Month: February 2023

This was Tomar’s first senior ISSF World Cup stage medal.

Teenager Varun Tomar bagged a bronze medal in the men’s 10m air pistol competition, opening India’s account at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Cairo.

The 19-year-old, competing on day one, got the better of teammate Sarabjot Singh in a shoot-off after both had tied for the third spot with a score of 250.6 in the ranking round.

Seasoned Slovakian shooter Juraj Tuzinsky defeated upcoming Italian talent Paolo Monna 17-15, to win gold in the event.

Earlier, Varun had shot 583 in qualification to make the ranking round in second place, while Sarabjot had shot 581 to qualify fifth. Juraj also topped the qualification with a score of 585.

In the ranking match, Paolo topped with 254.2 to set up the gold medal clash with Juraj, who finished second with 252.8, ahead of the two Indians as names like 50-year-old Turkish veteran Yusuf Dikec fell by the wayside.

This was Tomar’s first senior ISSF World Cup stage medal.

thehindu.com

Four Indian Americans are among 106 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), while three Indians figure among 18 new international members.

The seven Indian origin engineers — Shorya Awtar, Anirudh Devgan, TS Ramakrishnan, Anil Sachdev, Vikram S Deshpande, Aniruddha B Pandit, and Raman Sujith — and others in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Oct 1, 2023, according to an NAE press release.

This brings the total US membership to 2,420 and the number of international members to 319.

Election to the NAE, a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation, is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, according to the release.

Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

NAE’s mission is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering, the release said.

Four new Indian American members are:
Shorya Awtar, chief executive officer, Parallel Robotics LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan. For inventing and commercializing game-changing surgical products that have made minimally invasive surgery affordable and accessible around the world.

Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO, Cadence Design Systems, San Jose, California. For technical and business leadership in the electronic design automation industry.

TS Ramakrishnan, senior scientific adviser, Schlumberger-Doll Research Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts. For contributions to petrophysics, reservoir characterization, abandonment of production wells, and carbon sequestration and storage.

Anil Sachdev, principal technical fellow and lab group manager, General Motors Co, Warren, Michigan. For the research, development, and commercialization of lightweight materials to improve vehicle fuel economy.

Three new Indian origin international members are:
Vikram S Deshpande, professor, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. For contributions to mechanics of microarchitected solids with applications to structures under extreme dynamic loading.

Aniruddha B Pandit, vice chancellor and UGC Professor, Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. For contributions to cavitational reactors from concept to commercialization, and engineering solutions to improve the lives of underserved people.

Raman Sujith, chair professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. For applications of dynamical systems theory to the understanding and control of instabilities in engineering systems.

americanbazaaronline.com

Apsara Iyer, first Indian woman president of the prestigious student publication, tells us why restoration of stolen antiques to their rightful countries is her mission.

In February, first generation Indian-American Apsara Iyer claimed another milestone for the Indian community already standing on an Everest of spelling bee wins, and so many more exemplary academic achievements—she became the first Indian woman to be appointed president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

The journal is published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School, and is said to stand first among 143 student law journals for its impact factor. It is among the oldest student-run legal scholarship publications. Iyer is the first Indian woman in its 136-year history to hold the position, and follows such prestigious names as former US president Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Pudhil station, White House.

Iyer grew up in Indiana, born  to Tamil parents raised in Wadala; the couple’s parents had moved to India’s financial capital in the 1930s and ’40s from Kerala. The 29-year-old joined the prestigious law school after four-and-a-half-years at the Antiquities Trafficking Unit in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she helped restore over 1,100 antiquities to 15 different countries. “Several of these objects were from India,” she says over e-mail, “and I was the lead analyst on many investigations concerning trafficking networks operating in India and Southeast Asia.”

Iyer’s interest in history and antiquities was seeded in high school, when she worked on an archaeological excavation site in Peru. “I began to pursue my studies at Yale with a research focus on the value of cultural heritage,” she says. “During one of my field research projects in India, I had the opportunity to visit a site that had been the victim of looting. I distinctly remember that while I was at the site, someone asked me, ‘What are you going to do about this?’ This wake-up call led me to work in law to address the issue of antiquities trafficking.” Iyer graduated from Yale majoring in Math, Economics and Spanish, and went on to pursue an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

The destruction of cultural heritage and its effect on people occupied her mind. “This kind of destruction—by looting or other means—is an attack on the identity of a community and, in turn, our common humanity. Cultural heritage represents a shared history, roots, and beliefs.” Her favourite memories from working at the District Attorney’s Office surround organising repatriation ceremonies to return stolen objects to their lawful owners. “Each repatriation ceremony, whether with India or Iraq or Greece, is incredibly moving,” she says. “Although the return of the objects will not recover their original archaeological context, the repatriation allows for a piece of history to journey back to its lawful owner.” One case of satisfying avengement must have been that of hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt. In 2021, he surrendered $70 million of stolen antiquities and was banned for a lifetime on acquiring antiquities. Iyer worked on the case in which 180 antiquities, stolen from 11 countries, were returned to rightful owners in Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria and Turkey.

Among the first cases she was assigned at the DA’s office was the one involving a Nataraja stolen from the Punnainallur Temple in Thanjavur. “Over the next three years,” she says, “I worked tirelessly with the lead prosecutor to uncover new evidence, witnesses, and investigative leads. Our work single-handedly resulted in the return of the Nataraja to the Government of India. In such cases, I have seen first-hand how the communities maintained hope and prayed for years that the relics will return.”

Another inspiring moment was being able to work on a case involving a mother goddess statue stolen from a site in Udaipur that she had visited in 2013 for research as a student at Yale.“I photographed the temple post-theft,” she says, “and met with local witnesses who still remembered the statues. Finally, in 2022 nine years later, we were able to recover one idol and it is awaiting repatriation to India.” 

On the personal front, Iyer enjoys looking at art and boxing, a sport she trained in for a charity event while living in New York. 

mid-day.com

India is set to organise World Hindi Conference between February 15-17 in Fiji. A 270-member delegation from India will visit Fiji for the event.

Representatives from 50 countries will participate in the event and representatives from South and Northeast India will be presenting papers at the conference.

“Hindi has made limited progress in the United Nations. U.N. press releases are now available in Hindi. We are trying to get Hindi its rightful place at the U.N.” said Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), MEA.

thehindu.com

This honor bestowed upon me is totally unexpected, though of course it will stay high in my mind on reaching this status that was one of the goals on my list that I wanted to achieve.

New Delhi: 

Golden Excellence in Entertainment was presented in gratitude to Satish Sanpal under the Patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Cabinet Minister of Tolerance & Coexistence UAE that were held at Grand Hyatt Al Garhoud, Dubai, UAE.

“This honor bestowed upon me is totally unexpected, though of course it will stay high in my mind on reaching this status that was one of the goals on my list that I wanted to achieve. I believe in law of attraction. If you really want something, set your goals and go for it,” remarked Satish Sanpal after being honored with this award.

“What ultimately rewards you sooner or later is the never ending efforts of faith, determination and perseverance one puts in his objective,” added Sanpal who is widely known in upper crest circle of UAE as the most stylish and Iconic entrepreneur and mentor to many. He is well-known for his immaculate contribution to the hospitality sector in Dubai by establishing VII Dubai and much lesser known virtue about him is that he is also a philanthropist.

“I believe that it is our contribution towards the economy that is focused to developing the luxury Buildings at prime locations of Dubai as well as urbanization across the Emirates and Middle East, that has been one of the objectives of receiving this merit,” further reveals this who has paved the path of opportunity for many youngsters in various sectors such as digital marketing, information technology, and hospitality.

Satish Sanpal founded VII Dubai is one of the most enchanting night clubs in Dubai was quoted in one of the leading newspapers saying, “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it. Apart from destiny, one has to have a determination and back it with hard work.” It is evidently visible that he is an entrepreneur par excellence who successfully owns and runs a group of companies in not just Dubai but all across the Emirates.

Responding to another query about the uniqueness of VII Dubai, Sanpal replied, “It is the best in terms of quality, variety, the performers at our club and we have always brought in the best DJs to take over the stage. The presentation of food and beverages is impeccable. VII Dubai is divided into three parts a terrace, lounge and club. Each section boasts of a different ambience, giving guests a one-stop destination for a memorable evening.”

When asked about what is so magical about the UAE that he stays focused in this region for the moment, this widely traveled business magnet feels that there’s no place as comfortable and safe for entrepreneurs such as the UAE and Dubai in particular is known for its innovative development and architecture, and its shopping scenes incredible transportation options and well-developed infrastructure.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).

siasat.com

KTR said that the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week would be held regularly to foster collaboration by bringing together the thought leaders.

Hyderabad: 

Telangana today announced India’s first new mobility-focused cluster, Telangana Mobility Valley (TMV), at the first edition of Mobility Next Hyderabad Summit – part of the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week, to further accelerate the growth of sustainable mobility in India.

Sharing the details of the TMV, KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT E&C, MA&UD and Industries & Commerce, in his inaugural address, said, “Telangana Mobility Valley will create best-in-class infrastructure making Telangana the most competitive destination for both manufacturing and E R&D in India.”

“TMV aims to attract investments of around Rs 50,000 crore and generate more than 4 lakh jobs in the next 5 years. For this, the State is developing 4 Mega clusters in and around Hyderabad- EV Manufacturing cluster in Zaheerabad, an EV Manufacturing cluster in Seetharampur, Energy storage system (ESS) cluster in Divitipally and Innovation cluster at Yenkathala.

Each of the clusters will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to reduce the cost of operations for their tenant,” the Minister added.

Rama Rao said, “Further, investments aggregating Rs 3,000+ Cr are in advanced stages and will be announced in the next 2 weeks. These investments will further strengthen Electric 3-wheeler, Electric 2-wheeler and charging equipment manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana.”

“TMV aims to facilitate companies across all segments of sustainable mobility including Electric 2Wheelers/ 3 wheelers/ 4 wheelers, Advanced Cell Chemistry and Hydrogen fuel cells, Tier 1 and Tier 2 Component manufacturers and Auto Engineering R&D companies among others,” the Minister added.

Rama Rao said that the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week would be held regularly to foster collaboration by bringing together the thought leaders, experts, and global automotive ecosystem players to chart a course for sustainable mobility.

As part of the event, the State also announced three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) — ATS-TUV Rheinland MoU with Telangana Government; Bosch Global Software Technologies MoU with BITS Hyderabad, and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge’s (TASK) MoU with Shell.

Delivering the keynote address, Hizmy Hassen, Chief Digital Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The E-Mobility Week along with other investments by the Government of Telangana is another show of great public sector commitment.

The broader automotive industry should take advantage of these incentives and excellent infrastructure to accelerate sustainability in mobility. The industry needs to come together along with policymakers towards the common goal of making it more sustainable for decades to come.”

Talking about the future of sustainable mobility, Christian Cahn von Seelen, Executive Director, Sales, Marketing & Digital, Volkswagen Group India, said, “Sustainable mobility is achievable through the right cooperation between all stakeholders, including the supportive government policies in India.

The G20 presidency of India offers a huge opportunity and there is a strong drive from various industries to address the challenges of climate change. With hard work and dedication, we can remain optimistic and see the realization of sustainable mobility in the future.”

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, and Industries & Commerce Departments, Govt. of Telangana gave the vote of thanks.

The summit saw participation from government, academia, and industry including Kamal Bali, President and MD, Volvo Group India, Nikolaus Lang, Sr. Partner & MD, Global Leader- Global Advantage Practice, BCG, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India & South Asia, Shrikant Sinha, CEO, Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge – TASK, Suman Mishra, CEO, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Division, Dirk Adamczyk, SVP, Engineering Solutions ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Mamatha Chamarthi, SVP Business & Product Management, Stellantis, and Dr. Amaresh Chakrabarti, Chair, Centre for Product Design & Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, among others.

For more information and to register for Mobility Next Hyderabad 2023, please visit the event’s website at www.evhyderabad.in/mobility-next.

siasat.com

Rural tourism and archaeological tourism will be the topics for two side events at the first tourism ministerial meeting of the G-20 from February 7 to 9.

The Ladpura Khas village of Madhya Pradesh, Khonoma village of Nagaland and heritage sites like Dholavira will be showcased as success stories of rural and archaeological tourism by India during the first tourism working group meeting of the G-20 nations to be held at the Rann of Kutch.

Rural tourism and archaeological tourism will be the topics for two side events at the first tourism ministerial meeting of the G-20 from February 7 to 9 where India will highlight the most successful and innovative initiatives of these from various parts of India, Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said on Friday.

The Ladpura Khas village of Madhya Pradesh was nominated as the Best Rural Tourism Village by the UNWTO. In this village, the State government developed homestays in villages under the Responsible Tourism Mission of the State.

Success stories will be presented of Kevadiya, Gujarat and some sensitive areas of Jammu and Kashmir like Poonch where OYO Hotels and tribal homestays have been developed.

India will also present the innovative model of community based Astrotourism that involves rural homestays and community spaces that are completely run by villagers and provides travellers an integrated experience of stargazing along with cultural immersion in the Himalayas, while Nagaland’s Khonoma Village will present the model of Ecotourism Management Board that develops Rural Tourism Products and promotes responsible travel.

The success of developing many rural tourism products in and around Rann of Kutch will also be presented.

“The idea is to present rural tourism as a means of community empowerment and poverty alleviation,” Mr. Singh said.

India will also showcase its success in archaeological tourism  and discuss shared cultural heritage with the G-20 delegates. The delegates will be taken to Dholavira which is the southern centre of the Harappan civilisation.

Officials said that the guests would be presented with gifts made under the One District One Product programme to showcase Indian heritage and culture.

The first tourism working group meeting in the Kutch would also work on a Goa Roadmap and Action Plan for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Goa would be the venue for the G-20 ministerial meeting of tourism in June this year.

The meeting will provide a vision, roadmap and guidance for accelerated growth of tourism sector beyond pandemic based on the five key building blocks of Sustainability, Digitalisation, Skills, MSMEs and Destination management towards achieving SDGs, the Secretary said.

thehindu.com

iNCOVACC, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, was launched on January 26.

Bharat Biotech dispatched three lakh doses of its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago, the company’s executive chairman Krishna Ella said on Sunday.

Mr. Ella was speaking on the sidelines of an event here at which a bilateral agreement was signed between the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) and the Ella Foundation for the establishment of the first-ever UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru.

iNCOVACC, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, was launched on January 26. The vaccine is now available on CoWIN and priced at ₹800 for private markets and ₹325 for the government of India and State governments.

“We dispatched three lakh doses of the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago,” Mr. Ella said.

On whether Bharat Biotech is looking at exporting the vaccine, he said some countries and international agencies are approaching the company for the intra-nasal vaccine.

iNCOVACC is also the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose for adults.

Mr. Ella said the UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

It will advance the development and production of new vaccines for India. Furthermore, the partnership will enable collaboration across disciplines and geographic boundaries, provide Indian students and researchers access to UW expertise and training, and build research capacity in India, he said.

“Both Ella Foundation and UW-Madison GHI share a common vision to advance innovation in science, research, and knowledge sharing. Establishing the UW-Madison Global One Health Centre holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student, faculty exchanges, research and education,” he added.

UW-Madison GHI director Jorge Osorio said, “We are energised by the opportunity to partner with the Ella Foundation to bring UW knowledge and expertise to expand innovative and impactful health initiatives outside Wisconsin to India.”

The India One Health Centre joins a global network that includes Africa and Latin America and will open new opportunities for research, education, and provide actionable outcomes to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems that advance equitable and sustainable health across India and the world.

thehindu.com

Music composer Ricky Kej, based out of Bengaluru, has won his third Grammy Award for the album ‘Divine Tides’ and dedicated the honour to his home country, India.

The US-born musician shared the award with Stewart Copeland, the drummer of the iconic British rock band The Police, who collaborated with Kej on the album.

At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, the duo earned the gramophone trophy in the best immersive audio album winner category. They had won a Grammy in the best new age album category for the same album last year.

“Congrats Best Immersive Audio Album winner – ‘Divine Tides’ Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; @copelandmusic, @rickykej & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej) #GRAMMYs,” announced the Recording Academy, the organisation behind Grammy Awards, on its official Twitter page on Sunday night.

Kej said he was “grateful” for the recognition.

“Just won my 3rd Grammy Award. Extremely grateful, am speechless! I dedicate this Award to India. @copelandmusic. Herbert Waltl Eric Schilling Vanil Veigas Lonnie Park,” the composer captioned a series of pictures on his Twitter page.

Other nominees in the category were: Christina Aguilera (‘Aguilera’), The Chainsmokers (‘Memories… Do Not Open’), Jane Ira Bloom (‘Picturing The Invisible- Focus 1’), and Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondeheimsolistene (‘Tuvahyun – Beatitudes for a Wounded World’).

‘Divine Tides’ is a nine-song album that aims to deliver the message that “each individual life plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance that serves all equally”.

Kej took home his first Grammy in the best new age album category for ‘Winds of Samsara’ back in 2015.

As part of his work with The Police, Copeland has won five Grammys. With Kej as collaborator, this is his second award.

english.varthabharati.in