Category: Business & Economy

** A golden future for turmeric

For CV Prakash — a former naval officer who is also recognised as an expert in soil-less agriculture — making turmeric (Curcuma longa) more profitable for the ordinary farmer has become a passion during lockdown.

His ongoing Mission Turmeric 2021 aims to begin an “orange revolution”, he says, by teaching people to cultivate the spice in grow bags (large porous containers made of high density polyethelene) packed with coco-peat (made from the pith of the coconut husk) instead of soil, in shade houses.

  • India is the world’s biggest producer of turmeric, (centred in the states of Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Orissa ). At least 30 varieties of cultivars are grown in the country.

** KIA 1 of 6 airports in world to get Roll of Excellence

The Kempegowda International Airport has been inducted into the Airports Council International (ACI) Director General’s Roll of Excellence for the year 2020. It’s one of six airports worldwide to get this recognition.

** Feeding poultry with insects, this project solves garbage, agrarian crises

Narendra Pasuparthy, founder and CEO of Nandus Foods, said time is ripe to tackle the twin issues of the animal feed industry that eats into the agricultural sector and the urban food waste affecting cities like Bengaluru. His search for a solution resulted in the start-up Insectifii with Mitali Poovayya, a neurobiology researcher from Amsterdam University. The start-up converts food waste into high-grade protein for poultry using the Black Soldier Fly (BSF).

** Mangaluru: ‘Patrode’ earns place in Ayush list of traditional, beneficial dishes

‘Patrode’, a popular dish of coastal Karnataka and Malnad region that is made from Colocasia (taro) leaves, has been recognized by the union Ayush ministry as a traditional food under Ayush system of medicines.

The ministry has prepared a booklet in which names of 26 food items have been listed. Patrode has occupied a place of pride in this list.

This booklet is also available in the website of the department now. Along with each of the items listed, photos, recipe, and health benefits have been listed.

** India’s first tunnel aquarium opens at KSR railway station

From now on, anyone waiting to board a train, or to receive someone, at the KSR railway station can look forward to an exciting and relaxing activity.

For, a first of its kind aquatic kingdom set up in any railway station in India will be launched in the concourse portion at the entry of the station on Thursday. The joint venture by the Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) and HNI Enterprises was planned for an April launch, but the Covid second wave delayed it.

** Editor of Sanskrit newspaper passes away

K.V. Sampath Kumar, 64, editor of Sudharma, reckoned to be the country’s and the world’s only Sanskrit daily, passed away in Mysuru on Wednesday afternoon following cardiac arrest.

He, along with his wife Vidushi K.S. Jayalakshmi, were awarded the Padma Shri in 2020 by the government in recognition of their untiring efforts to keep the publication alive against all odds

Sampath Kumar had taken over the mantle from his father Pandit K.N. Varadaraja Iyengar who had launched Sudharma in 1970, and ensured that the publication reached its readers. He worked as a reporter, proof-reader, editor and publisher.

** Bengaluru gets largest Miyawaki forest

“The project started in November 2018 and now the saplings stand tall and dense. The area will be with us till January 2023 after which it will be handed over to the Railways.

The 4.75 acres of Miyawaki forest created on Indian Railway Institute of Disaster Management land in Hejjalla, Mysuru Road, is the largest man-made forest in Bengaluru, according to Say Trees, an NGO group. The area is covered with 60 native species in four layers — trees, sub-trees, canopy and shrubs.

** Farmer’s feat in growing apples in Chitradurga surprises others

Jyoti Prakash from Godabanahal village in Chitradurga has made people turn to him in awe. The farmers here have struggled and lost in their effort to successfully grow areca nuts.

Many have maintained plantations by getting water in tankers for years together. Jyoti Prakash thought differently and planned to raise this alternative crop.

After getting to know that apples can be grown in this climate, he planted 300 apple saplings in his plantation. He brought these saplings from Himachal Pradesh.

** Innovation award for Index App

The city’s Index App, which was developed following the outbreak of COVID-19, has been recognised for using technology to set up the COVID-19 war room. It has been adjudged the winner in the third round of the COVID-19 Innovation Award in the India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC) 2020.

The results of ISAC 2020 along with Climate Smart Cities Assessment Results 2.0 were announced by Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on Friday. Bengaluru bagged three stars with an overall score of 1,271 out of 2,800. It fared fairly well and bagged three stars each in the areas of energy and green building (330/600) and urban planning, green cover and biodiversity (244/500).

The city also bagged four stars in waste management (395/600), but fared poorly in the areas of mobility and air quality (two stars; 187/500) and water management (one star; 115/600). Tumakuru’s Digital Library Solution also bagged third place in ISAC 2020 under the social aspects category.

** Trials for India’s first medical drone delivery service begins in Karnataka

India’s first drone delivery service, that specialises in medical supplies, will begin operating in Karnataka soon. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s green signal is awaited, Throttle Aerospace Systems (TAS) CEO Nagendran Kandasamy said.

The trial, which started on Monday and continued till Tuesday, was successful, Kandasamy said. He said India’s first official beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) medical drone delivery experiment started in Sembhukha Nagar of Gowribidanur taluk in Chikballapur and the trial will continue for 30 to 40 days.