** When a dream takes wing

A group of eight enthusiasts designed and built a seaplane from scratch

Three months ago, Drithi took to the skies, gliding over the serene waters of the Shambhavi, in Hejamady village in coastal Karnataka.

Sleek and shiny, the lean, mean, human-made machine was Pushparaj Ameen’s decade-old dream come to life.

Pushparaj developed Drithi, a lightweight five-metre-long micro seaplane, with seven other aeromodelling enthusiasts. All the work was pretty much done in his backyard.

** This doctor dissects history, proud about Ganga dynasty

Highly-qualified is an inadequate description of Dr B N Raveesh, professor and head of department of Psychiatry, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC and RI), in Mysuru.His first book should have been ideally on medicine or psychiatry, but ‘Ganga Samrata Sripurusha’, related to history, was released recently. It tries to trace and revive his ethnicity and the pride of Gangas, especially Sripurusha, whose memorial  was traced and restored last year.

** ISRO embarking on replicating NASA partnership model in India

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is embarking on a mission of a different kind by taking the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) to a much higher, futuristic research orbit.

The Bengaluru-headquarteted space agency is striking a partnership with the IIST – something similar to the JPL-Caltech model in the United States.

** JICA extends ₹3,717 crore loan for developing Metro Phase 2 in Bengaluru

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed an agreement with the Government of India, to provide Japanese (ODA) loan amounting to Japanese Yen 52,036 million(approximately ₹3,717 crore) for the development of Phase 2 of ‘R6, 2A and 2B’ of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)in Bengaluru.

In March 2006, the first Japanese ODA loan agreement was signed by JICA for BMRCL Phase 1.