Month: December 2021

** Canada: Maxim D’Mello, Vijay Dante elected to lead MAC in its 20th year

Maxim D’Mello, one of the highly acclaimed Mangalurean leaders in Canada and outside India, has been unanimously elected as the president of ‘The Mangalorean Association of Canada’ (MAC) for the fourth term during its Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) held on November 21 at Petrescue Hall, Carmen Corbasson Community Centre, Mississauga, Canada.

He was actively involved with Kuwait Canara Welfare Association (KCWA) since its inception and served as a President before immigrating to Canada in 2002. From then on, he is part of the Mangalorean Association of Canada and serves the community. In 2006 he got elected as its president for the first time.

In addition MAC is fortunate to get yet another dynamic leader Everest Vijay Dante popularly known as Vijay Dante to its fold as the vice-president. Vijay, a philanthropist is a well-focussed, dedicated and a family-oriented business professional. He is the proud son of the late ‘Sridanti’ (Francis Dante from Udupi, Karnataka, India), a renowned writer, poet and a religious leader who is also one of the founders of Catholic Sabha, Mangaluru.

He is owner of ‘Udupi Madras Café’ (UMC) one of the prestigious business houses in Toronto. The UMC has won the prestigious ‘2021 Mississauga News Readers’ Choice Award’ for the successive 2nd time in a row. Serving the international community in Mississauga, Canada for 15 years.

** Bengaluru firm Strides Pharma Science to launch oral drug to fight Covid

In a statement, Strides said it will “immediately launch” its generic Molnupiravir, indicated for high-risk adult patients with Covid under the brand Stripiravir.

Bengaluru pharma company Strides Pharma Science Limited said that it has received Emergency Use Authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch Molnupiravir, an oral medication for Covid-19 in India.

In a statement, Strides said it will “immediately launch” its generic Molnupiravir, indicated for high-risk adult patients with Covid under the brand Stripiravir. The company is commercialising the product with a group-integrated supply chain for active pharmaceutical ingredients and solid oral dosage from its large-scale WHO pre-qualified manufacturing capacities, the company stated.

** Mangaluru: Sachin Prakash Nayak received ‘Karnataka Yuva Ratna’ title

Sachin Prakash Nayak from Bolar, Mangaluru is awarded with ‘Karnataka Yuva Ratna’ title with an State level honour for his 18 years of service in cultural activities (dance, drama, cinema and academics).

** Mangaluru: Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Puraskar winners announced

Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar, the annual literary awards for Konkani literature instituted by World Konkani Centre for the year 2021 have been announced by The Konkani Bhas ani Sanskriti Prathistan, World Konkani Centre, Mangaluru.

Massam, a collection of Konkani short stories by Antony Barkur (Antony Prakash D’Souza) has been chosen as the Best Konkani Book of the Year (Prose) for Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar 2021.

Indradhonu Udeum a collection of Konkani poems by Uday Narasinha Mhambro has been selected as the Best Konkani Book of the Year (Poetry) for Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Kavita Kruti Puraskar 2021.

Suresh Jaywant Borkar has been identified as the recipient for the Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Jeevan Siddhi Samman 2021 for his life time contribution to Konkani language pedagogy, grammar and lexicography

** Bags Gold In Wrestling

H.A. Akhilesh, an MCA student at the city’s Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Post-Graduate Centre, has bagged a Gold medal  at the State-level  VTU Inter-collegiate wrestling contest  held at Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district recently.

He got the medal for winning  four bouts (97 Kg category) in the Round Robin league of the tournament, according to a press release.

** Mysuru Veteran TT Players Excel

Dr. B.R. Sainath Iyer (Mysuru) walked away with the 75+ Men Singles gold though he had to face a stiff challenge from Mallikarjuniah in a league match. Mallikarjuniah bowed down to Dr. Sainath in the final game of the match at 9-11 score.

Sushila Devi Pillay, Mysuru, got a silver against the gold medallist Bhavana Gopal, retired employee of Canara Bank, Mangaluru.

Dr. Shantharam, Prasanna Kumar and Ashok Dahibati, all from Mysuru, got bronze for their semi-final positions in their respective events.

Dr. Shantharam surprised the audience with his consistent attacking game while Prasanna Kumar was a veritable with his good defence.

** Chikkaballapura hospital provides free treatment to 55 kids with heart defects

A total of 55 children with congenital heart defects have been treated at the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial hospital in Chikkaballapura district, free of cost.

The 150-bed multidisciplinary hospital, along with Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Child Heart Cares operated on 23 children in November and 32 in December.

** Spreading innovation

Joseph Lobo, a 44-yr-old farmer,  is popularising the hydroponic method of cultivation and is growing the famous Shankarapura jasmine.

They say a farmer is a magician who makes his living from the mud. But that is not true in the case of Joseph Lobo, a 44-year-old farmer from the coastal district of Udupi.Lobo hails from Shankarapura, a tiny nondescript village sandwiched between the mighty Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Shankarapura is called the jasmine capital of the Karnataka coastline and is famous for its Shankarapura mallige (mallige in Kannada means jasmine flowers). And like the majority of the residents of the village, Lobo too cultivates Shankarapura mallige. A passionate farmer, Lobo has been growing the Shankarapura mallige — which was accorded GI tag in 2008 — for the last 15 years. 

But what sets him apart from the rest of the growers is that he has attempted to grow his prized possession without soil! Yes, you read it right. Lobo became the first grower in the region to adopt the novel hydroponic method of cultivation, which in layman’s language is soil-less cultivation.Lobo says he was inspired after attending a workshop at University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, and started experimenting on the new method of cultivation. Lobo has 32 jasmine plants already, including the three grown using the hydroponic technique.

** Karnataka ranks sixth in Good Governance Index

On the other hand, Karnataka has a higher disposal rate of consumer court cases, while nine other states have shown decline.

Karnataka has been placed sixth in the composite ranking among ‘Group A’ states with incremental progress in Commerce and Industry in the Good Governance Index 2021. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the index, prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) on ‘Good Governance Day’ in New Delhi on Saturday.

** Belagavi locals elated as Goa gives nod to develop Portuguese-era road

“Villagers of Kankumbi and Parwad go to Goa via Satre for paddy cultivation. They are more dependent on Goa for their source of income.

The Goa government has given green signal to develop the Portuguese-era road, which has been closed for traffic for years, bringing much relief to residents of Parwad, Kankumbi and surrounding villages in Khanapur taluk. This road connects Satre in Goa to Parwad village in Karnataka. The decision of the Goa government will help villagers of Parwad reach Goa border by foot within one hour, saving a lot of their time and money.