KAU technology for solid waste disposal

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives & Environment, Science & Technology

A new technology developed by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) for safe and hygienic disposal of household garbage has been released for user trials.

KAUkerala24jan2014

The technology, which involves rapid conversion of degradable waste to value-added manure, was released by KAU Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran at a function held at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, last week.

The bioconversion methods currently in operation necessitate the dumping of waste for long periods, leading to environmental pollution and human health problems. The KAU claims that the novel mechanism of bioconversion developed by scientists at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry is fast, efficient, non-polluting and completed within a day.

The research team led by C.R. Sudharmaidevi has fabricated a technology demonstration unit named Suchitha to be deployed for trials at various locations. The machine with 20 kg processing capacity requires only 1.5 sq m space and three units of electricity for operation.

A press note by the KAU said the product could be used as manure for various crops. The whole process was completed within a day.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by T. Nandakumar / Thiruvananthapuram – January 23rd, 2015

Cardamom auction heats up with new licence holders

Business & Economy

Kochi :

With the Spices Board issuing cardamom e-auctioneer licence to four more players last week, competition in the cardamom auction market has been heated up with a sudden spurt in prices.

Vandanmedu Green Gold Cardamom Producer Co Ltd (VGGCP), Sugandhagiri Spices Promoters and Traders Pvt Ltd, Cardamom Growers Federation – Bodinayakanur, and Idukki District Traditional Cardamom Producer Company Ltd are the new licence holders. Currently, there are 12 licensed auctioneers including the new entrants.

The new licences will be valid till 2017.

The average price of cardamom was in the range Rs 700 – Rs 885 per kg between December 1, 2014 and January 13, 2015. However, with new players came in, the average price shot up to Rs 965 per kg on Monday and then to Rs 980 per kg on Wednesday. “We expect more competition among traders to deliver better prices ,” said A Jayathilak, chairman of the Spices Board.

Ensuring minimum supply of cardamom is critical for the existence of auction houses as they need a minimum annual turnover of Rs 75 crore to Rs 100 crore to survive.  Sunday, which had been traditionally a working day for auctioneers and traders, will be a holiday.

K K Saseendrababu, MD of VGGCP, said that the effect of new entrants, including his own company, is not limited to better price realisation. “Perhaps, the biggest change is in the attitude of auction houses towards the farmers in the region. Now the auctioneers have started going to the farm gates to collect the crop rising competition, heating up the competition,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / by Shenoy Karun, TNN / January 24th, 2015

Guptan Nair Award for Puthussery

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

GuptanKERALA21jan2015

Poet and linguist Puthussery Ramachandran has been chosen for this year’s Prof. S. Guptan Nair Award.

The award, instituted to honour teachers who have made scholarly interventions in cultural and academic life, carries a cash prize of Rs.15,000 and citation.

Prof. Ramachandran was chosen for the award by a panel chaired by Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University Vice Chancellor K. Jayakumar. Governor P. Sathasivam will present the award to Prof. Ramachandran at a function here on February 6. — Special Correspondent

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – January 21st, 2015

Fuel-efficient car heads for global contest

Education, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, Sports, World Opinion

CarKERALA15jan2015

A prototype of a fuel-efficient car, developed by mechanical engineering students of the Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, has been selected for the International Fuel Efficiency Contest, to be held from February 26 in the Philippines.

College Principal B. Anil said the car could give mileage of 200 km per litre. The technology was developed with the support of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment under the Technology Development and Adaptation Programme. The innovation was made by Bibin Sagaram, Ronith Stanley and Vishnu Prasad S., all in their sixth semester, with guidance of faculty members Santhosh Kumar and Anver Sadath.

The college was the only one selected from the State for the International Fuel Efficiency Contest, named Shell Eco Marathon. The contest would see participation of 120 teams from 16 countries, a press release said.

Prototype developed by students of Barton Hill engineering college.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – January 15th, 2015

A pension scheme of grace

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.
P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.

After 30 years of service as a noon-meal worker at the Government Higher Secondary School at Peringolam in Kozhikode, Iyyamkunnath Devi called it a day a few months ago.

Being a daily-wage worker at the mercy of the school management, she couldn’t have expected any retirement benefits from the government as she leaves. Calmly, the elderly widow, in her late 60s, went home to spend rest of her life with her only son’s widow and children.

Ms. Devi’s empty-handed retreat from the school at the end of a prolonged spell of service, however, had left a lingering soreness with her co-workers, teachers and the students, whom she had been feeding all these years. Led by a teacher-in-charge of the noon meal committee P. Bavakutty, they sat one day to discuss the possibility of offering “some help” to Ms. Devi, whom they fondly called Deviyedathi .

Under the initiative of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) they decided to collect an amount to be given to the retiring member. Teachers, students, and the public, all responded overwhelmingly to the call. A sum of Rs.1, 25,000 was raised at the end, with which a pension scheme was opened forDeviyedathi. “We had never imagined that people would respond in such an overwhelming manner to this,” said Mr. Bavakutty.

From the amount, Rs.1 lakh was deposited in a pension scheme in her name with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) while the rest, (Rs.25,000) was given to her as a gratuity during a public function organised at the school recently. “A pension scheme for a daily-wage worker under the initiative of a school PTA would probably be the first of its kind anywhere in the State,” said Sasidharan Pullangotte, the PTA president.

“We believe that the Rs.750, though small, that would reach her as pension every month, would at least make a small difference to Deviyedathi’s life,” said the PTA president.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Mushthari / Kozhikode – January 13th, 2015

Young entrepreneurs’ meet

Business & Economy

Kozhikode:

Fusion 2015, a meet of young entrepreneurs will be held at Cyber Park Kozhikode on January 24 and 25.

Select young entrepreneurs from Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will attend the programme. It is being organized by Kerala State Youth Welfare Board, said C K Subair, general convener of the programme.

Various programmes including interaction with nationally acclaimed entrepreneurs, and CEOs of various firms, development of brand ideas, classes on life skill development and entrepreneurship will be included. Industries minister P K Kunhalikutty will inaugurate the programme on January 24.

Those interested can register their names by visiting www.fusionkerala.com on or before January 16.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / January 10th, 2014

International writers’ festival to begin today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

Thiruvananthapuram  :

The Kafla Inter-continental’s 10th International Writers’ Festival and Indian Ruminations literary festival will begin at Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Thycaud on Saturday.

The theme of the festival is ‘Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam’ with focus on world peace and literature. The festival is jointly organized by India-Inter-continental cultural association, Chandigarh, Indian Ruminations, Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi and Shruti-the School of Music, Guwahati.

The festival will begin with a tribute to the kids who were shot dead at a school at Peshawar in Pakistan. Candles will be lit at Gandhi Smrithi Mandapam at 6.30pm to spread the message of peace.

The festival will feature discussion on book reviews, meet the author sessions, poetry symposium, paper presentations and seminars on contemporary and Indian styles of writing.

Poet Puthussery Ramachandran will inaugurate the festival at 10am on Saturday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / December 27th, 2014

Bamboo star makers of Thoppumpady

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Kochi :

Seated in a circle on the small roof of a house near Thoppumpady, Suresh and a few of his friends are making stars from ‘eetta’, a variety of bamboo known for its flexibility.

The bamboo star has now become hard to find at your average store or market. These star makers strip, bent and fasten the bamboo following specific measurements before covering the frame with tracing paper on which intricate designs have been made.

Suresh is a third generation star maker. “Making stars is not an occupation for me. I am a daily wage worker. But in the month of December, I continue with the tradition that my father taught me when I was young,” he says, pasting delicate pieces of tracing paper on reed frames.

“We are all scheduled caste Hindus. Very honestly, I know very little about Christianity, but how does it matter? It is about brotherhood and living together in harmony. Our stars are only made in the white as a symbol of peace. After all, isn’t that what Christ wanted? Peace and unity among all men?” asks Suresh’s friend Sajeevan.

Every year, they collect bamboo reeds and keep them dry. “We started working on December 5, and till now we have made about 75 stars,” said Suresh. A lot of love and labour goes into the making of these stars. The demand is high for five point stars which takes an average of eight or nine hours to make, depending on the detail and size.

“Back in the day, we didn’t have stars, we had ‘aakashavilakku’ which was hung outside our homes,” says Suresh.

An ‘aakashavilakku’ is either a pentagonal or octagonal prism with cut paper detailing, and usually around two or three-and-a-half feet in length. It took two men 15 hours to make an ‘aakashavilakku’.

Suresh says most of his orders come from churches and for events such as Cochin Carnival since most people now prefer foldable paper and plastic stars.

“Very few people make these now. Considering the man hours, a four feet star will cost around Rs 450. But since the demand is low, we sell them for Rs 300,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / December 20th, 2014

New Oracle chief’s Kerala roots

Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion

 

Thomas Kurian
Thomas Kurian

Thomas Kurian, the newly-appointed president of Oracle Product Development, has his roots in the sleepy village of Pampady off Kottayam town.

His uncle and cardiologist George Jacob says: ‘‘They were four brothers, born and brought up in Bengaluru, where my elder brother P.C. Kurian, a chemical engineer, was with Graphite India. Thomas and his twin brother George, after passing out from St Joseph’s Boys High School, Bengaluru, had joined IIT Madras. However, six months into their programme, they both went to Princeton University to pursue their studies.’’

Thomas has a BA in electrical engineering which he graduated with ‘‘summa cum laude’’ (highest distinction). In the second place was his twin brother George, Dr. Jacob says.

‘‘The boys had migrated to the U.S. at the age of 17, and have very little connections here,’’ he says.

He came to know of his nephew’s elevation on Friday. ‘‘Of course, we are all happy though we had not held any celebrations,’’ he says.

Mr. Kurian, however, used to visit his ancestral house annually after the retirement of his father who chose to settle down in Pampady. About three months back, his father passed away and that was the last time Mr. Kurian visited his ancestral home.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Special Correspondent / Kottayam – January 11th, 2014

Phase-II of Mission Kochi Project

About Kerala, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Kochi :

The Kochi Corporation will launch the second phase of the ‘Mission Kochi’ project and the ‘City Beautification’ project on Tuesday.

As part of the project, a new campaign titled ‘One Kochi, One Colour’ will be rolled out.

The programme will be inaugurated by actor Mammootty at a function to be held at Njalipparambu, Fort Kochi.

“As part of the project, the Corporation authorities will enforce stringent restrictions on advertisements and flex boards in the city. A meeting will be held with representatives of the political, religious, cultural and film fields soon,” said Mayor Tony Chammany here on Monday. “The primary aim of the One Kochi One Colour project is to paint the important buildings in the Corporation limits and public spaces in the city in ‘blue’, as Kochi is described as the Queen of Arabian Sea. The paint required for the beautification project is supplied by Berger Paints, and the project will be titled Berger Paints One Kochi One Colour,” Chammany said.

He said that the official colour of Kochi will be blue, and that the public places in the city, especially the walls, will be painted blue.

We have identified Fort Kochi, which is already in a colourful mood owing to the Biennale and the Carnival, as the most suitable venue for launching the project, Chammany added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service  / December 30th, 2014