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)

KARNATAKA: NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPORTS: Modi mentions Karnataka Palm Leather startup ‘Bhoomi Agri Ventures’ in ‘Mann Ki Baat’

The PM said the couple is sending many unique products made from betelnut fiber to the international market.

A Shivamogga-based couple’s out-of-the-box idea on the use of betelnut fibre has earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Suresh and his wife Maithili, who are residents of Vinoba Nagar, are exporting their palm leather products internationally.

Modi praised the couple in his Mann Ki Baat episode on Sunday and said the countrymen should use such indigenous products and gift them to others as well. Suresh and Maithili, through their startup Bhoomi Agri Ventures, are making and exporting areca palm products. Their palm leather project was instigated as a cheap plant-based replacement for animal leather, plastic and rubber.

The PM said the couple is sending many unique products made from betelnut fibre to the international market. “These people are making decorative things ranging from trays, plates and handbags from betelnut fibre. Chappals made of this fibre are also being liked a lot today. Today, their products are being sold in London and other markets in Europe.

This is the very quality of our natural resources and traditional skills, which is being liked by everyone. With the traditional knowledge of India, the world is looking at ways of a sustainable future. We ourselves also need to be more and more aware of this. We should use such indigenous and local products and gift them to others as well. This will also strengthen our identity, the local economy, and, in large numbers, brighten the future of the people,” he said.

Expressing happiness over Modi mentioning them in this radio programme, Suresh told TNIE that their project was possible thanks to the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR).

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE / SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDs: Writer Moodnakudu Chinnaswamy and Journalist Padmaraj Dandavati get Sahitya Akademi Award 2022 in Kannada Category

Writer Moodnakudu Chinnaswamy and  journalist Padmaraj Dandavati have won the Sahitya Akademi award in the Kannada category for the year 2022. The awards were announced by the Central Sahitya Akademi on Thursday.

While Chinnaswamy won the award for his work ‘Bahutvada  Bharata Mattu Bouddha Tatvikate’, Dandavati bagged the award in the translation category for ‘Seetha Ramayanada Sachitra Maru kathana.’ Dandavati has translated Devadatta Pattanaik’s ‘Seetha’ from English to Kannada.

While the main book award carries cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation, the translation award carries a prize amount of Rs 50,000 and a citation. The awards will be presented at a function in New Delhi in March 2023.

The selection of awards was carried out under the supervision of Dr Sarjoo Katkar, convenor of Kannada advisory board of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Dr C Naganna, Chandrasekhar Vastrad and Padmaraj Dandavati were the judges for the main book award, while Dr Jagadish Koppa, Dr Mohan Kuntar and Dr Kamalakar Bhat were the judges for the translation award. Central Sahitya Akademi President Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar has congratulated the award winners.

The awards will be presented at a function in New Delhi in March 2023.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / ROLLER SKATING: Karnataka State Shines in the ’60th National Roller Skating Championships 2022′ Winning 11 Medals – 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze.

The 60th National Roller Skating Championships 2022-23 was held at Bengaluru from December 11 to 22.

10 skaters from Hi-Flyers Skating Club had qualified for the Nationals.

4 skaters won 6 Golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronze.

In Individual Events :

Arpita Nishanth Shet gets 1 Gold and 1 Silver in Rink 500+D and Road 1 lap.


Muhammad Shamil Arshad gets 1 Gold and 1 Silver in Rink 500+D and Road 1 lap.


Dashiel Amanda Concessao gets 2 Bronzes in Dual TT and 500+D.


Moksha A Suvarna gets a Bronze in Road 1 lap.

In Group Events :

Shamil and Arpita grab the Gold in junior Mixed Relay.

Arpita and Dashiel also grab the Gold in the junior Girls Relay

These skaters were trained by coaches Mohandas K, Jayaraj and Ramanand of Hi-Flyers Skating Club.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: Parameshwar Hegde, DySP Mangaluru Central sub division Awarded Prestigious President’s Medal

Parameshwar Hegde, DySP Mangaluru Central sub division, received the prestigious President’s Medal Parameshwar Hegde for his meritorious service, in a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru recently.

Governor Tawarchand Gehlot conferred on him the President’s Medal in the presence of state home minister Araga Jnanendra.

Parameshwar Hegde had joined the police force as PSI in 1994 and took effective actions to maintain law and order. He served in Mangaluru north police station from 2004 to 2006, took charge of the rowdy squad and cracked several cases. He arrested Balakrishna Shetty alias Vikki belonging to Chota Rajan gang and confiscated a car worth Rs 3.05 lacs, pistol and bullets.

He had arrested notorious rowdy sheeter Asgar Ali, Bodda Lathif and Nazeer and seized foreign made revolver, bullets, Maruti car and two mobile phones from them.

When he was deployed in CCB in 2015, he joined the team to nab Jane Snatcher, collecting information about the Bavariya gang by visiting Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

He also joined the team to nab Irani thieves and recovered gold chains weighing 2.4 kg. He was promoted as DySP in 2015 and was assigned at CID, Bengaluru, where he investigated 14 cases registered against misuse of chief minister’s funds and submitted the charge sheet in 8 cases.

When he was assigned the duty ACP of Vijayanagar sub division he cracked 389 theft cases, robbery and looting cases, recovered 9,700 grams gold ornaments, 192 two wheelers, four four wheelers and 157 mobile phones and handed them over to the owners.

The president of India has presented him with a medal during the Independence Day celebrations in 2020 as well considering his professional dedication and service.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / MAGIC: Magician Kudroli Ganesh was Presented with the US-based ‘Int’l Society of Magic’s -‘ Merlin Award’ at the Int’l Magic Extravaganza 2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Mangaluru magician Kudroli Ganesh received the Merlin award during the International Magic Extravaganza 2022 held at Bangkok in Thailand recently.

The award, which was instituted by the International Society of Magic from the U.S., was presented to him by U.S.-based magician Tony Hassini. He was considered for the award for his magic show ‘Tulunadu Tudar Chendu’. He presented the traditional cups and balls trick of the world in a creative form, using the Tulu Paadana (sung narratives of Tulu).

The Thailand International Academy of Magic, the organisers of the event, praised the presentation and adjudged it as the “most original act” and presented the award, Mr. Ganesh said in a communique.

The event was held for five days.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: GREEN ENERGY: The International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B) Installs Rooftop Solar Power System Covering 40% of its Power Requirements.

The solar power system offers 498.43 KWP capacity which is nearly 40 per cent of the power requirement of the institute.

The International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore installed a 500 kVA rooftop solar power system in its campus recently. It was inaugurated by S Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, IIIT-B governing body.

The solar power system offers 498.43 KWP capacity which is nearly 40 per cent of the power requirement of the institute.

IIIT-B has installed 393 solar panels on rooftops and has upgraded its infrastructure to tap green energy.

Jagadish P Patil, Chief Administration Officer, said, “Our power requirement has shot up to 22% as there is an increase in student strength and upgradation of infrastructure. With this solar power system, we can reduce 40 per cent on the overall power bill.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: AIRPORTS / TRAVEL/ METAVERSE: Kempegowda Intl Airport’s Terminal-2 (KIA T-2) is One of the First in the World that can be Experienced on the Metaverse. First phase of ‘BLR Metaport’ Launched

The Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal-2 has become one of the first terminals in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse, after Bangalore International Airport Limited, operator of the KIA, on Tuesday announced the first phase launch of the BLR Metaport.

The Kempegowda International Airport’s (KIA) Terminal-2 has become one of the first terminals in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse, after Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the KIA, on Tuesday announced the first phase launch of the BLR Metaport.

Built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Polygon, the BLR Metaport offers an immersive, three-dimensional (3D) virtual experience of the newly launched terminal.

Interested travellers and members of the public can log on to www.blrmetaport.com and virtually tour and navigate the new terminal using their smart devices.

The BLR Metaport is an outcome of the Joint Innovation Centre (JIC), announced in April 2022 by BIAL, AWS, and Intel. The JIC focuses on driving the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation.

“For BIAL, the mission of the JIC is to leverage emerging technologies to build new business models and passenger experiences and be at the forefront of technology innovation in India’s commercial aviation,” BIAL added.

Developed in line with this mission, the BLR Metaport is one of the first airport metaverse experiences, designed to deliver an enhanced digital experience.

A 3D interface will offer customers new ways to interact with the airport, such as checking into flights, navigating terminals, shopping, and social aspects like connecting with other travellers.

BLR Metaport brings the virtual and physical worlds together to provide consistent engagement, and aims to excite travellers with new, unique, and immersive experiences.

BIAL’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Satyaki Raghunath said, “We are very excited that BIAL is entering into the new world of metaverse through the BLR Metaport.

This is our first foray into the world of Web3 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and we aim to delight travellers with a unique, immersive, and virtual experience. We believe that it is important to connect with a new generation of our global audience through the metaverse.

We also have several initiatives planned around the BLR Metaport, which promise to increase ways in which we can engage with our global audience and enhance business impact over the next few years.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / GOLF: Mysuru’s Ace City Golfer Aryan Roopa Anand Wins the ‘IGU Northern India Amateur Golf Championship 2022’, Jaipur

Reigning all-India champion Aryan Roopa Anand shot a closing two-under 68 to win the IGU Northern India Amateur Golf Championship at the Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur on Friday. He beat a strong field of 74 players from all over the country.

The Mysuru-based golfer finished with an impressive four-day aggregate of 10- under 270 to end his stroke play jinx on the amateur circuit. 20-year-old Aryan’s last victory came in 2019 in Ahmedabad.

Aryan played 4 under on Day 1, again 4 under on Day 2, level par on Day 3 and 2 under par on the 4th and final round to finish at a 10 under par score. Yuvraj Singh of Punjab was the runner-up and Harimohan Singh of Uttar Pradesh was the 2nd runner. Tournament Director Paramjit Singh, also from Mysuru, was present at the event.

Speaking to reporters, Aryan said, “It feels good to win a stroke play title again after a long time.” He is a member of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club, Mysuru and is now being trained at the Tarun Sardesai Golf Academy in Kolar.

Aryan came into the event on the back of a brilliant charge on the final day during the previous week in the Western India event in Mumbai where he shot a sizzling nine-under 61 to lose by a stroke.

He carried the same form into the Jaipur event as well. Aryan, who turns 21 in two weeks’ time, is in Mumbai now to win the season-ending all-India event, beginning next week, for the third straight time.

Last December, Aryan retained his IGU All-India Amateur Golf Championship title defeating Yuvraj Singh, at the Poona Golf Course in Pune.

Aryan is the son of Anand Kumar and Roopa. The family lives at Dattagalli in Mysuru city.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ENGINEERING / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: The ‘TAPAS 201 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV’ completes flight test of 18 hours. Totally Indigenous Designed and Developed by Aeronautical Development Est (ADE).

TAPAS 201 has been designed and developed by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).

The TAPAS 201 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV has achieved a significant milestone after undertaking a flight test lasting 18 hours at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka.

TAPAS 201 has been designed and developed by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE). HAL and BEL will be the production partners for the MALE UAV.

Announcing the milestone, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tweeted: India’s TAPAS UAV, #designed & #developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru for tri-services has successfully achieved #milestone flight test of 18 hours at Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga.

TAPAS 201 is a multi-mission UAV being developed to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance roles for the three wings of the armed forces with endurance in the range of 24 to 30 hours.

Described as the Indian version of the US’s Predator drones, TAPAS 201 is capable of carrying different combinations of payloads, like Medium Range Electro Optic, Long Range Electro Optic, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Electronic Intelligence, Communication Intelligence and Situational Awareness Payloads, to perform missions during day and night.

The MALE UAV, which was earlier referred to as RUSTOM II, undertook its first flight in November 2016. Since then, it has undertaken many test flights.

In 2019, the TAPAS 201 programme suffered a setback when the UAV crashed during an experimental flight near the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga.

Apart from the Indian army, air force and navy, internal security agencies like State Police Forces, BSF, CRPF, and the Coast Guard are also prospective users of the MALE UAV.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)