Monthly Archives: April 2014

Auction halls survive digital age

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

The Taluk Office Street in Gandhinagar is dotted with quite a few auction halls, which offer dining tables, wardrobes, cots, office tables, etc

In this digital age, when things are bought and sold at the click of a mouse over Internet, Gandhinagar in Vijayawada is still preferred by many to buy or sell pre-owned furniture.

The Taluk Office Street in Gandhinagar is dotted with quite a few auction halls, which offer dining tables, wardrobes, cots, office tables, etc but not through the traditional way of auctions.

Generally, employees, who get transferred to other places or those who arrive in the city, visit these halls for furniture. Businessmen, who plan to set up new store or those, who wish to discard old furniture zero in on auction halls, explains A. Anil Kumar of Sri Saikrishna Auction Hall.

People walk into the outlets and check out for the desired dining table or cot and if they are convinced of the quality and price, a deal is struck, of course after a lot of bargaining. No guarantee is extended on the products, he adds.

But why are these outlets called auction halls? A few years ago, outlet owners used to conduct auctions every Sunday at 5 p.m. in their respective outlet premises. When two or more customers desire for a particular product, then an auction was conducted and the one, who bids the higher price used to get it, replies T. Purna of Sri Srinivasa Auction Hall.

With the government insisting on licences to conduct auctions, the practice was done away. But that has not stopped people from coming to the area, though the number is declining over the years for different reasons.

With showrooms offering EMI options, most people from middle income groups are opting to buy furniture from them. People from low income groups still visit these outlets as they are confident of getting quality products at affordable prices, he says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by S. Sandeep Kumar / Vijayawada – April 08th, 2014

Hyderabad-born elected co-chair of Iowa Republican party

Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Hyderabad -born Indian-American businessman Gopal T.K. Krishna has been elected as co-chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa state, which has traditionally held the first caucus in presidential elections.

Krishna, a successful businessman with a background in electrical engineering, replaces Danny Carroll, who has been elected as chairman, according to an announcement by the party’s state central committee in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I have been, and am a Republican for all Republicans. The first three letters of my name are G-O-P. I ran because I don’t want to wait until the primary elections to promote unity,” he said after his election.

“I want to continue to increase our party’s voter registration advantage and participation in the forthcoming elections.

“I look forward to working with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to advance the Growth and Opportunity Project, work to reach out to minorities and bring new people into our Republican Party,” he said.

“As long as I am Co-Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, outreach to all minority communities will be a priority,” Krishna said.

Krishna, who immigrated to the US in 1969, has a long history of working for Republican causes and campaigns.

Krishna has been elected seven times to the Republican State Central Committee, including serving as Chair of the Budget and Organization Committees, the announcement noted.

Krishna is a graduate of the Methodist Boys’ Multipurpose Higher Secondary School in Hyderabad. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

After immigrating to the US, he received three masters degrees-Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Kansas in Lawrence, Master of Business Administration degree from Drake University in Des Moines, and Master of Science degree in Sanitary Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames city.

He is the founder and president of  Krishna Engineering  Consultants, Inc.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Diaspora / IANS / Washington – April 01st, 2014

British Airways’ dream launch

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
South Asia Regional Commercial Manager of British Airways Christopher Fordyce greets Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachachan during the launch of the British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Hyderabad on Monday. PHOTO: K_RAMESH BABU
South Asia Regional Commercial Manager of British Airways Christopher Fordyce greets Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachachan during the launch of the British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Hyderabad on Monday. PHOTO: K_RAMESH BABU

Boeing Dreamliner 787 to connect city with London. The Dreamliner landed at the Hyderabad International Airport from London early on Monday.

Coinciding with ‘Ugadi’, the British Airways launched the luxurious Boeing Dreamliner 787 connecting Hyderabad and London on Monday.

The Dreamliner landed at the Hyderabad International Airport from London early on Monday and the brand new aircraft was adorned with a plaque commemorating and honouring the Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachan.

“The collaboration signifies commitment, rich legacy and our success in the Indian market” said Christopher Fordyce, Regional Commercial Manager, British Airways, South Asia at a press conference here.

Enhanced comfort

Mr. Christopher said it was British Airways’ first Dreamliner to India, and customers travelling to and from Hyderabad will now get an opportunity to enjoy the all new luxurious and ultra-modern aircraft that promises enhanced comfort and reduced jet lag. He said more Indian film content is being added in all the British Airways aircrafts to India realising the huge market potential.

Mr. Christopher said India has emerged as the second largest market for the carrier after North America and has increased 40 per cent seats since last year. It has been operating in India for the last 85 years and as of now 48 flights are being operated per week connecting Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to London. He said British Airways has no plans to enter into alliance with any Indian airlines as of now.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – April 01st, 2014

Game developer strikes it rich

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

 

Yogesh Boppana, a second year engineering student of GITAM University, who has developed two games so far and recently bagged a plum job offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games./ The Hindu
Yogesh Boppana, a second year engineering student of GITAM University, who has developed two games so far and recently bagged a plum job offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games./ The Hindu

Yogesh Boppana (19),a second year engineering student of GITAM, has bagged an annual package of $ 360,000 (Rs 2.2 crore) from Canada-based Rockstar Games

Playing games may be fun, but for some developing them gives a different kind of kick. At the age of 19, Yogesh Boppana has not only designed and developed two games and but also bagged a plum offer from Canada-based Rockstar Games with an annual pay package of $ 360,000 (Rs 2.2 crore).

Passionate about game developing Boppana, second year engineering student of GITAM University, got initiated into the exciting world of gaming when he was in school. “I used to play all kinds of games and also keep a lookout for what’s the latest development in the gaming sector,” he says.

The young game developer’s first game was out when he was just 17 years old. Titled ‘Avoid Blades’ – it is a fun game suitable for any age group. “The game is simple and has unlimited levels in which the gamer has to protect rings from the blades to get the highest score,” he says. His second game ‘The Sky Fight’ was designed and developed in seven months.

Skill and creativity apart, game development has turned into serious business. Gaming across platforms (PC, mobile, social media, local networks) is set to grow exponentially over the next few years. India has 15 million social gamers at the moment and this is expected grow to 31.96 million by 2018, according to industry estimates.

Realising the potential of this growing sector, Boppana is now developing his third game which he says will be the “special highlight” of his works so far. A ‘story-based 3D game’, he plans to complete it by the fall of 2016. “The programming part is done but designing and developing the animation takes a lot of time. I am working on it now,” he adds.

Bopanna recently started his own enterprise called ‘YNations’ with a small young team. The team’s first project is on a unique product called ‘Digital Complaint Box’. “We have applied for patent for this. It is a gadget wherein complaints can be registered by the vocal medium as well,” says Bopanna.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – April 01st, 2014

Terrace cultivation catching up in Ongole

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
A housewife watering plants in her terrace garden in Ongole./ Photo: Kommuri Srinivas / The Hindu
A housewife watering plants in her terrace garden in Ongole./ Photo: Kommuri Srinivas / The Hindu

People urge the Horticulture Department to organise events to promote terrace cultivation among apartment owners

The city, which is in the hot race for location of capital for the successor State of Andhra Pradesh, is fast becoming a concrete jungle with mushrooming of apartments.

However, more and more people are taking to terrace cultivation putting to best use whatever little open space available with them on the terrace and on balconies to promote greenery and lead a healthier life as the apartment culture has come to stay.

Growing saplings on the terrace and on balconies of apartments can reduce carbon emission and air pollution, says Dr.Kona Radhakrishnamurthy, a retired professor from C.S.R. Sarma College here, while speaking to The Hindu.

“Growing saplings is like child rearing,’’ adds Dr Radhakrishnamurthy, Reader in Philsophy, who has turned his penthouse into a beautiful garden growing plants that could withstand moisture stress and seasonal plants including the most-loved jasmine.

“We can make our locality a better place to live in getting accustomed to new urban lifestyle,” says a housewife Santi who has taken to vegetable gardening in her apartment in a small way.

She has sown the seeds of change among other flat owners, who are equally fed up with ever-increasing cost of fruits and vegetables as also flowers.

Let more and more people join the bandwagon getting the thrill of growing plants to lead a better life in the given situation, adds a technocrat, M Srinivasa Rao getting tuned to the changing lifestyle. The Horticulture Department should organise events to promote terrace cultivation among apartment owners, they added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Ongole – April 02nd, 2014

New power plant in AP starts generation

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

The first unit of  Andhra Pradesh Government’s thermal power plant at Krishnapatnam in Nellore district has been synchronised with State power grid.

The first unit of Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (2×800 MW) at Krishnapatnam has been synchronised with AP power grid, power generation entity Apgenco said in a statement today.

During the initial operation of about two hours, the unit reached a maximum load of 55.6 MW, generating about 0.086 million units (MU) of energy, it said.

“Generation of 38 MU/day can be realised after both the units are commissioned,” the company said.

BHEL  and  L&T were the major contractors for the coal-based power plant, while Navayuga Engineering Company took up seawater related works, the statement added.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Hyderabad – April 01st, 2014

Hands-on with robots, to improve basics

Education, Science & Technology
Children learning the basics of robotics at the Academy of Robotics in Visakhapatnam on Saturday./ Photo: by Arrangement / The Hindu
Children learning the basics of robotics at the Academy of Robotics in Visakhapatnam on Saturday./ Photo: by Arrangement / The Hindu

Growing awareness is encouraging, say experts

Imagine a chair that could fly and take you to school, or a smartphone that doubles up as your TV or AC remote!

All this is possible in the world of robotics.

With quite a few summer camps on robotics springing up in the city, parents are gradually warming up to the concept of practical learning, and there has been a growing awareness about it.

“Most children have high curiosity element for any toy or gadget. They like to dismantle it and see what is inside. But at home, they are stopped from doing so. The idea of robotics workshops is to nurture the curiosity in a child and nourish their own methodology of creation,” said M. Srikanth, director and national head, Academy of Robotics.

The academy has a two-week and a four-week programme for children of six years and above. By building and programming robots, the students explore fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer programming.

The concept of reverse engineering is used widely in these summer camps, wherein the learning time is shortened considerably.

“This is because you are working on a prototype, instead of the real model,” Srikanth added.

The academy has branches all across India, including two in the city and three in Hyderabad.

It also offers one month to three months programme for engineering students.

The growing inclination towards the concept of robotics has seen young B.Tech graduates launching their own firms in the city.

V. Naresh, who launched his academy called Megarobotics Technology this year, has already tied up with six schools for conducting summer camps.

Closing gap

Interestingly, the gender ratio in a robotics class, which used to be largely skewed towards boys not so long ago, is today seeing a balanced mix with many girls coming forward to explore the world of robotics.

While the market for robotics in India is yet to mature up to the levels of western countries, where the emphasis is far more on practical learning than theory, industry experts feel that the growth in awareness for robotics is an encouraging sign. “The challenge is to shift the emphasis to practical learning, which today is largely absent in most engineering colleges in the country,” said Srikanth.

According to industry estimates, the Indian robotics industry is worth approximately $750 million and is expected to double over the next three years.

This year, the Academy of Robotics has tied-up with JNTU, GITAM University, and some other colleges to offer training.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatanam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatnam – April 06th, 2014

Promoting children’s theatre in Hyderabad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
All smiles: The cast and crew of the play Amma Cheppina Katha which was performed on Thursday
All smiles: The cast and crew of the play Amma Cheppina Katha which was performed on Thursday

On the World Theatre Day for Children and Young People (March 20), Popcorn Theatre staged their first play, Amma Cheppina Katha (stories narrated by a mother), at Golden Threshold. The play was presented by the Theatre Outreach Unit of University of Hyderabad, who are trying to enrich Telugu theatre in the state.

The director of the play, Thiruveer, says that this was a perfect day to launch his theatre group as they plan to promote theatre for children in the future. He says, “You will not find many directors in Hyderabad who want to work for children’s theatre so I decided to take an initiative and direct plays for children,” said 25-year old Thiruveer, who is pursuing his M.Phil from Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.

Amma Cheppina Katha was a play based on the book Annadana Phalamu Katha (The results of donating food). The play talks about the reward one gets when he or she donates food to the needy. Children from Rainbow Home, a shelter home for underprivileged, attended the play and were seen enjoying it. After the play when the children were asked for their feedback, Geeta, a seventh standard student pointed out that the cast should have avoided the usage of English words in between, like “thank you” and “address” and the whole play should have been in Telugu alone.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Books/Art / DC / Neha Jha / March 24th, 2014

Legendary playback singer honoured

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Visakhapatnam :

Legendary playback singer and movie artist Rao Bala Saraswathi Devi was honoured at Kalabharathi here on Sunday. The artiste’s first song ‘Thinne Meedha Sinnoda’ in 1943 was one of the first instances of playback singing in the history of Telugu cinema. The legendary singer continued for almost two decades more and she is still remembered for her melodious lullabies and sand songs.

Bala Saraswathi, who received the Ugadi Puraskara from the founders of the Seetha Ramaih Sangeetha Seva Trust, Velicheti Seetharamiah and Sujatha, thanked members of the trust for rendering some numbers she had sung almost seven decades ago. The troupe went on to render many of her later hits, including the numbers from Chenchu Lakshmi and Peeli Sandadi. Rao Bala Saraswathi noted that playback singing had undergone major changes over the last seven decades and added that she was delighted to witness these changes over the years.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / March 24th, 2014

From Araku, the aroma wafts across global frontiers

Business & Economy, World Opinion
Winners of best the Biodynamic Coffee Growing Villages interacting with Chief Sustainability Officer of the Naandi Foundation David Hogg at Gems of Araku Festival 2014 organised at Thuraiguda in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday./ Photo: K. R. Deepak / The Hindu
Winners of best the Biodynamic Coffee Growing Villages interacting with Chief Sustainability Officer of the Naandi Foundation David Hogg at Gems of Araku Festival 2014 organised at Thuraiguda in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday./ Photo: K. R. Deepak / The Hindu

Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and Japan, among others, keen on a deal on the coffee of the valley

This scenic locale that is a popular tourist destination is on the international map for one more reason – coffee.

The coffee Arabica from Araku is set to sell at Rs. 450-500 per kilo. The premium coffee is grown by the 12,000 small and marginal tribal coffee farmers of the valley and the world’s coffee guzzling nations including Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and Japan are keen on striking a deal on the produce this year.

Making the world know the existence of Araku Arabica and having it appreciated for its unique taste and flavour is the Araku Originals Limited floated by the Naandi Foundation. AOL is marketing the idea and the coffee by bringing in the discerning international buyers to the Araku Valley to see the cultivation and interact with the farmers.

On the other hand the international recognition has boosted the morale of the farmers who are taking pride in their produce and are willing to walk that extra mile to ensure quality.

What makes the coffee cultivated by the members of Small and Marginal Tribal Coffee Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society in the Valley so unique is the biodynamic cultivation process that avoids use of chemicals, SAMTCFMACS president Killo Kondal Rao of Thuraiguda says.

Competition

The Naandi Foundation, in association with the Mahindra & Mahindra, organised a competition — Gems of Araku 2014 — to recognise and award the best biodynamic farmer and the best biodynamic farming village.

The competition has been designed with an aim to encourage the farmers to adopt the best practices and maintain the quality that is sought after in the international markets, says Chief Sustainability Officer of Naandi Foundation David Hogg.

On Wednesday Rajeev Dubey of the Mahindra & Mahindra along with the CEO of Naandi Foundation in the presence of a number of international coffee buyers gave away the awards to the Best Biodynamic Farmer Janni Budho of Ganjaiguda village, runner-up G. Anantaram of K. Bodapat village; Best Biodynamic Village to K. Bodapat village and runner-up to Ganjaiguda village at a function organised at the Coffee Processing Unit of the SAMTCFMACS at Thuraiguda near here.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by G. S. Subrahmanyam / Araku Valley (Visakhapatnam District) – March 20th, 2014