A. Sharada, deputy director at the AP Police Academy, has been appointed director of the AP Forensic Science Laboratory with full additional charge. She is the second woman to head the FSL, after Gayatri in the 1990s.
The state government will be formalising her appointment as FSL director after a meeting of the departmental promotion committee. Her tenure lasts till June 2015. O.N. Murthy retired as director on September 30.
Sharada joined APFSL as assistant director in 1980. She did her post-graduation in biochemistry and psychology and has completed courses in cyber law.
Sharada is an expert in DNA fingerprinting and biology, and written more than a dozen books. She has submitted papers on the proposed DNA Bill at the All India Police Science Congress.
Sharada said there was no pendency of cases at the forensics lab, but for one or two complicated cases. She said that new recruits would be inducted into lab work after training. “We are aiming at improving quality,” she said.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / October 03rd, 2013
Picture for representational purpose only. / The Deccan Chronicle
Visakhapatnam:
IT is the world’s most dynamic industry and will continue to grow worldwide if we properly understand and fulfil the requirements of customers, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) vice-president V. Rajanna said here on Monday at the Gitam University.
He said that good communications skills, fast learning skills, and strong knowledge of fundamentals will provide opportunities in the IT sector.
Rajanna also suggested that software testing, enterprise resource planning and business process management were a few emerging areas where budding engineers can focus for placements. He briefed about the various training programmes and service activities organised by TCS.
While delivering the pre-placement talk at Gitam campus he told engineering graduates that the IT sector is performing well and had logged huge exports. He said the TCS was expanding in 46 countries with 197 offices. He pointed out that 33 per cent of the TCS employees were women, and the company had established a special women BPO centre in the Middle East.
Rajanna said that there was a lot of scope for R&D in the IT sector and that TCS had established the largest software R&D centre in the country which was also a first in IT R&D.
TCS HR head Jana also made some suggestions to students particularly on communication skills, general knowledge, in-depth preparation and B.Tech projects. He said that the management round, technical round and HR round were the main levels in campus placements.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / October 01st, 2013
Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has achieved a record turnover of Rs. 1,729 crores during the financial year 2012-13 with earnings before interest, taxes depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of Rs 103 crore.
In 2012-13, ECIL continued its contributions to the strategic sectors of the nation, viz. Atomic Energy, Defence, Space and Homeland Security. Major supplies included Control & Instrumentation Systems for Nuclear Power Plants, Radiation Detection Equipment for Seaports, Command Control Systems for Akash and BrahMos Missile Programs, Communication Radios, Jammers and installation of integrated Video Surveillance Systems to cover a number of major markets in New Delhi City. ECIL has also contributed to the National Population Register (NPR) and the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) projects during the year.
The significant achievements during the year 2012-13 are the installation of Control and Instrumentation equipment at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam; supply, installation & commissioning of a Ground Station for Earth Observation Satellite at Antarctica, Integrated Security Systems for the Indian Chancery at Kabul and supply of two lakh artillery Fuzes to the Indian Army.
The company won the prestigious Gold Trophy for R&D, Technology Development and Innovation for the year 2011-12 awarded by the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) in April, 2013.
The company is working on several new technologies in association with major Research and Development laboratories and other national institutions to develop new products which will become the mainstay for the company. The company is also substantially increasing its investment in its infrastructure to renovate and modernize its facilities to make them future-ready.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Ch. Sushil Rao, TNN / September 30th, 2013
A Vijayawada-based solar energy equipment manufacturer, Jyothi Solar Power Projects has claimed that by using two new technologies together with the existing photo-voltaic (PV) panel system, 91 per cent of the Sun’s energy could be converted into electrical power.
At a meeting to showcase the technologies here on Saturday, P. Lakshminarayana, Director-Technical of the company said they had applied for patents.
They include ‘Twintin’, a system based on sensors that could synchronise PV panels with the Sun’s movement, thus capturing maximum heat and a Multi-Junctional Device (MJD) with Nano technology that could instantly convert solar energy into electrical power.
Asked about when the product would be available in the market, he said it would be a few more months for the necessary approvals and stamp of recognition to come. “We have already got patent approvals by the Indian Research Association,” he stated. Government of India would get royalty for 20 years for the first international research patent (Space Solar Exploratory Research). In two months, the company’s technical team would prove the technology by generating 40 megawatts of solar power in the presence of scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA. A young scientist with Jyothi Solar Power Projects, Prasanna Kumar said the cost would work out to between Rs. 1 and 1.2 lakh per kilowatt of electrical power produced. Currently, he said between 14 and 16 per cent of solar energy was converted into electrical power in India.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 12th, 2013
BlackBerry Limited today announced it has signed a letter of intent agreement under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence.
Hyderabad-born Prem Watsa is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, based in Toronto. Often called the “Canadian Warren Buffett” he is an alumnus of the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
The letter of intent contemplates a transaction in which BlackBerry shareholders would receive $9 in cash for each share of BlackBerry they hold, in a transaction valued at approximately $4.7 billion. The consortium would acquire for cash all of the outstanding shares of BlackBerry not held by Fairfax. Fairfax, which owns approximately 10 percent of BlackBerry’s common shares, intends to contribute the shares of BlackBerry it currently holds into the transaction.
The BlackBerry Board of Directors, acting on the recommendation of a special committee of the board of directors, approved the terms of the LOI under which the consortium, which is seeking financing from BofA Merrill Lynch and BMO Capital Markets, would acquire BlackBerry and take the company private subject to a number of conditions, including due diligence, negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement and customary regulatory approvals.
The Special Committee, chaired by Director Tim Dattels, was formed in August 2013 to review strategic alternatives for the company. J.P. Morgan and Perella Weinberg are acting as financial advisors and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Torys LLP are acting as legal advisors.
Diligence is expected to be complete by November 4, 2013. The agreement is on a non-exclusive basis. If BlackBerry enters into any agreement providing for an alternative transaction with a person with whom discussions were held before or during the diligence period, then BlackBerry shall pay Fairfax a fee of $0.30 per BlackBerry share, provided, however, that no such fee shall be payable if the consortium shall have reduced the price offered below $9.00 per share without the approval of the board of directors of BlackBerry. In the event that a definitive agreement is signed with Fairfax the termination fee will increase to $0.50 per share.
Barbara Stymiest, Chair of BlackBerry’s Board of Directors, said: “The Special Committee is seeking the best available outcome for the Company’s constituents, including for shareholders. Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium.”
Prem Watsa, Chairman and CEO of Fairfax, said: “We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees. We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.”
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Info-Tech / by the Hindu Bureau / New Delhi – September 24th, 2013
Bharat Sanchar Nigham Limited (BSNL) Visakhapatnam Telcom district will kick off its Employability Enhancement Training Programme-2013 in a week’s time to select engineering students of various colleges in the district.
Inaugurating the programme, BSNL senior general manager RMM Krishna said it is aimed at training engineering students from the electronics and communication branch to enhance their employability through silver, gold and platinum certificate programmes. The telecom company will be locally conducting the programme as per an MoU with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
“BSNL has selected 6,793 students from 693 colleges across the country for training at 23 BSNL training centres, including Visakhapatnam. Nearly 300 students from 26 colleges were selected for the programme in BSNL’s Visakhapatnam limits,” Krishna added.
VSRK Prasad, principal, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology and Sciences (ANITS), which sent 10 engineering students for the BSNL training programme, said that the students will be given practical knowledge on electronics and communication four hours in a week.
“Though BSNL did not give any job assurance to the participants, the employability programme plays a vital role in moulding their careers. The programme will surely help them encounter challenges in their career,” Prasad said.
Students of the fifth semester will get a BSNL Silver Certificate on completion of the Transmission Switching System and Telecom Support Infrastructure programme, while the BSNL Gold certificate will be issued to sixth semester engineering candidates completing the certificate programme on Broadband Technology, Digital Switching System and Optical Fibre. The BSNL Platinum certificate will be issued to seventh semester candidates completing the Mobilie Communication and IP Networking and Security Certificate programme as part of the BSNL training programme.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / September 18th, 2013
A student from Nalgonda district, Pagilla Balaraju, studying M.Pharmacy at G Pulla Reedy College of Pharmacy, Mehdipatnam, was chosen for the ‘Outstanding Student of the Year 2011-12’, which will be presented at the 64th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress on September 20.
He has done research on drug screening and he also won the second prize at the national-level quiz contest organised by the Pharmaceutical Congress in 2012.
Balaraju, studying PG in pharmacognosy and phytochemcistry, excelled in academics right from 10th class. He got the Pratibha award, along with a gold medal, for securing 90 percent in 10th class. Because of his merit, he had managed to secure a free seat in Intermediate. “Though I got a seat in MBBS, I could not join as I did not have money,” he said. In PG first year, he stood university first by securing 83 percent marks.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / September 18th, 2013
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city have gone hi-tech, with many pandals having their own virtual spaces on the internet to interact with participating devotees and build their ‘fan base’.
One of the most popular Ganesh pandals, the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsava Samiti, has developed a dedicated online page which has already garnered 1,492 ‘friends’. Images of the 59 feet tall Ganesh idol in its various phases of decoration and videos of the celebration have been uploaded on social networking websites. In addition to their existing website ‘ganapathideva.org’, a social networking page also has details of puja timings and other events to be held during the 10-day celebrations.
“Going virtual was a step to reach out to the tech savvy youth of today and encourage their participation. With details of puja timings, videos and images of celebrations, we have brought the festival to the homes of devotees who may not be able to physically come to the pandal,” said S Sudarshan, organizer of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsava Samiti.
Members of the Devi Nagar Youth Association have created a blog as well as a special online page called ‘Ganesh mandals in Hyderabad and Secunderabad’ as a platform for devotees. “Through social networking platforms, we have interacted with many people who come to the pandal and have suggestions on making the celebrations and arrangements better. We had many requests urging us to have an eco-friendly idol. We could not make it this year but will possibly attempt it the next year,” said Praveen Kumar Tenugu, member of the association.
Similarly, the website of the Balapur Ganesh Utsava Samitee is loaded with information on the history of the celebrations, event schedule as well as audio and video clips. The Balapur utsav, held at Kanchanbagh, is known for its laddoo auctions, details of which are also updated on the website.
Meanwhile, organizers of Ganesh pandals are also doing their bit for the society. Blood donation camps, distribution of books and clothes to orphanages and old age homes are some of the initiatives that have been taken up. “We had arranged for a day-long medical camp last year, especially for the under-privileged, which received encouraging response. This year too, therefore, we will be slotting one day of the festival to have free medical check-ups,” said Manoj Giri Goswami, secretary of Dashnam Goswami Mandal at Begum Bazaar.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Ganesh Chaturthi / by Ananya Banerjee, TNN / September 12th, 2013
International Paper Group (Andhra Pradesh paper mills) announced the inauguration of a new Bielomatick A4 sheeter at its Rajahmundry unit, Andhra Pradesh.
(l-r) Rampraveen Swaminathan, MD and CEO, APPM and William Michael Amick Jr, president – IP India
William Michael Amick Jr, president, IP India and chairman, APPM said, “The new investment in the Rajahmundry Mill reiterates International Paper’s commitment to India. The branded copier paper market has good growth potential in India. The advanced sheeter and IP’s global leadership in the copier market will allow us to serve this market with world class products. We continue to be optimistic about the business potential which India offers.” first of its kind sheeter installed by International Paper in India, the Bielomatik A4 line is one of the best sheeting lines in the world and our Rajahmundry facility will now have automation of this level whilst enabling the mill to increase the conversion capacity of the branded copiers”, said Amick.
The state-of-the-art sheeting line at the new facility converts paper reels into A4, A3 and FS size products. The automated process installed in the facility has advanced ream wrapping, carton packing and palletizing capabilities. The conversion capacity of the new facility is 265 MT/day.
According to Amick, the addition of the Bielomatik A4 line has boosted their A4 sheeting capacity by 90,000MT/ year.
source: http://www.printweek.in / Print Week India / Home> News> Finishing /by Anand Srinivasan / September 11th, 2013
Despite the shadow of political uncertainty looming large, the state’s IT/ITeS exports clocked a healthy 26% growth in 2012-13 fiscal, outstripping the national growth rate of 23% for FY13.
State’s IT/ITeS exports grew to Rs 51,285 crore as against Rs 40,646 crore during the corresponding period last year, said the state IT department on Saturday. India’s IT/ITeS exports grew 23% to Rs 4,10,836 crore in 2012-13 financial year from Rs 3,32,769 crore in 2011-12 financial year.
According to data released by the AP IT department, the state’s overall IT revenues from IT/ITeS exports, special economic zones (SEZs), Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and domestic business rose 26.17% to Rs 64,354 crore in 2012-13 financial year as compared to Rs 53,246 crore in the previous financial year.
Hyderabad continued to hog the limelight with a lion’s share of the overall IT/ITeS business in AP at over Rs 62,722.51 crore out of the total state IT/ITeS revenues of Rs 64,354 crore. According to the data provided by the IT department, the industry was able to generate 13.7 lakh jobs, including 3.2 lakh direct jobs and 10.5 lakh indirect jobs in FY13.
Commenting on the performance of the industry, state IT and communications minister Ponnala Laxmaiah said, “Contrary to popular perception that political uncertainty has hit the IT industry in the state, the figures reveal that the so called uncertainty has not blocked the way for the development of IT/ ITeS in the state.”
Interestingly, despite the economic slowdown, tier-II and tier-III cities too saw their IT business improve in the last fiscal. While Visakhapatnam’s IT/ITeS revenues soared 20% to Rs 1,445 crore in 2012-13 as against Rs 1,200 crore in 2011-12, that of Vijayawada shot up to Rs 115.26 crore as compared to Rs 95.6 crore and Tirupati’s increased to Rs 6.93 crore as against Rs 4.25 crore in the period under review. Kakinada’s IT/ITeS revenue almost doubled to Rs 61.54 crore in 2012-13 as against Rs 34.67 crore in 2011-12 fiscal.
The area occupied by the IT/ITeS industry in tier-II cities too rose to 13.5 lakh square feet in FY13 as compared to 12 lakh square feet in FY 12.
According to the data, US continues to be a major market for the state’s IT/ITeS industry with about 74% of the IT/ITeS exports meant for US and 17% to Europe.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / September 15th, 2013
