Records – Page 10 – Karnataka First

Mangalurean Swarnalatha wins Best Administrator Award from Bengaluru BEO

Swarnalatha Attavar, hailing from Mangaluru, recently won the Best Administrator Award from the Block Education Department (BEO) here. She was honoured at an event organized by the Block Education Department, Bengaluru north region to commemorate the taluk level Teacher’s Day 2022. Swarnalatha Attavara is currently working as branch operational manager at Orchids – The International School, Jalahalli branch.

The programme was organized by the joint association of Dr C N Ashwath Narayan Foundation, School Education and Literacy Department, Bengaluru north zone, and Primary and High School Teachers Union. D V Sadananda Gowda, former chief minister, and Bengaluru north region MP was the chief guest at the event. He addressed the gathering and appreciated the efforts of award winners for their contribution to the field of education.

Swarnalatha was honoured by Uma, block education officer of Bengaluru north zone at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. Bengaluru north MP D V Sadananda Gowda, IT minister Ashwath Narayan and legislative council member Puttana were the dignitaries present at the event.

Mangaluru: Udupi’s Samantha Mascarenhas wins MCC Bank Ltd ‘Jigibigi Taram’

The grand finale of Daijiworld 24×7 TV’s first-ever children’s singing reality show organised by MCC Bank Ltd ‘Jigibigi Taram’ was held at Don Bosco Hall here on Sunday October 2.

The special entertainment programme of around 2 hours duration was witnessed by a huge crowd. Going by their response, they enjoyed every moment of it.

The show was mainly dedicated to two live rounds of Jigibigi Taram. Samantha Mascarenhas from Udupi won the top prize of MCC Bank Ltd ‘Jigibigi Taram’ with a trophy and cash prize of Rs 50,000 while Ishney Fernandes from Kemmannu bagged the runner-up spot of the show with a trophy and cash prize of Rs 30,000. Ashna D’Souza Ferar, Rishel Melba Crasta Kulshekar, Aldrin Pinto Kadri and Melona Saldanha Bajpe were the other finalists.

Anil Lobo, chairman of MCC Bank Ltd and Stany Bela, the director of the show honoured the winners with the trophies and prize money.

Lauding the efforts of Daijiworld TV in Jigibigi Taram reality show, Anil Lobo said, “The eight-month long show created a history in the Konkani entertainment world. Because of this show, we got a number of singing talents who will rule the music world in future. I can say all six finalists were the winners of the show because they have immense potential. MCC Bank always stood for the side of talents from the Konkani community. With the association of Daijiworld TV and other organizations, we regularly support our talents. At the same time, the bank helps the generation with financial assistance for their good future. I request youngsters to utilize the benefits which the bank provides especially the education loan and financial assistance for start-ups. Once again, I congratulate all the finalists and audience who have gathered here to support the finalists.”

Thanking the MCC bank Ltd, the parents of the children, Melwyn Rodrigues, director operations, Daijiworld said, “We are grateful to MCC Bank for their immense support to the show ‘Jigibigi Taram’. They showed a way for budding stars in the music field to reach heights. Meanwhile, their parents also sacrificed many things for the betterment of their children. They trained them and nourished them to reach a goal. I congratulate them all. They also have won the show. I want to thank our management and technical team who worked behind this show. I congratulate all finalists and wish them a good future.”

Anil Lobo also honoured the judges with mementos for their support and guidance throughout the journey of ‘Jigibigi Taram’.

Kishoo Barkur, director, Daijiworld Udupi and Praveen Tauro, marketing manager, Daijiworld honoured the directors of MCC Bank Ltd.

Known TV host Komal Jenifer D’Souza compered the event in her own classic way which was appreciated by the audience. The show will be aired on Daijiworld on Friday October 7.

President presents award to Naadada Navaneeta director, producer

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Rajat Kamal Award for the documentary film ‘Naadada Navaneeta Pandit Dr. Venatesh Kumar’, produced by the Department of Information and Public Relations and directed by Girish Kasaravalli, at a function held at Vignan Bhavan, on Friday evening.

The Karnataka Department of Information and Public Relations Joint Director D.P. Muralidhar received the award on behalf of the department as producer, and Mr. Kasavalli as director, said a press release.

The film has been adjudged the best art and culture film in the non-feature film category at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020. The award consists of a cash component of ₹50,000 each for the producer and the director.

Belagavi wakes up to Navaratri special — Durga Mata Doud

The proportion of girls and women participating in the event is increasing every year. The event is non-competitive, and the runners are accompanied by music and dance troupes performing along the way. It has had its share of controversies too, given its association with Hindutva organisations

Vaidehi Solapurkar got up before sunrise and got dressed to go for a run. The dress however, is not the running gear with loose fitting T-shirt and track pants. It is a white chudidar, a saffron shawl and a turban.

“It is Durga Mata Doud (run). It is different. You could call it a cultural marathon,” says Vaidehi. The young lawyer has been participating in the event for five years. “The run is held on all nine days of Navaratri in different areas of Belagavi. I try to participate wherever I can. It is refreshing. It reminds me of our glorious past and the valour of kings like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,’’ she says.

Rashmi Kanabargi, a resident of Wadagaon in the old city who is a part of the Dhol Tasha band, says, “I am happy that the run has resumed after three years of COVID-19. I have participated in all the doud on all routes this year. I have introduced several of my friends to the run this year,” she says. This year, the doud started on September 26 and will end on October 5.

They are among the hundreds of girls and boys who join the run in white and saffron. Those who play musical instruments join the band. The runners are called Dharkaris, the Marathi term for ‘warrior’. This is reminiscent of Warkaris, or devotees, who participate in a fortnight-long padayatra to the Vithal temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. As the word ‘Dharkari’ suggests, it has a more strident Hindutva overtone. It is actively promoted by Hindutva groups.

“The doud started a few years ago, and was held only on the main road for the first few years. Its success prompted organisers to hold it in various locations in Belagavi,” said Shivaji Salunke, one of the organisers. He points out that the proportion of girls and women participating in the event is increasing every year. The event is non-competitive and the runners are accompanied by music and dance troupes performing along the way.

Ramakant Konduskar, Sri Ram Sena Hindustan leader, said the run is spreading to other towns and villages. “For many years, only Belagavi organised the run. Now, there are similar events in Gokak, Hukkeri, Chikkodi and Bailhongal. By next year, the number of places will increase,” he said. He claims it is a non-political event and that BJP, Congress, NCP, MES and JD(S) activists participate in the event.

Origin of Durga Mata Doud and controversy

The doud was conceived by Manohar ‘Sambhaji’ Bhide, founder of Shiv Pratishtan Hindustan, a Pune-based Hindutva organisation. He was accused of inciting violence after the Bhima Koregaon protest. The charges were dropped later. Mr. Bhide started the doud in Pune in 1984. Now, it has spread to other States. The event was held in Udupi for a day this year.

The doud routes cover the entire city, including some Muslim-dominated areas. Heavy police security is provided in these areas. It is not uncommon to see police personnel run along with the Dharkaris. Some police officers say Hindutva groups are trying to push a communal agenda in the garb of a cultural event.

This year, some men tread on cloth that had the colours of Pakistan’s flag during the run in Maratha Colony, Belagavi. Some persons had put the cloth along with the rangoli and floral decorations on the road that the runners were to take. Police rushed to the spot and removed the cloth.

Two-day ‘Techceleration 2022’ to promote Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi cluster

Taking forward the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ concept, a two-day event initiated and coordinated by Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) will be held in Hubballi on Sunday and Monday to display the progress achieved so far and deliberate upon the way forward.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Saturday, the CEO of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission Sanjeev Gupta said that the event named ‘Techceleration-2022’ would bring together the entire ecosystem of industry leaders, start-ups and businesses to showcase the growth so far, the opportunities available and the road map ahead. “What is even more important is that we will see venture capitalists investing in the start-up ideas from Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi belt,” he said.

International Coffee Day to be celebrated at Belur on Oct. 1

Karnataka Growers Federation, an umbrella organisation of coffee growers in the Malnad region, will celebrate International Coffee Day at Belur on October 1. This time the event will be part of the Sharannavarathri Dasara programme being held at Belur since September 26.

In a press release on Thursday, KGF president H.T. Mohan Kumar and general secretary K.B. Krishnappa said the KGF and other coffee planters associations will jointly hold the programme at Government Junior College grounds in the town at 10 a.m. Excise Minister K. Gopalaiah, who is also Minister in charge of Hassan district, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi and others will take part in the programme.

India has a prominent place among coffee-growing countries. Every year, coffee production contributes ₹8,000 crore of foreign exchange to the government. The KGF will take up a programme to promote coffee consumption in the country, the press release said.

Young entrepreneur comes up with ‘Made in Hubballi’ pistol

Ankush Koravi to showcase India’s first indigenous pistol at Defence Expo in Gujarat

A mechanical engineering graduate from Hubballi, Ankush Koravi, who took the less trodden path, has now come up with the country’s first indigenous pistol. He is among the select few to get invited to the Defence Expo being conducted by the Union government at Gandhinagar in Gujarat in September.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday, Ankush Koravi, who is now the CEO of Astr Defence Private Limited, said that he will be showcasing the indigenously developed ATAL Modular Pistol at the Indian Pavilion of Defence Expo organised by the Ministry of Defence.

He said that he had showcased his assault rifle at the Defence Expo in 2020 and had test fired the weapon at DGQA (Defence) firing range.

Mr. Koravi said that his new product ATAL Modular Pistol had three inbuilt safety mechanisms making it the safest carry pistol in the world. The patent for its unique safety mechanism is pending.

He said that the ergonomics of the pistol has been tailor-made for Indian user and Indian conditions and it could be reconfigured to adapt to various applications like duty use, carry use and conceal use.

“It is designed with minimal parts for reliability. It features an alloy steel slide, polymer frame with three magazine capacity (15, 17 and 21) options. It has been designed for two calibres, 9x 19 mm for duty use and 0.32 inch for licensed citizens,” he said.

Elaborating on his four-year journey of setting up a defence startup with a scalable production unit, Mr. Koravi said that now the startup has its own manufacturing facility, licensed and approved, at Kadanakoppa in Kalghatgi taluk near Hubballi.

“The product will have ‘Made in Hubballi’ etched on it as every part of it has been indigenously designed and developed,” he said.

Major (Retd) Anand C.S. and Subedar (Retd) Ningappa, who were among the ex-servicemen who guided and helped Mr. Koravi in developing the product and improving it, said that it was great to see a young entrepreneur from Hubballi developing high quality arms, with his base as Hubballi.

President of Karnatak Chamber of Commerce Vinay Javali said that it was heartening to see a young entrepreneur from Hubballi being invited for the Defence Expo and the KCCI will extend all necessary assistance to him.

KCCI office-bearers, Executive Director of Astr Lokesh Koravi, HDMC councillor Rajanna Koravi and others were present.

Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Horticultural Research tops the list of 93 ICAR institutes in national ranking

Plant varieties and technologies developed by Institute located in Hessarghatta is contributing about ₹13,000 crore a year to country’s exchequer

Bengaluru has got one more feather in its cap with the Hesaraghatta-based Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) being ranked top among institutions run by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The IIHR has topped the combined list of ranking for 2019-20 and 2020-21 that was released by the IIHR on Wednesday.

In all, 93 various institutes run by the ICAR in different parts of the country were considered for ranking.

The ranking is done on various parameters including the institute profile, performance, recognition and awards received by its faculty, research output and outcome, impact of research taken up by the institute, and vision and future readiness of the institute.

While each of these parameters were allotted certain marks, the institutes were judged for a maximum of 100 marks.

Vast research

IIHR conducts research on 54 major horticultural crops and has released 330 hybrids and other varieties in these crops ever since its inception in 1967.

The institute has also released 157 technologies that have played a major role in boosting horticultural productivity in the country. The estimated impact of eight of these selected hybrids/varieties and technologies to the national exchequer is around ₹13,000 crore annually.

The institute is also focusing on the promotion of entrepreneurship through horticultural technologies and at present there are three technology business incubators in operation at the institute to hand hold and promote horticultural entrepreneurship.

Seed portal

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the IIHR recently launched an online portal for the sales of the seeds of the varieties released by it.

Institute Director Debi Sharma said the recognition for ICHR had increased the responsibility of the institute. IIHR was keen on pursuing its cutting edge research in new areas, she said.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources and the National lnstitute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease lnformatics, which too are ICAR institutes located in Bengaluru, have got the 23rd and the 50th rank respectively.

Mangaluru: MCC bags Swachh Bharath League special award

The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has bagged the special award of Swachh Bharath League given by union ministry for housing and urban affairs. This award is given to cities with population between three and ten lac.

In this competition, which was held under Swachh Bharath Abhiyan campaign, more than 1850 city and local bodies took part. This award is given to cities who are striving to realize the idea of waste free city.

Roopa Mishra, joint director of urban affairs of Swachh Bharath Abhiyan said that the award will be conferred on September 30 at the Talkatora stadium of New Delhi.

Mysuru: Medal-Winners In Kickboxing

The following fighters of Appu Fight Club, Mysuru, trained under M.K. Sanjay Kumar, have excelled at the National-level Kickboxing Championship by representing Karnataka Kickboxing Sports Association:

K. Vinay, a student of BGS College, has secured gold medal in K1 (-48 kg) category of WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) India National Children and Juniors Kickboxing Championship-2022 held at Kolkata in the month of July.

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