Category Archives: Education

RGUKT-Nuzvid signs MoU with Kusalava International Limited

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

The MoU will serve as an opportunity for collaborative research and lead to better employment and internship opportunities for the students.

Vijayawada :

RGUKT-Nuzvid signed an MoU with Kusalava International Ltd, manufacturer of engine critical parts on Friday, for establishing a research and development centre to promote exclusive research on products belonging to Kusalava International Ltd.

The MoU will serve as an opportunity for collaborative research and lead to better employment and internship opportunities for the students.

Director of RGUKT-Nuzvid campus Prof D Surya Chandra Rao, administrative officer, P Shyam and dean B Prasad explained the potentiality of advanced research facilities of various departments of the campus.

“Technical Director of Kusalava International Ltd Mr Chakravarthi Chukkapalli,  has expressed interest in collaborating with metallurgical & materials engineering (MME) and chemical engineering departments for conducting research related to batteries,” the Director said, adding,” He also sanctioned two more projects and accepted the proposal of establishing an R&D centre at our campus to promote exclusive research on products belonging to Kusalava International Ltd.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Vijayawada / by Express News Service / October 20th, 2019

Nellore: NRI imparts knowledge on robotics to ZP students

Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Programme instill awareness on robotics among rurals

Niharika educates about robotics to the students of ZP High School at Muthukur.
Niharika educates about robotics to the students of ZP High School at Muthukur.

Nellore : 

In a laudable initiative, an NRI student Niharika has been sharing her knowledge on robotics with Class IX students of ZP High School at Muthukur, 30 km from Nellore.

Incidentally, she is part of the school’s robotics team-The Steel Hawks and is a budding engineer with a big heart.

For the students, it is something like a Cinderella story, straight out of a silver  screen like Sreemanthudu of Mahesh Babu, where the film star, after having graduated from top-notch US Schools, comes down to his native place to give a whiff of fresh breath of AI.

Niharika Kotamreddy is a Class 12 student from Townsend Harris High School in New York and she is part of her school’s robotics team. She took classes on the subject for three weeks in Muthukur High School.

Teachers in the school opined that the AI & robotics programme infused new energy into the students who saw the method of teaching from a different plank altogether which improved their interest in studies but gave them a new direction to look at.

The AI & robotics programme instilled a sense of awareness on robotics amongst the rural children, near her hometown Nellore, thus creating opportunities for the underprivileged rural gems to sharpen their intellect and skill.

Daughter of a software professional Kotamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy and Bindu, working in the UN at New York, Niharika said that she is keen on keeping in touch with the students and will continue to make use of her holidays to keep their interest on robotics alive.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Pathri Rajasekhar / August 09th, 2019

Their innovative ideas to the fore

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
Young innovators with their project that got selected for the Atal Innovation Marathon.
Young innovators with their project that got selected for the Atal Innovation Marathon.

Five innovative projects developed by students of AP Social Welfare Schools are among the 100 models selected in the second round of the Atal Innovation Marathon, organised by Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with Niti Aayog and The Better India, to nurture innovation in young minds.

The marathon started last year drawing participation of 5,000 schoolchildren from across the country, who submitted 1,400 projects divided in eight categories-Clean Energy, Water Conservation and Management, Smart Mobility, Waste Management, Health Tech, Sustainable Development Goals, Agri Tech and Architecture and Design.

In the first round, 200 projects were short-listed and the selected students were asked to further refine their work and submit a business plan for it. Nine of these 200 models were from Andhra Pradesh schools and of them, six were developed by social welfare school children.

The selected projects in the second list include a cattle-alert system (in Agri-Tech category) by I.V. Mrudula, Ch. Maheswari and Divya of AP Social Welfare School, Peddapavani in Prakasam district, a low-cost multi-level dust indication in dust-bins (Waste Management) by E. Avilasha and K. Chandu Priya of social welfare school, Kovvuru in West Godavari district, a multi-purpose agriculture robot (Agri Tech) by G. Mounika, K.L.S.P. Varshini and Bharathi of AP Social Welfare Residential School Centre of Excellence, Visakhapatnam, an agriculture kit for sensing soil parameters (Agri Tech) by B. Aswini and A. Jayalakshmi of the social welfare school, Komarada at Vizianagaram and an equipment to help the deaf hear (Sustainable Development Goals) by T. Priyanka, M. Sandhya Sri and D. Hemalatha of the Social Welfare Residential School, Tallapalem in Visakhapatnam.

Rewards galore

The young innovators comprising the top 100 teams have exciting time ahead. They are being rewarded with a 15-day internship programme designed specifically to allow the children to get real world and hands on experience.

This is in addition to a three-month-long module developed for them which will take them through an immersive journey to take their ideas forward. The selected team members will also get to visit the General Electric (GE) Innovation Centres and manufacturing units.

Besides cash awards, the students will get a prototype kit to further develop their innovation for the final event-Innovation Marathon Conclave, a one-day event where they will pitch their ideas to an esteemed panel of judges. The top three teams will receive a prize money of ₹6 lakh.

“The children are all excited and we are yet to receive communication about the commencement of the internship programme that is bound to further enrich their innovative streak,” said U. Vinay Babu, Social Empowerment Fellow and in-charge of the Atal Tinkering Labs in AP Social Welfare Residential Educational Institution Society (APSWREIS).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by P. Sujatha Varma / Vijayawada – July 28th, 2019

This brave girl makes her village proud

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion
My aim is to join IIT, says Sahiti .
My aim is to join IIT, says Sahiti .

Sahiti of Kothakota in Visakhapatnam district saved two from drowning at sea

In an act of bravery, a 15-year-old girl, risking her life, rescued two children from drowning at sea. If the efforts of a former MLA and others bear fruit, she is likely to get an award for her courageous act.

As many as 20 schoolchildren were taken to the Revu Polavaram Beach of S. Rayavaram mandal in the district on November 4, 2018. Incidentally, Kalagarla Sahiti (14) of Kothakota village of Raavikamatam mandal, had also gone for a picnic to the same beach along with her family members.

After lunch, some of the children went for a dip at sea. All of a sudden, two of them – Tirumalesu (6) and Bhargavi (8) — started drifting into the deep. Sahiti noticed the two children and the cries of others for help. Without a second thought she jumped into the water and rushed to their rescue.

“I swam towards them and took Tirumalesu on my back. I pulled Bhargavi with one hand, while using my other hand and feet to swim ashore,” Sahiti has told The Hindu, recalling the incident.

None of the others, who were at the beach, knew swimming and they watched in awe as the girl risked her life to save the drowning kids. The news spread like wild fire and people of nearby villages came and were all praise for her bravery.

The then Anakapalle MLA, Peela Govinda Satyanarayana, wrote a letter to the District Collector in February this year asking the latter to consider her name for nomination for the National Bravery Award. He has felt that such awards would inspire other children.

“We had approached the then District Collector K. Bhaskar, who took our application but we learnt that it was not processed as the district administration was busy with the general elections at the time. We are yet to meet present Collector R. Vinay Chand,” says Sahiti’s mother Nagajyothi.

Presently studying in 10th class at Sri Chaitanya English Medium School at Narsipatnam, Sahiti learnt swimming on her own at Anakapalle, when she was around 8 years. She can also perform various Yogasanas in the water.

Other achievements

“Sahiti is also good at academics and has scored above 95% in 9th class,” says her proud mother. Along with four other students from her school, she participated in a ‘space settlement contest’, organised by NASA. She presented the project ‘Vajra Kavacham’ at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC)-2019 held in Los Angeles in June this year.

“My aim is to join the IIT,” says Sahiti.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by B. Madhu Gopal / Visakhapatnam – July 08th, 2019

MITS students design hybrid electric vehicle

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
Innovation at best: Students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science explaining about the hybrid electric vehicle developed by them, at Madanapalle in Chittoor district.
Innovation at best: Students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science explaining about the hybrid electric vehicle developed by them, at Madanapalle in Chittoor district.

Built at ₹3.20 lakh, it can run in diesel mode in case the battery runs out

In what could offer a solution to the vehicle pollution that is touching alarming levels, the final year mechanical engineering students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science (MITS) have designed a hybrid electric vehicle.

Though the concept of electric vehicle is gaining ground in the market, charging the batteries and power backup remain a problem. In this context, the hybrid vehicle with two power sources —a combination of petrol/diesel engine and an electric motor—assumes significance.

A team of MITS students comprising D. Reddy Manoj, K. Pradeep, J. Satyanarayana Snehith, K. Mohan Reddy, S. Purushotham, S. Mohammad Rizwan, S. Ghouse Samdhani and Mohammad Ansaari successfully converted a normal diesel engine into a hybrid electric one. The 1981 model of Mahindra & Mahindra 540 was chosen for the project.

“Apart from in-built diesel engine, we have installed an electric power-train system to make it a hybrid electric one. Power from diesel engine transfers through the clutch, transmission system, propeller shaft, rear differential and finally to the rear wheels,” the team explained.

The uniqueness of the project is the arrangement of drive-trains, the system in a motor vehicle that connects the transmission to the drive axles.

Unique feature

The battery needs six hours to get charged completely and can cover up to 70 km. When the battery wears out, the diesel engine comes into action. The battery pack needs 10 units of electricity that costs ₹25 to₹30. Hence, the electric mode costs ₹25 to travel 70 km, against the diesel mode’s ₹500, making it 95% cheaper.

“The cost of creating this hybrid vehicle is around ₹3.20 lakh and our students are ready to convert old model vehicles into hybrid ones,” Principal C. Yuvaraj said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Tirupati – May 06th, 2019

Candidates from Andhra Pradesh shine in Civil Services exams

Education, Records, All

While TK Rangashree topped among all AP candidates with AIR-50, G Suryasai Praveenchand who lost both his parents at an early age has secured all-India 64th rank.

TK Rangashree is the topper among all AP candidates by securing AIR-50 (Photo| Twitter/ Officers IAS Academy)
TK Rangashree is the topper among all AP candidates by securing AIR-50 (Photo| Twitter/ Officers IAS Academy)

Vijayawada  :

Candidates from Andhra Pradesh have excelled in the Civil Services Examination 2018, the results of which were released by the Union Public Service Commission on Friday evening. TK Rangashree, a native of Tirupati, turned out to be the topper among all AP candidates by securing all-India 50th rank. G Suryasai Praveenchand, a native of Amalapuram, who lost both his parents at an early age, has secured all-India 64th rank.

G Suryasai Praveenchand, a 27-year-old from Amalapuram of East Godavari district lost his mother at an early stage of his life and his father while he was appearing for the IIT entrance examination. He, however, went on to secure admission in IIT Patna and did Electrical Engineering. Soon after completion of his graduation, he got placed in a multinational company in Bengaluru. It was, however, his mother’s wish that egged him on to crack the elite examination.

With the intention of cracking the civil services examination, he left his job in 2015 and began to prepare for the UPSC civils. In 2016, he made it up to the interview level but didn’t get selected. However, the very next year he secured 512th rank and got selected for the Indian Information Service (IIS). However, he still retained the strong wish to secure an IAS cadre and appeared for the exam again in 2018 and secured 64th rank.

Speaking to TNIE, Praveenchand said, “In my childhood, my mother used to tell me that family is not just mother, father or siblings, the society is the biggest family and one must take responsibility to take care of that family. I kept these words in mind and have cracked the exam to serve society. Coming to my preparation, I took coaching in a reputable IAS circle in Delhi and that helped me a lot. In future I would like to serve the society in the fields of technology, healthcare and education.”

The topper among Andhra, TK Rangashree said that since childhood she wanted to become an IAS officer. She said that she prepared for the exam all by herself rather than by taking any coaching from professional institutes. Rangashree is a gold medallist from the National Law University.

Rangashree’s father said, “We are very happy and proud to say that our daughter, who prepared all by herself has cleared the exam. Her hard work of years has become fruitful and we want her to work hard for the benefit of the poor people in the society.” Apart from these two candidates, a few others from AP, including KV Maheswar Reddy (rank 126) and G Raghavendra (rank 180) from Kadapa, K Siva Pratap Kishore (rank 153) from Atmakur in Nellore district, G Anusha (rank 375) from Kurnool got selected in the elite all-India exam.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / April 07th, 2019

Teacher on a mission to protect environment

Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
Teacher Sudhakar addressing the NCC cadets at a camp in Chittoor.
Teacher Sudhakar addressing the NCC cadets at a camp in Chittoor.

Influenced by meet on biodiversity, Sudhakar of Chittoor turns a crusader

One fine morning in October, 2012, G. Sudhakar, a government teacher, was flipping through a newspaper at a tea stall in Chittoor when he came across news pertaining to the Hyderabad Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). One particular story on crows and their services as the best urban scavengers attracted him so much that from that day his outlook towards flora and fauna started undergoing a sea change.

Mr. Sudhakar (50), a native of Chittoor town, is currently working at the Government Upper Primary School, 70 Kothapalli village of Yadamarri mandal. The impact of the conference was such that he extensively collected the literature of the meet, including newspaper clippings, brochures, lectures and souvenirs. For about six months, he was immersed in the theme of biodiversity. He found himself moved by the urge to simplify the message and teach the same to the students and make them practically do something to protect the environment and cherish a love for flora and fauna.

Action plan

From the beginning of the academic year 2013, Mr. Sudhakar chalked out an action plan to spread the message on biodiversity. During the last five years, the teacher visited as many as 170 schools not only in Andhra Pradesh, but also in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, covering close to one lakh students. He would utilise the Casual Leaves to spread the message at NCC camps, social welfare hostels, exhibitions and environmental meets.

Mr. Sudhakar adopts a unique methodology to deliver his message and to create instant impact on the students. For instance, he extensively refers to the role of crow, the nearest dwelling bird of mankind. “It pained me so much as most people consider crow as a bad omen, going by its colour and voice. I kept repeatedly emphasising its role for mankind, as a scavenger. Now, many of my students have developed a sort of love and respect for crows,” says the teacher.

He would also speak about the role of sparrows, honeybee, butterflies and insects in pollination, which in turn would lead to the greater survival of greenery. “Each flower would serve many honeybees to collect the nectar. I observe with pride that many students and even several of my colleagues have altogether stopped plucking flowers and leaves in their surroundings. Flora and fauna are the best teachers,” says Mr. Sudhakar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Umashanker / Chittoor – March 11th, 2019

Andhra University men’s team wins kick-boxing with 43 point

Education, Records, All, Sports

Andhra University men’s team with 43 points won the overall team championship of all-India kick-boxing competitions which concluded here on Sunday.

KickboxingANDHRA11mar2019

Visakhapatnam :

Andhra University men’s team with 43 points won the overall team championship of all-India kick-boxing competitions which concluded here on Sunday. With 40 points MDU Rohtak stood second and Lovely Professional University with 25 points got third place.

Similarly, in women’s section, MDU Rohtak bagged the overall team championship with 33 points.
While Andhra University stood second with 30 points, Chandigarh University bagged the third place with 27 points.Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G Nageswara Rao, who was the chief guest, gave away prizes to the winners.

Rector M Prasada Rao, AU Arts College principal K Rammohan Rao, head of AU Physical Education Department N Vijaya Mohan and others were present.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / March 11th, 2019

City kid to represent India at international competition

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, World Opinion

A three-day grooming session for children by D’La Valentina at Hotel Aira in city concluded here on Sunday.

Vijayawada :

A three-day grooming session for children by D’La Valentina at Hotel Aira in city concluded here on Sunday.

On the occasion, various competitions were conducted in which kids, trained by Valentina Mishra ( who is the national director of International Kids Pageants) took part. Along with training on personality development and communication skills, the children were introduced to concepts of oral care and hygiene by Dr Kavya and Dr Madhu.

In an audition conducted in February, eight students–Parineeta Sinha (8), Darsh Joshi (7), Taufiq Mansoor Ansari (9), Sanvi Kongra, (11), Gagana K (6), N Yashasvi Sai (8), Safin (10), Aditya Vasudev (12)–were selected for this three-day grooming session. Among them, Yashasvi Sai from Vijayawada was selected to represent India in the ‘little category’ at the ‘Little Miss Galaxy Contest’ to be held from March 16 to 23 in Bulgaria. Aditya Vasudev from Visakhapatnam was selected to represent the country in the ‘pre-teen’ category at the ‘Best Prince of the World’ contest in Georgia from April 23 to 28.

A photo shoot was organised for them to showcase their style quotient, and mementoes and participation certificates were distributed.

Speaking on the occasion, Mishra said: “Learning to groom oneself at such a tender age will help a child improve his/her self-confidence. It also boosts public speaking and leadership skills.”

Recently,  Yamini Patibandla (6), who was groomed by the organisation, won the World Rising Stars contest in Georgia.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Vijayawada / by Express News Service / March 04th, 2019

AP college wins prize at hackathon

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Each team consisted six students out of which one was a girl.

Hyderabad :

Siddartha Institute of Science and Technology, in Puttur, Andhra Pradesh, emerged as one of the winners of the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon conducted at NIT Warangal from March 2-3.
The other winners included Indian Institute of Technology, Pune, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Rodgrigues Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida,Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology Rohini, New Delhi, Indira College of Engineering and Management, Pune and Vivekananda Education Society’s Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Each team consisted six students out of which one was a girl.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / March 05th, 2019