Monthly Archives: November 2018

Ayurveda meet from today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Centre hails move for branding ‘Indian Ayurveda’

The Global Ayurveda Summit will be inaugurated by Industries Minister E.P. Jayaran here on Thursday.

The major attraction of the two-day meet will be Ayurstart – the first Ayurveda startup competition to attract young minds to come up with out-of-the-box ideas in the Ayurveda sector.

Addressing an interactive session Wednesday ahead of the summit, Sangeeta Saxena, Director of Commerce, urged Kerala to take Ayurveda to the next level.

The summit will be held at Hotel Le Meridien in the city.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – November 22nd, 2018

Vanilla in Kerala regains its fragrance, albeit on a smaller scale

Agriculture, Business & Economy

The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground.

Kochi :

The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground. Vanilla is indeed making a comeback, albeit on a smaller scale!  The reason, according to market experts, is the yawning demand- supply gap.

Currently, a kilo of green beans commands around Rs 5,000. According to Thomas T V, senior manager, Vanilco, another factor which might have worked in the vanilla farmers’ favour is the havoc wrought on vanilla farms in Madagascar by hurricanes.

Till 2016, Vanilco, a company promoted by Indian vanilla farmers to protect their  interests in the longer run , procured around one tonne of vanilla in the state. But with prices going down due to poor demand for the beans grown in India in the European countries, the farmers began ditching their crops.

Another factor which led to the price slump  is the extensive farming. As a result, a kilo of green beans that used to command around Rs 3,000 began selling at around Rs 1,500. The farmers, especially those who had gone in for large-scale cultivation, didn’t find it viable due to huge expenses they incurred,” said Thomas.

“Vanilla is a labour intensive crop and takes a long time to flower. Besides, the crop suffers from various diseases,” he said.

According to Manmadan, a vanilla farmer, the ups and downs in the market not only of vanilla but also other crops happens due to Malayalees’ penchant to go in for thing that’s trending during that period of time. “People didn’t even bother to cultivate good quality plants. So, not only was the price impacted due to the surplus yield, but  the poor quality beans made us a pariah on the international market,” he said. Now though, vanilla is making a comeback, he said.

“The price being cited is Rs 5,000 for green beans and Rs 10,000 for dried ones,” he said.  According to Thomas, good quality vines plus smaller holdings are the mantras to become a successful vanilla farmer.  “Vanilco too is planning to help revive vanilla cultivation. We are planning to distribute quality vines to the farmers interested in growing vanilla on a small scale. The company will give them all the help needed to cultivate the crop and will also procure at the market price,” he said. Thomas said, “The proposal is at a planning stage and will be implemented soon. The company requires at least 500 kg of green beans for its processing unit. Presently, we get only around one to two kg.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Anu Kuruvilla / Express News Service / November 20th, 2018

A treasure trove of Malayalam cinema

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

The facility’s inauguration also coincides with the 90th anniversary of Malayalam cinema and the 20th year of establishment of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

Thiruvananthapuram :

A 10,000-film digital archive, well-equipped research library and mini-theatres are among the facilities at the Centre for International Film Research and Archives (CIFRA) which will see a formal inauguration at the KINFRA Film and Video Park, Kazhakootam, on Wednesday.The facility – designed as a memorial to yesteryear actor Sathyan – brings a wealth of research material on Malayalam cinema under a single roof. The centre also includes a conference hall, dormitory, office and guest rooms.

The facility’s inauguration also coincides with the 90th anniversary of Malayalam cinema and the 20th year of establishment of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate CIFRA at 6 pm on Wednesday, it will be opened to the public only by January 1, after this year’s International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Academy officials said. By then, the Academy office also will be shifted to CIFRA from its present location at Sasthamangalam. The CIFRA library is named after PK Nair, who established the National Film Archive of India in Pune.

“The library will have 10,000 Indian and foreign films. As of now, we have collected 3,000 Malayalam films and more than 3, 000 foreign language films,”  Chalachitra Academy secretary Mahesh Panju said.

“The mini theatre in CIFRA will help the research scholars as well as film enthusiasts to watch the movie in a nominal amount,” he said.

“We have numerous students in the state who are doing film studies and film research along with students doing film studies as an interdisciplinary course. They do not have enough materials for the same.

CIFRA, with more than 10, 000 films and 8, 000 books, will help the students in finding the research materials,” said N P Sajeesh, deputy director of programmes, State Chalachitra Academy.

At the entrance to CIFRA, the guests are welcomed by the logo of Chalachitra Academy. “Automobile scraps were used to make the academy logo and two other sculptures. The picture of K C Daniel, father of Malayalam cinema, in the reception has been made with the electronic scraps,” said Santhosh Raman, the interior designer of CIFRA, who won the National Award and State Award for Best Production Designer for the 2017 film ‘Take Off.’

“We wanted every wall to be informative and it is made in such a way to take the guest through the journey of Malayalam Cinema,” he said.On the budget of the project, Mahesh Panju said, “Kerala State Chalachitra Academy already had R2 crore in hand and the rest of the money was funded by the state government. The estimated budget of the project is R4.25 crore.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express  Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / November 19th, 2018

Now, Noolpuzha health centre reaches out to elderly patients

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel
The lithium-powered e-rickshaw procured by the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre.

To operate electric rickshaw for senior citizens, women, tribespeople

After setting a benchmark in the rural healthcare sector of the country by securing the first position in the National Quality Assurance Certification (NQAC) process a few weeks ago, the Noolpuzha Family Health Centre (FHC) in Wayanad is preparing to launch an innovative project to lend a helping hand to elderly patients in the grama panchayat.

The FHC plans to arrange free transportation facilities for senior citizens, women and tribespeople residing within 5-km radius of the hospital using a lithium-powered electric rickshaw, a first such project in the public health care sector of the State.

The hospital authorities have procured the e-rickshaw at a cost of ₹2 lakh and all work including customisation and registration of the vehicle has been completed.

“As Noolpuzha grama panchayat is the second largest tribal populated grama panchayat in the State, we hope the project will be of great help to the poor people in the grama panchayat,” V.P. Dahar Mohammed, medical officer at the hospital, told The Hindu. The panchayat has provided ₹1.75 crore from its plan fund for the all-round development of the hospital over the past three years, including the cost of the e-rickshaw.

“We are planning to utilize the service of the hospital driver to operate the vehicle till we find an alternative. During an emergency, the vehicle will be provided to the public also. The vehicle will run 85 km with a single charge and it will start operation by November-end,” said the medical officer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpetta – November 18th, 2018

S.K. Satheesh takes aerosolresearch to new heights

Records, All, Science & Technology
S.K. Satheesh

The Kerala scientist bags Infosys Prize for 2018

S.K. Satheesh has spent over 25 years of his career as a scientist studying atmospheric aerosols and their impact on the earth’s atmosphere and climate. His pioneering work and commitment to research fetched him the Infosys Prize 2018 for physical sciences on Tuesday.

Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Satheesh is currently Professor, Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and Director, Divecha Centre for Climate Change.

The prize instituted by the Infosys Science Foundation carries a gold medal, citation and a purse of $100,000 or its equivalent in rupees.

The press note announcing the winners of this year’s prize said Dr. Satheesh was selected for his pioneering work in the filed of climate change. “His studies on black carbon aerosols, the dark, light absorbing micrscopic particles which greatly influence the energy balance of the atmosphere over the Indian subcontinent, have enabled a better understanding of the role of these particles on climate change, precipitation and human health.”

“Dr. Satheesh’s work on measuring, quantifying and analysing the impact of black carbon aerosols is important not only to climate science, but also to our society that has to mitigate and cope with climate change, possibly the most important threat to humanity,” reads the citation.

Dr. Satheesh’s research is currently focussed on the the impact of aircraft emissions on the ozone layer. “Aircraft flying at high altitudes emit a tremendous amount of black carbon which can reach the stratosphere and deplete the ozone layer, leading to catastrophic effects for life on earth,” he explains. “With the volume of air traffic going up, it is easy to imagine the volume of carbon in the atmosphere.”

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram  – November 15th, 2018

23-year-old Keralite appointed head coach of FC Barcelona academy in Bengaluru

Sports
Hayden Jose with at a training session.

Hayden Jose is still in ecstasy, hardly able to believe that he has indeed landed the job, which till a couple of weeks ago appeared too far-fetched that he didn’t even dare to dream of it.

As fate would have it, the 23-year-old B.Tech. graduate from Mukkattukara in Thrissur is now the head coach of the football giant FC Barcelona’s youth academy in Bengaluru. The papers from Barcelona confirming his one-year contract with the academy landed in his inbox late on Monday night, which he saw only when he woke up the next morning.

Things had moved too fast for Hayden, holder of D License, the license required for professional football coaching. For, the job with the marquee brand in the world of football had come calling way too early in his fledgling grass roots level coaching career.

Call from Barca

He was just three months old in his first assignment as coach at the Bengaluru-based Gameday Academy, which is being run in association with the Scotland football club Rangers FC, when a couple of weeks ago he received a call that probably changed his life for ever.

“It was from Jordi Escobar, the technical director of Barca Academy in Bengaluru. My jaw dropped the moment he said Barca,” recollects Hayden, who, however, is a hardcore fan of the English giant Manchester United.

Mr. Escobar happened to see a session led by Hayden at Gameday Academy and was impressed with what he saw.

He secured Hayden’s number from a friend and the call was followed by a hour-long meeting.

The next thing he knew he was at a trials for the job with seven others. He bagged it, and on Monday he was at the academy drilling young under-16 talents.

It was a day spent with young talents during a stint playing with Ethihad Santos, a super division side playing in Ernakualm Football League, that Hayden realised his true calling.

“I helped a kid and he was all smiles. That is when I decided this is what I have to do, bring smile to the face of countless youngsters,” recollected Hayden who was still an engineering student at that time.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by M.P. Parveen / Kochi – November 15th, 2018