Author: wellnmed@gmail.com

First Karnataka Player to Win ‘National B Chess’ Title : 2013

M.S. Thej Kumar , International Master (IM), Mysuru

The only player from Karnataka who has achieved the 3 Grand Master norms . Thej Kumar is the highest ranked player in Karnataka

2013. Triple Grand Master Norm holder and seeded 20th in the tournament, Thej’s 8th move draw with GM Deepan Chakravarthy, gave him his maiden National B Chess Title. Consequently he lifted the coveted Trophy at Bhopan with 10.5 points from 13 rounds

With this win, Thej also qualified for the National A Championships scheduled at Jalgaon, Maharashtra

Awarded the IM title by FIDE in 2009

Thej Kumar a post graduate from Mysore is an employee of South Western Railways, Mysore. The soft spoken Chess Champ lives with his wife M K Jayashree. He also coaches upcoming players at the Mysore Professional Chess Academy

Karnataka – First State in India to introduce ‘Remote Expert Government Services’ (REGS) : November 2014

Remote Expert Government Services (REGS), Mantri Square Mall, Malleswaram, Bengaluru

Friday – November 14th, 2014.  Now file an FIR from a Kiosk in a Shopping Mall ,without having to enter a police station.

A citizen can now lodge complaints via Remote FIR Centre. The complainant can sign, print and scan documents virtually as a part of the experience

The first REGS Kiosk was inaugrated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The event was attended by Home Minister K.J.George, DG & IGP Lalrokhuma Pachau and City Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi

The kiosk is accessible 24×7 and will now serve as a central location for FIR’s related to 105 law & order police stations as well as 42 traffic police stations

The Karnataka Government has set up the kiosk as a pilot project. The kiosk has been set up with the company that developed the technology for the project – Cisco, incorporating Cisco TelePresence system

On successful feedback and implementation, the facility would be extended across the entire state

The initiative is also to enable in building a strong and sustainable police-citizen relations

First Complaint :

The first complaint was filed at the kiosk centre by Yatish Kumar, about a 2-wheeler vehicle theft

First State University in Karnataka to Launch ‘Global Document Verification System’ : November 2014

Mangalore University, Mangaluru

November 12th, 2014 – Wednesday.   Mangalore University has launched the Global Document Verification System for Certificates and Mark List. Consequently making it the First State University to implement this in Karnataka

Advantages to Students and Global Alumni :

Faster verification, cost effective, transparent and efficient and prevents document frauds

Verification :

www.mangaloreuniversity.directverify.in . To verify any of the documents, the user only needs to upload the said documents to the portal above and make an online payment for processing. Replies will be sent using appropriate security measures

e-Governance :

Paperless verification of degrees/mark sheets online. This e-governance initiative will reduce the use of paper and exchange of couriers. Savings on paper usage, savings on time and savings on courier services.

CeBIT’s First India Show in Bengaluru : November 2014

CeBIT India, Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru

November 12-14, 2014. For the First Time CeBIT is holding its first India edition in Bengaluru – CeBIT India. The theme for the current event is “New Perspectives in IT Business”

CeBIT – the World’s leading Business IT event. CeBIT India offers a unique combination of services and benefits to leverage the strengths of Indian IT and ITE’s market

CeBIT (Centre for Business IT) is the world’s largest and most International computer expo organised by Germany’s Deutsche Messe

www.cebit-india.com

Bangalore City – First City in India to introduce Volvo Buses : 2005

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, BMTC – Bangalore City Bus Operator

Karnataka became the first State in India and Bengaluru became the first City in India to place an order for Volvo Buses.

The first order for 25 buses was from BMTC, the city’s bus operator,

The chasis was the Volvo BTRLE assembled at Volvo’s factory in Bangalore. The body was built on the same design as Volvo 8700, used in Europe with a 7-litre engine that meets the Euro 3 emission regulations

India’s First ‘Indian Idol Junior’ Title Won by Bengaluru Girl : September 2013

Anjana Padmanabhan, Bangalore

Sunday-September 01st, 2013. 10-year old Bangalore-based girl Anjana Padmanabhan won the audiences’ heart and created history by winning India’s first ‘Indian Idol Junior’ title

This was at the star-studded gala finale of the singing reality show hosted by Sony Entertainment Television. Anjana received the Winning trophy from the megastar Amitabh Bachchan

Anjana competed with 3 other finalists – Nirvesh Sudhanshubhai Dave, Debanjana Karmakar and Anmol Jaswal

The show was Judged by Singer Shreya Ghoshal,and the Music Composer Duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjian

The ‘Indian Idol Junior’ winner went back home with the Winning Trophy, a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh, a Nissan Micra Car. She was also gifted cheques of Rs.500,000 from Kotak Mahindra and Rs.200,000 from Horlicks

Mysuru City’s First Electrical / Home Appliance Store : 1938

Shariff Electricals, Mysore

1938 . Shariff Electricals was first established opposite Bata showroom on Sayyaji Rao road by (Late) Hyder Shariff

It was started by the (Late) Hyder Shariff as an electrical contractor who also dealt in electrical items. They also specialised in wooden electrical casing and did most of the electrical casing work in the Mysore Palace

His son M.A. Shariff, Managing Director expanded the scope of the operations and ventured into electrical appliance business under Shariff Sales and General Agencies

His 2 sons joined the family business which now owns and operates 3 stores and one in a multi-storeyed department store

The present Shariff’s store is now housed still on Sayyaji Rao road, but in the new premises opposite the Devaraja markets’ main entrance

Shariff’s :

Founder           : (Late) Hyder Shariff

Managing Director : M. A. Shariff

Directors         : Maqsood Shariff, Faizy Shariff

Karnataka becomes First State in India to create ‘ Special Tiger Protection Force’ (STPF) – August 2012

Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Karnataka becomes first state in India to create the ‘Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve to enhance its conservation efforts. It is India’s first forest ranger unit created and tasked specifically to prevent tiger poaching.

Karnataka state has about 6 tiger reserves.

The Central Government has an ongoing centrally sponsored scheme of ‘Project Tiger’ under the Environment and Forest Ministry, Government of India.  100% percent Central assistance is provided to States for raising, arming and deploying in sensitive tiger reserves.

India’s MRPL makes First Latin American Oil Purchase : January 2014

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), Mangalore

India’s MRPL has for the first time made the purchase of Argentina’s Escalante crude. Escalante is a medium sweet crude with a density of 24 API degrees.

MRPL operates a 300,000 barrels per day refinery in Southern India. It is a leading processor of various grades of crude oil and upstream value-added petroleum products.

MRPL is a subsidiary of ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corporation)

MRPL : Managing Director – P.P. Upadhya