Category Archives: Business & Economy

Patent holder of flexible road barrier seeks govt. support

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel, World Opinion

The flexible road barrier with indicator developed by C.A. Vinayaram.   | Photo Credit: Spl

Vinayaram’s device holds potential to save motorists’ lives

The patent holder of a ‘flexible road barrier with indicator’, which holds immense potential to save the lives of motorists, has sought the help of experts and the government to popularise it.

C.A. Vinayaram, who hails from Mattancherry near here, won the patent for the device in 2016. He was allegedly given the cold shoulder by road safety experts in Kerala for the device that he painstakingly developed a decade ago.

It was an accident that led Mr. Vinayaram to work on such a device. In 2003, a car in which he was travelling rammed an unlit median while it was overtaking a tanker lorry in Kannur. It was a narrow escape, he said.

Mr. Vinayaram expressed shock at the plight of unscientifically-built medians — most of them not having even a reflector to warn motorists, claiming the lives of hundreds of people each year in India.

A tourist guide by profession, he knocked at the doors of agencies such as Thiruvananthapuram-based National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) and the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) for support.

A senior official of NATPAC said the innovation was good and had the potential to prevent accidents, since each unit of the flexible median has electricity or solar-powered LED on top to warn motorists.

Lack of funds

“It can even lessen the impact of an accident, since it mainly comprises a spring and is hence flexible. Sadly, the agency does not have the funds for conducting a field study. Hence, we referred it to Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, following which it was referred to a reputed government engineering college,” said the official.

The innovator is dejected that he is not in a position to manufacture the device in bulk, even when he is getting orders from many parts of India and abroad. “One of the agencies that I approached sought ₹10 lakh to do the field study, while another sought ₹2 lakh. I do not have that kind of money to spare. There are limits to what an individual can do. The government and road safety stakeholders must take steps to test and popularise such devices and also improvise on them if need be.”

Mr. Vinayaram said the idea was still in cold storage, though it was taken up with two Chief Ministers. In 2012, the late V.R. Krishna Iyer, who retired as judge of the Supreme Court, had written to the then Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court in this regard, urging that his letter be treated as a Public Interest Litigation since the device had the potential to save hundreds of lives each year.

Medians as deathtraps

Twenty persons died after an LPG tanker rammed an unscientific and ill-lit road median at Chala in Kannur in 2012.

The same year, a car in which actor Jagathy Sreekumar was travelling, hit a road median near Calicut University, in which he suffered serious injuries. Five powerlifters were killed and another critically injured after their car rammed a median on the Delhi-Haryana border in 2018.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by John L. Paul / Kochi – March 22nd, 2019

ClimateLaunchpad: A platform to grow sustainable ideas

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, World Opinion

Present in more than 45 countries, including India from 2018, ClimateLaunchpad is part of the entrepreneurship offerings of EIT Climate-KIC,  a European knowledge and innovation community.

Thiruvananthapuram :

Providing an opportunity to budding entrepreneurs in the state, SUSTERA foundation, ATREE-CERC and Climate Studio are collaborating with ClimateLaunchpad to create a platform for green-tech innovators from Kerala.

ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest competition for green business ideas. Present in more than 45 countries, including India from 2018, ClimateLaunchpad is part of the entrepreneurship offerings of EIT Climate-KIC, a European knowledge and innovation community, working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

Climate change needs to be tackled by innovative solutions. The programme is for those with an idea that can have a fast scalable impact to a sustainable future. “This competition encourages green ideas as solutions towards climate change. We encourage change-makers in Kerala to participate in the programme. The best idea will be made into a reality,” said Sanju Soman, Global School ambassador, UNSDSN.

The competition will focus on innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, food and agriculture, water, transportation and industrial technology. The opportunity will provide fast-track mentorship and resources to make the idea viable. A network of climate/clean-tech mentors and entrepreneurs will coach the participants intensively, making sure they have a quality business pitch ready.It has been launched in 13 states across India to scout clean-tech talent and help them develop their sustainable ideas into global businesses.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / March 07th, 2019

Rekha Karthikeyan, the lone Indian woman actively engaged in deep-sea fishing

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Leaders, Records, All

From the deep sea-fishing Rekha Karthikeyan near Chettuva to mussel farming Praseela Shaji at Moothakunnam, there is in these women a spirit of determination and readiness to take on the challenges of life in their battle for survival. If you thought fishing came easy to these women entrepreneurs living close to the sea and backwaters, it is not true.

“It was so frightening initially,” says Ms. Karthikeyan, about her first venture into deep-sea fishing. “But the fright did go away. I was never intimidated,” she adds.

She has been recognised by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute as the lone woman in the country actively engaged in deep-sea fishing.

She and her husband Karthikeyan use their boat for fishing ventures on a daily basis.

The couple with four children, routinely take to the seas to feed the family.

Undeterred by deluge

For Ms. Shaji, the mid-August 2018 flood was a life-changer. It threatened to derail her life. The floodwaters washed away the mussel farming ventures of dozens of women entrepreneurs like her. While some of them gave up, she did not. Ms. Shaji her friends have put the pieces together and is now fast on the road to achieving normality in mussel production.

The major fishery based micro-enterprises being taken care of by women self-help groups include bivalve farming (mussel and edible oyster culture), seaweed culture, ornamental fish culture, cage culture, Chinese dip-net units, fish amino acid units, fish fertilizer units, clam processing, fish drying, fish pickling, ready-to cook and eat fish products, aqua-tourism, seafood kitchen units, dry fish procuring, fish vending, prawn culture, crab processing, aquaponics and fish feed production, says a CMFRI scientist.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – March 08th, 2019

Braille guide, video brochure for Thenmala in Kerala

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Barrier-free access for hearing and visually challenged to country’s first planned ecotourism destination

Visually challenged people reaching Thenmala, the country’s first planned ecotourism destination, will be provided with a visitor’s guide in Braille, the tactile writing system, from March.

For the aurally challenged, a video brochure with sign language has been incorporated as a separate corner in www.thenmalaecotourism. com, the official website of the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society (TEPS) that manages the destination.

Mobile app

A mobile application, a guiding app that will briefly narrate the attractions of the destination, is also on the anvil. The 16-page Braille brochure has all information needed for a traveller.

The initiative is part of the efforts to encourage people with visual and hearing impairement to visit Thenmala.

It is also part of the barrier-free tourism project launched last year to make tourist destinations accessible to all visitors.

“This is the first time a Braille tourism brochure is being made available at a tourist destination in the State. The brochures will be provided to the visually challenged from the TEPS office,” Ecotourism Director and CEO of TEPS P.P. Pramod told The Hindu.

Students of Government School for the Blind, Vazhuthacaud, is behind the Braille brochure.

It is the outcome of a day trip organised for students as part of a CSR initiative. “We realised the constraints faced and requested them for solutions. The Braille brochure was the outcome,” he said. Students of Government VHSS for Deaf, Jagathy, came up with the video brochure with sign language after their visit.

For using the mobile application being launched on trial basis, the QR code will come in handy if the visitor does not have data connection. After getting the feedback, a complete version of the app will be rolled out by TEPS in IOS platform.

Along with this, Buddha Mayoori, which has been declared as the State butterfly, has got a special corner in the butterfly park.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by S. Anil Radhakrishnan / Thiruvananthapuram – February 27th, 2019

Five major IT projects launched

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STADE with three companies on board set in motion

Thiruvananthapuram :

The State government on Wednesday set the ball rolling for five major IT projects, including the ambitious Space Technology Application Development Ecosystem (STADE) and the 2.5 million sq ft World Trade Centre (WTC) project of the Brigade Group.

STADE, a project of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) supported by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, was launched with three companies on board.

Occupancy certificates

At a function chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, IT secretary M. Sivasankar handed over occupancy certificates to Indian companies SatSure, Bellatrix Aerospace and Agnikul.

STADE is aimed at promoting companies and start-ups that are into space data analytics and development of space-tech components.

According to the government, Airbus has agreed on an ‘ecosystem partnership’ with it for the STADE project. Talks are on with French space agency CNES and the European Space Agency (ESA) for establishing similar partnerships, the government said.

Technopark has signed an MoU with the Brigade Group for establishing the WTC, the second one in Kerala, in Technocity. Technopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair and M.R. Jaishankar, CMD, Brigade Group, signed the MoU.

The first WTC in Kerala was established at Infopark. Technopark has allotted 12 acres to build the 2.5 million sq ft WTC. The project is expected to generate employment for 15,000 people.

The government has inked an MoU with US-based Lumium for establishing a Design Innovation Centre here. KSUM CEO Saji Gopinath exchanged the MoU with Sreeni Sreenivasan, chairman and CEO of the design product firm.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the industry-backed, technology-enabled Skills Delivery Platform Kerala (SDPK). SDPK aims to bridge employability gaps and produce skilled workforce for the industry. Connecting 150 hi-tech classrooms in engineering colleges, SDPK will provide skills training to 40,000 students every year.

Swatantra launched

The Chief Minister also launched ‘Swatantra,’ billed as the world’s largest integrated free and open source facility in a government sector at the research and innovation centre of the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS).

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran presided over the function. IT secretary and Jayasankar Prasad, director, ICFOSS, also were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram / February 27th, 2019

Ernakulam bags National Water Award

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All

The district emerged second in the category of best performing districts in the southern region for rejuvenation/creation of water bodies such as lakes and ponds.

Kochi :

 Ernakulam district has received the prestigious National Water Awards 2018 instituted by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation at a function held in New Delhi.

District co-ordinator of Haritha Keralam Mission, Sujith Karun, received the award from  Central Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, on behalf of District Collector Muhammed Y Safirulla.

The district emerged second in the category of best performing districts in the southern region for rejuvenation/creation of water bodies such as lakes and ponds.

National Water awards were launched in the year 2007 to encourage all stakeholders to manage their water resources. The Minister of state for Water Resources Arjun Ram Mehwal and Secretary, Ministry of Water Resource U P Singh were also present on the occasion. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express/ Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / February 27th, 2019

Non-beta-lactam plant inaugurated

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To produce 158 types of medicines

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday inaugurated a non-beta-lactam plant at Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (KSDP).

According to officials, the new plant can produce 158 types of medicines needed for government hospitals. It can make 250 crore tablets, five crore capsules, 1.5 crore ORS packets and so on every year.

Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, who presided over the function, said that the LDF government had spent ₹50,000 crore on various development projects in the State. “The government will not allow pharmaceutical companies to loot the patients. Drug prices will be brought under control by increasing the production of medicines. The new plant will create 100 jobs,” Mr. Jayarajan said.

Rice parks

He said that the government would set up rice parks in Kuttanad, Palakkad and Thrissur.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac inaugurated work on a new non-beta-lactam injection plant. Dr. Isaac said that the production of medicines for the treatment of cancer would begin at KSDP next year.

Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran launched the distribution of free medicines to patients who have undergone organ transplantation.

KSDP chairman C.B. Chandrababu, U. Pratibha, MLA, district panchayat president G. Venugopal, District Collector S. Suhas, Planning Board member B. Ekbal and others spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Alappuzha – February 25th, 2019

MPEDA begins supply of black tiger shrimp seeds from Vallarpadam

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All

K.S. Srinivas, chairman of MPEDA, handing over black tiger shrimp seeds to Hormis Tharakan, former Police Chief of Kerala, in Kochi on Monday.  

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) started supplying high-health black tiger shrimp seeds from its new Multispecies Aquaculture Complex at Vallarpadam on Monday. The inaugural sale of the seeds was done by MPEDA chairman K.S. Srinivas, who handed over a lakh of them to former Kerala Director General of Police Hormis Tharakan, who is also a shrimp farmer.

The MPEDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and has developed the seeds with the help of its research wing Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, according to a press release here.

Mr. Srinivas said lessons from the international market had prompted the MPEDA to promote the production of black tiger shrimp in Kerala. He said black tiger was the dominant cultured shrimp in India till a decade ago. In 2009, the country began experiencing non-availability of disease-free seeds of the species, prompting aquaculture farmers to shift focus to exotic vannamei species.

The MPEDA has now decided to encourage and expand the production of black tiger shrimp endemic to South Asia. Production of black tiger could support shrimp exports much more in the long run, said Mr. Srinivas.

Of late, tiger shrimp’s higher price and increasing demand in the international market has led India’s farming community to restart farming of the variety. To meet that, the country needs more disease-free seeds of black tiger.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – February 19th, 2019

‘Spandanam’ bags best health project award

Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

A dozen projects competed for the best public health project award in the meet, which was attended by leaders of various local self-governing bodies.

Thiruvananthapuram :

‘Spandanam’, an AYUSH-based public health project implemented by the Kozhikode district panchayat, was presented with the Best AYUSH Health Project award by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday.The project aims at treating autism and growth disabilities in kids.

The second prize was shared by Kattippara grama panchayat in Kozhikode for its ‘Harikiranam’ project for securing the health of tribals and Jyothirgamaya Balya, a project for kids’ health and safety by Nedumangad block panchayat.Also, the cancer awareness project named Vision 2019 by the Harippad block panchayat of Alappuzha district along with Santhwana Souhridham, a project implemented for the wellbeing of the tribal community in Meenangadi grama panchayat in Wayanad district, shared the consolation prizes.

A dozen projects competed for the best public health project award in the meet, which was attended by leaders of various local self-governing bodies.These projects were screened and selected from two zones each consisting of seven districts. Eight projects from Ayurveda and four projects from Homoeopathy were presented in the meet.

Sneha Sparsham, a palliative care project of Thrissur corporation, Navaneetham, a project meant for the school-going kids of Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat, Udayakiranam by the Idukki block panchayat and Snehadhara project were the eight projects that competed in the Ayurveda section.

Punarjani, a project seeking the possibilities of Homoeopathy in ailing cancer patients, women-friendly project Seethalayam by the Kannur district panchayat, Swasthyam project by the Kollam district panchayat were the different projects that competed in the Homeopathy section.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / February 20th, 2019

Malabar gets a Startup Incubation Centre

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

Launch of ₹5-crore project at Mangattuparamba tomorrow

The Malabar Startup Incubation Centre (MSIC), the first such venture being started in Malabar, will be inaugurated at the Kerala Clays and Ceramic Products Ltd.’s (KCCPL) unit at Mangattuparamba here on February 22.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, local MLA T.V. Rajesh and KCCPL chairman T.K. Govindan said the MSIC was being started as part of the launch of the diversification programme by the public sector company under the Industries Department.

The incubation centre would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Mangattuparamba here at 6 p.m. Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan and MPs P. Karunakaran and P.K. Sreemathy would participate in the function.

Mr. Rajesh said the State government had granted ₹5 crore for the MSIC project being started in collaboration with the Kerala Startup Mission.

There is no start-up incubation centre in parts of the State north of Ernakulam district. The State government has granted preliminary sanction for the ₹9.5-crore proposal submitted by the KCCPL for starting a dairy farm and coconut processing unit as part of the company’s diversification programme. Mr. Govindan said the diversification of the company into other areas was being considered in view of the shortage of raw material as two clay mining units of the company had been closed due to environmental issues.

The KCCPL and the Kerala Startup Mission envisage exploration of business opportunities and development by introducing achievements in the IT sector to start-up entrepreneurs.

In the first phase, 305 seats were arranged in 23,000 sq ft area for starting 50 start-up companies, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – February 20th, 2019