can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions and provide information about enemy movements and activities, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that uses a technique called synthetic aperture to create high-resolution images that can be used in all-weather conditions to obtain ground surface details like terrain features and objects, electronic intelligence, communication intelligence and other features.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: CANINES/DOGS FOR INDIAN ARMY: Belgian Malinois Dogs to Guard Indian Borders, Reared in Bavikeri, Ankola Taluk, Uttara Kannada

A post on Facebook changed the history of 17 Belgian Malinois puppies which were born at a house in a village near Ankola.

A post on Facebook changed the history of 17 Belgian Malinois puppies which were born at a house in a village near Ankola. For dog lover Raghavendra Bhat, a resident of Bavikere in Ankola taluk in Uttara Kannada district, rearing dogs has been a hobby.

But an unexpected big event occurred when he, as usual, posted the pictures of his Belgian Malinois puppies. An officer from the Army in Assam contacted him immediately, requesting him to give the puppies to guard the borders.

Bhat, an officer in the Department of Women and Child Development in Uttara Kannada, told this newspaper, “I had a big surprise when the Army officer contacted me. Another officer was sent to my house and he tested all the pups for 45 days, before ensuring that they are fit to serve the nation.”

Bhat learnt about Belgian Malinois after a friend who works in CRPF informed him about the breed. “I searched for the best dogs and did not want any with a history of inbreeding. I brought the male from Bengaluru and a pair of females from Haryana. I retained one female Lisa. I got a duron colour male from Hyderabad, which we named Devil. Malinois with this colour is rare and most sought after. The rest is history,” he said.

He has four Malinois now, KF, Devil, Lisa and Tiny.
Lisa littered 10 puppies and Tiny eight. Bhat’s family never thought that the pups would be picked up by the Army. Earlier, a few pups had been taken for service by the state police.

The family has been rearing dogs for the last 25 years and have several rare and popular breeds in their collection, including dobermann, German shepherd, pit bulls and American bully. Their Indian breeds include Bully kutta and Mudhol hounds. He is now planning to bring in the best of Rajapalayam hounds to his collection.

One-post fame
After a Facebook post, an Army officer from Assam contacted Raghavendra Bhat, requesting that the puppies be given to guard the borders. The pups were tested for 45 days to be declared fit to serve the nation

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: MARINE & FISHERIES: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) Scientists Facilitate Successful Cultivation of Indian Pompano through Cage Fish Culture in Padhthonse Village, Udupi district

A team of scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mangaluru, has facilitated successful cultivation of Indian Pompano (Trachinotus mookalee) for the first time in Karnataka in the Swarna estuary at Padhthonse village, Udupi district, and its harvest was done from June 2 to June 26.

The pilot project began last November under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan Programme, wherein the beneficiaries got hands-on training in various aspects of cage culture.

Indian Pompano fingerlings, measuring 2-3 cm, were procured from the marine finfish hatchery of the Vishakhapatnam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI.

About 4,000 fingerlings, each weighing 3-4 gm, were released into cages at a density of 40-50 fishes per cubic metre after acclimatising them to the local condition.

The fingerlings were fed pelleted floating feed twice a day, amounting to 5% of their body weight, said a release from CMFRI-Mangaluru.

After a five-month grow-out period, the Indian Pompano was harvested in batches between June 2 and 26. The average growth observed during this period was 400-450 gm, resulting in a total harvest of 1,300 kg with survival rate of 90%.

The beneficiaries sold the harvested fish locally, fetching prices ranging from ₹450 to ₹490 per kg generating ₹6.1 lakh revenue. With expenses at ₹3.75 lakh, the net profit earned was ₹2.35 lakh in six months.

Success of the pilot would not only provide alternative livelihood for SC families, but also help other local communities. The success has demonstrated the rapid growth rate of Indian Pompano to reach the preferred table-size in six months and the favourable market demand for the same.

Cage cultivation of fish in coastal Karnataka began in 2009-10 in coastal rivers with over 900 cages being installed in estuaries till now.

The Fisheries Department, the National Fisheries Development Corporation etc., extended financial support to over 500 families. Seabass, Red Snapper and Snubnose Pompano were among the species grown in cages.

The research programme was led by A.P. Dineshbabu and his team of scientists comprising Sujitha Thomas, Geetha Sasikumar, Rajesh K. M., and Divya Viswambharan.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORD: INDIA & KARNATAKA: Karnataka’s Lion-Tailed Macaque Population Highest in World

The latest study was conducted in December 2022, covering Sirsi-Honnavara and Shivamogga forest divisions.

Karnataka has the world’s largest population of lion-tailed macaques (LTMs) with 41 groups of 730 individuals, according to a study by the Karnataka Forest Department and Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON).

The study gave a big boost to conservation efforts as it found that the population of LTMs in the Sharavathi Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary (SVLTMS), spread across Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts, has been stable with more groups being added, as compared to the previous study. The earlier study in 2015 had put the population of LTMs at 30 groups with a little over 600 individuals.

The latest study was conducted in December 2022, covering Sirsi-Honnavara and Shivamogga forest divisions. Volunteers and forest department staff walked through 72 grid cells in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, which span north of the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and south of the Aghanashini River Valley.

“The study areas were Kyadagi and Siddapur forest ranges in the Sirsi Forest Division, Honnavar, Gersoppa, Bhatkala and Kumta Forest ranges in the Honnavar Forest Division, and Kogar and Kargal forest ranges of the Shivamogga Wildlife Division,” said Vasanth Reddy, Conservator of Forests, Canara Circle, who initiated the study.

“It revealed that Uttara Kannada has been a significant and potential site for the conservation of LTMs, considering the sizable canopy and undisturbed habitat as compared to the north of Sharavathi,” HN Kumara, Senior Principal Scientist, SACON, said. He said the department’s initiatives, like restoration of canopy and forests and insulating high-tension transmission lines that pass through forest areas of Gerusoppa and other places, have helped in the conservation of LTMs.

This is the first integrated LTM assessment exercise for the Sharavathi Valley Sanctuary, covering both Canara and Shivamogga circles. Earlier, the study focussed only on Canara circle. LTMs are the indicators of evergreen forests as they prefer canopy and are rarely seen on ground.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

India launches multi-lingual legal app for assistance from homes

Former CJI UU Lalit said access to justice has always been a cause dear to his heart.

Former Chief Justice of India M N Venkatachaliah recently launched the multi-lingual India Legal App, a legal helpline accessible to citizens to obtain legal assistance from their homes.

Justice Venkatachaliah, also a patron-in-chief of India Legal Research Foundation, said that the app will benefit a wide range of consumers, including a large legal community of 1.2 million lawyers and half a million students, a release stated.

After the launch of the app on Saturday, the first call on the app came from Meerut. An employee alleged that his employer did not give him money. Justice Venkatachaliah directed him to file a case against the employer and to approach the High Court.

Former CJI UU Lalit said access to justice has always been a cause dear to his heart. “From Supreme Court to lower courts the doors have always been open for impartial justice. However, systemic difficulties have made access to justice challenging,” he said.

The app can be used in 6 languages — English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)