** Students create Gaganyaan’s functional rocket model with an eye on Guinness World Record

Gaganyaan, India’s manned mission, launch has been postponed to 2023 due to Covid-19 but the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working hard to keep the buzz about the mission and motivate young minds by sponsoring 550 students to create Guinness World Record (GWR) for assembling Gaganyaan’s functional rocket model at one place. 

All these rockets assembled by 550 students following a 2-hour exercise at the India International Science Festival (IISF), 2021 under the guidance of N Sudheer Kumar, Director, Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO, will be launched at the Panaji gymkhana ground using ISRO launchpads. 

The man behind training the students is Diyanshu Poddar’s start-up, Rocketeers. 

** Writer Eshwar Mantur dead

Eshwar Mantur, writer, public speaker and founder of the Basava Jnyana Gurukul orphanage, died in Honnur-Madhurkhandi village of Bagalkot district on Thursday.

Apart from traditional education, the institution offered training in computer usage and music. He also organised Sharana Sanskruti Utsav in the ashram ever year. He wrote several books on Basava philosophy and began touring the State giving lectures on the 12th Century Vachana movement. He released several cassettes and CDs that contained deliberations on various Sharanas.

** German testing firm to invest ₹130 crore in Bengaluru

he company will set up its second lab in the city.

Munich-based TÜV SÜD laid the foundation stone for an additional testing lab and office facility in Bengaluru on December 9. The firm is engaged in testing products, materials and components.

The new facilty for testing and certifying electrical and electronic products and medical devices would come up on three acres of land at KIADB Hitech Defense and Aerospace Park, Devanahalli. The 70,000 square feet lab is scheduled for completion in early 2023 at an investment of ₹130 crore.

** NCBS, Tata Institute of Genetics and Society announce institutional alliance

“This engagement with the TIGS is a wonderful opportunity for NCBS researchers to engage with questions that concern both genetics and society, and at the same time broadening the collaborative footprint of the TIGS at the Bangalore Life Science Cluster,” said NCBS director Satyajit Mayor.

TIGS director Rakesh Mishra said by joining hands with the NCBS, the TIGS brings top-quality science closer to addressing societal problems in the domain of rare genetic diseases, infectious diseases and nutrition, using cutting-edge science and technology.

** Bengaluru-based Prasanna Trust gets grant of $50,000 from Goldman Sachs

The grant will help Prasanna Trust, a public charitable trust supporting marginalised sections of society in India, expand its scholarship programme to empower 150 girls affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their education, and grow its outreach beyond Bengaluru, to Mumbai, Hyderabad, Madurai and Chennai.

** Udupi: MAHE president Dr Ranjan R Pai named in EdelGive Hurun India Youngest Philanthropists list

Dr Ranjan R Pai, chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) and President of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) was named as one of the youngest philanthropists in the 8th annual EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2021.

The list highlights the country’s most generous individuals who have contributed to the development of the nation through their philanthropic efforts. The report was prepared by Edelgive Foundation in partnership with Hurun India.

** Chopper crash at Coonoor: Karkala loses its valiant son-in-law

 Karkala has lost its son-in-law in the helicopter crash which happened in Coonoor on Wednesday December 8.

Lt Col Harjinder Singh happened to be the son-in-law of Karkala origin Late Felix Menezes and Mary Menezes. Harjinder Singh had married Lt Agnes Prafulla Menezes, daughter of the late Felix and Mary Menezes of Salmara here in Karkala.

Agnes Prafulla Menezes had also served in the Indian Army for many years. Both of them fell in love with each other and got married. They had visited the family’s native house in Salmara a few times, said the relatives of the Menezes family.

** Karnataka’s Ishad mangoes, Kumta onions, Bhatkal jasmine start journey towards GI tag

The Honnavar betel leaf, known as the queen leaf, is grown only in a few pockets of the taluk.

Karwar :

They are unique, popular and are grown in small areas for the last several centuries. Delicious Ishad mangoes from Ankola, sweet onions from Kumta, betel leaves from Honnavar and fragrant jasmine from Bhatkal are all set to get geographical indicator (GI) tags as the Horticulture Department has started the process.

** Actor Shivaram cremated with state honours

Veteran Kannada actor S. Shivaram, 83, who passed away on Saturday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, was cremated with state honours on Sunday.

The mortal remains of the actor were placed at Ravindra Kalakshetra on Sunday morning for members of the film fraternity and his fans to pay their last respects.

Several senior actors, including Bharathi, Dwarakish, Anant Nag, Ramakrishna, and Tara caught a last glimpse of the actor and turned emotional. Many recounted how Shivaram, an ardent devotee of Sabarimala Ayyappa, was like a spiritual guide to several people in the film industry.

** UAS-B is No. 1 among farm varsities in south India

Rankings assigned by ICAR

The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UAS-B) has added one more feather to its cap as it has been ranked number one among south Indian agricultural universities and third at the national level among all the 67 State agricultural universities by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for 2020-21.