E-Jalakam project wins Kerala CM’s public service award

About Kerala, Records, All, Science & Technology

Kochi :

The e-Jalakam programme of St Teresa’s College has been chosen for the chief ministers special awards for innovation in public service (2013).

E-Jalakam is a model e-governance literacy project that aims to enhance public access to various online government services. The award will be presented on Monday.

Principal coordinator of the project Nirmala Padmanabhan — who also heads the college’s economics department — said that the programme was a social initiative to educate girls/women on how to access government websites.

“Our aim was to educate people who didn’t know how to navigate government sites. So, students prepared a step-by-step handbook to guide them. The handbook helps a person track file movement in any department. Similarly, people can check birth, death and property details, even power and water bills too. The citizen’s handbook called ‘Vivara Nidhi’ and can be downloaded from the IT Mission website or the e-Jalakam website,” she said. Padmanabhan gives credit to her students whose meticulous efforts resulted in such a simple, easy-to-use guide. The group has managed to reach out to 12,000 families in 86 schools over the past one year.

“You can keep the book next to the computer and finish the entire process screen by screen. In the first two phases of the project, the e-Jalakam team trained 17 civic groups covering 2,000 persons,” she said, adding that a decision was taken in the third phase to train high students in government and aided schools where IT@school project was being implemented.

“Student feedback resulted in another handbook called e-Mithram which serves their interests like applying for entrance exams, checking results, application for driving/duplicate licence etc,” she said. The group plans to print these handbooks with their prize money that amounts to Rs 2 lakh. “Everywhere we go, people ask for a hard copy. We will be selling them at a nominal price to make printing a sustainable operation,” she said.

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

Of women, by women, for women

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy
Deepa, producer of the 'Sthree Dimension'. / The Hindu
Deepa, producer of the ‘Sthree Dimension’. / The Hindu

Deepa, a veteran of the visual media, was baptised in the medium at a time when the communication space was opened up for private channels. Since joining Asianet in 1998, Deepa has worked before and behind the camera as reporter, producer and anchor. After leaving Asianet, this award-winning media person worked as an independent producer covering environmental and ecological issues and agriculture. Last year, she returned to take up an assignment with Asianet News. Producer of the recently launched ‘Sthree Dimension’, she has joined hands with her batch mate and friend, Vandana, to conceptualise a talk show for women and of women; a panel discussion that discusses mainstream issues and not gender-related issues alone. Deepa explains what it is all about…

The need for such a show

Women are so poorly represented in most discussions in the visual media. The mandatory women in such discussions are usually politicians. Moreover, women are generally invited to speak when the topic is related to gender or gender issues. Even then the women we see are the same talking heads in almost every channel. It is as if women, the ordinary women that we encounter every day, have no opinions at all on any mainstream issues. There are group discussions. However, the sheer number of participants prevent any serious discussion or analysis. It becomes a venue for arguments and counter arguments and there is hardly any in-depth analysis. We wanted to create a space where women could discuss events that were hogging the headlines. That is how the show was conceptualised. And there are just four guests on the show.

The anchor

Vandana is an experienced media person who thinks on her feet and has a way with words. She has a sense of humour and is able to get the panellists to open up and express their opinion. We work as a team, choosing the topics and guests who appear on the programme. She does the research on the subject and, like any good anchor, ensures that each person gets the opportunity to talk and that the discussions do not deviate from the topic.

Talking heads

When we began, there were doubts if we could get enough women to speak on topics related to politics, economics, health and so on. In addition, we wanted to avoid the faces that we have always seen on various panels. To our pleasant surprise, we were able to get plenty of articulate women from different walks of life. For instance, there was a research scholar who was able to give a very different perspective on the Jayalalithaa issue. She argued persuasively that the former Chief Minister was a symbol of empowerment for many women and that she should not be relegated to the margins of politics because she has been found guilty of corruption. Similarly, there were many instances when the women panellists impressed us with their clarity of thought and interesting takes on different issues. Instead of assuming that women could only talk about certain subjects, we were giving them the opportunity to air their views on current events and they were making the most of the opportunity.

Issues taken up for discussion

The programme is just four weeks old. During the period we covered topics ranging from education, politics, health and lifestyle. While one of the episodes discussed the stand taken by V.M. Sudheeran, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, another analysed the Congress decision on Sashi Tharoor. Then there was an episode on the Jayalalithaa phenomenon, and also on the state of our schools. One feature that stood out was the language that was used by the panellists. It never went beyond the realms of decorum and even tricky issues were handled with sensitivity and sensibility.

The response

I feel it is too early to evaluate the programme. But the feedback from those who have seen it has been positive. Nowadays TRP ratings are important and I am optimistic that this show will make the mark.

‘Sthree Dinmension’ airs on Saturdays at 9.30 p.m. on Asianet News.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Saraswathy Nagarajan / Thiruvananthapuram – October 23rd, 2014

Kerala student startup acclaimed for innovation

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Six student entrepreneurs at the Startup Village earned global acclaim for their smartphone app designed to improve the skills of skateboarders. File photo
Six student entrepreneurs at the Startup Village earned global acclaim for their smartphone app designed to improve the skills of skateboarders. File photo

Kochi:

Six student entrepreneurs at the Startup Village here have earned global acclaim for their smartphone app designed to improve the skills of skateboarders. They have now been invited to Canada next month to interact with innovation experts, investors and mentors.

The startup Flip Technologies team’s product, “The Smart Riser” (Skateboard tracker), was ranked among the top five in the Next Big Idea Contest 2014 organised jointly by the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute, the Government of Ontario, Canada, IBM Global and Ryerson Futures Inc.

The Smart Riser is designed for skateboarders to enhance their ability to perform and analyse tricks whether one is an amateur or professional.

The device is connected to the truck of the skateboard and it tracks the dynamics of the board and the data is sent to a smart phone app via bluetooth. The app can determine the trick performed and help the skateboarders to improve their skills and acts like a personalized trainer.

The Smart Riser has also been rated as one of the most interesting products by Intel, which will provide its latest Edison board to the students for prototyping and for development support.

Jibin Jose, Abimanyu Nair, Jishnu Vijayan, Balagovind Girish, Rohith Samuel and Abraham Alexander of Flip Technologies will attend a two-week programme in Toronto’s Discovery District – a hotbed of innovation responsible for more than $1 billion of R&D annually.

“We are really excited about our visit to Canada, where we will have an opportunity to interact with the top people in the industry. We are focused on developing cutting edge IOT (Internet of things) devices and tracking devices for adventure sports,” said Jose, co-founder of Flip.

Startup Village chairman Sanjay Vijayakumar said the student entrepreneurs were “proof that if you have the idea, the enthusiasm and the drive, there is a world of opportunity awaiting you.”

While Jose and Nair had passed out from the Toc-H Institute of Science and Technology (TIST) near here, the other four students are pursuing different courses at the same college.

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / On Manorama / Home> Sci-Tech /  by Agencies / Wednesday – October 29th, 2014

Documenting the evolution of Christianity in Kerala

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
A parish under the Kottapuram diocese./ by Special Correspondent
A parish under the Kottapuram diocese./ by Special Correspondent

Diocese of Kottapuram to produce docu-fiction

Taking a trip down the history lane of Christianity in Kerala can be a bit daunting. For, there can be no end to it.

From the legend of St.Thomas to the present period, it has travelled through a pattern of historical complexity, witnessing many ups and downs.

The Diocese of Kottapuram, located near the ancient port town of Muziris, felt that it’s an intricate journey, the significance of which should be conveyed to the masses. With that in mind the Diocese has come up with a docu-fiction – a brave attempt to encapsulate in five hours, the 3,000-year long history of Christianity right from the golden days of the Muziris to the present day.

“The initiative is in line with our long tradition of taking up technological innovations for mass communication. It was printing press in the 15th century and radio and television in the five centuries later. The attempt is to visualise many important aspects of our history that remain largely unknown, underrated and relatively uncelebrated,” said Fr. Rockey Roby, official spokesperson of the diocese.

Shooting of the docu-fiction to be directed by Mohanroop is set to begin next month. The voluminous script, which runs into over 40 pages, has been finalised by a monitoring committee comprising the diocese officials, historians and researchers.

Mr. Mohanroop said the project would be groundbreaking at many levels whether in its definition of spectacle or its dialogue with technology. “A lot of research has gone into identifying the cultural traits of periods being dealt with such as the attires and the language spoken and much more. The film will be shot by recreating the panoramic visuals of bygone centuries in all its splendour and magnitude,” he said.

Some of the key events that will form a part of the docu-fiction include the arrival of St.Thomas the Apostle, which is believed to have taken place in AD 62, the synod of Diamper in 1599 and the Coonan Cross Oath in 1653. Besides, the parishes of Maliankara, Sambaloor and Paravur will also find a place in it.

The final cut, which would also be a comprehensive history of the Church in Kerala, is scheduled for a release six months from the shooting.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Hiran Unnikrishnan / Kochi – October 20th, 2014

‘Kuriala’ of Itty Achuthan Declared a Protected Monument

Green Initiatives & Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Alappuzha  :

After the long demands made by the admirers of Ayurveda and the Hortus Malabaricus Trust, the state Archeology Department has declared the remains of the famous Ayurveda physician Itty Achuthan, coauthor of Hortus Malabaricus, a protected monument. The department issued government order to protect the monument. The ‘kuriala’, a small wooden room used by the scholar; a botanical garden; the ‘narayam’,  wooden pen using to write; palm leaf writings; a basket made of cane; the silk and bangle gifted by the erstwhile King of Kochi are in the kuriala.

Itty Achuthan
Itty Achuthan

According to Archeology Department Director G Premkumar, the 8.5 cent land owned by the Kollattu family in the Kadakarapally panchayat in Alappuzha was handed over to the Department. The Department had published preliminary gazette on July 2013 to make it a protected monument. Some of the family members raised protest, but the government negotiated with them and declared the monument a protected one this month, he said. Premkumar said they have plans to construct the monument in the land and to protect the ‘Kuriala’ intact. The Department directed the engineer to prepare a project. The fund for the protection will be allocated in the next financial year, he said.

The Archaeological Department started initiatives to take over the land a few years ago, but the land was pledged by the present owners in a Co-operative Bank. Later, the state government released the 8.5 cent land from the bank burden and published gazette. Itty Achuthan had participated in the compilation work of Hortus Malabaricus, a book on the flora of Kerala in the mid 17 century.  The Dutch Malabar governor Hendrik Van Rheede  had written the book and it was published in  the second half of 17 century at Amsterdam.

The property is now owned by a fourth generation member of Itty Achuthan’s family in Kadakarapally panchayat near Cherthala. The land owner pledged the land in two cooperative banks and have taken lakhs as loan. After the death of the land owner his wife and children are living in the house.While the Kuriala is situated in 66 cent land and the botanical garden grown by Itty Achuthan is in 26 cents, the Archeology Department has taken over only 8.5 cents of land from the entire property to protect the monument and botanical garden.Hortus Malabaricus Trust secretary A N Chidambaran said that the trust had been working to protect the monument for more than two decades. The Trust has submitted proposals to construct an ayurvedic museum and a research centre about ayurvedic medicine, he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Biju E. Paul / October 23rd, 2014

Documentary on playwright screened by Cochin Film Society

Arts,Culture & Entertainment
Poet and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker at the screening of a documentary on his works directed by Shivamohan Thampi in Kochi on Thursday. PHOTO: K.K. MUSTAFAH / The Hindu
Poet and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker at the screening of a documentary on his works directed by Shivamohan Thampi in Kochi on Thursday. PHOTO: K.K. MUSTAFAH / The Hindu

‘Spatial Rhythm’, a documentary on poet and doyen of theatre Kavalam Narayana Panicker directed by Sivamohan Thampi, was screened by Cochin Film Society in the city on Thursday.

Prior to the event, Kavalam spent sometime at the Nanappa Art Gallery at the invite of artist T. Kaladharan where he spoke on the documentary, his works and recited a few poems. “It is a good documentary,” he said. “Thampi has known me for quite sometime, but fortunately our closeness hasn’t influenced him to train the camera on me. The film is about my works,” said the dapper playwright.

“I have always looked at things from my outlook as a villager and fundamental to my art is my conscience bestowed by a value-based world surrounding the village,” he said and recited, at the request of Mr. Kaladharan and the audience a few poems, including ‘Yathrachirakil’ on life’s passage to the infinity of death. “While on that journey as a community, can’t we work towards ending strife in the name of religion, caste and belief?”

As is typical of his work, suffused as they are with a deep sense of rhythm characteristic of rustic living, a poem that sounded like a rustic limerick rich in colloquial expressions and folk tenets was also rendered by him.

Theatre personality Prof. Chandradasan was present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu/ Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – October 24th, 2014

KAU Develops Machine for Lime Application

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

Thrissur : 

Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has developed a ‘lime applicator’ system to apply lime on the sprawling paddy fields of the state, to ameliorate the acidity of soil, before agriculture activities. This machine has come out as a boost for kole land farmers as they were facing acute problems with lime application ahead of every farming season.

The R&D team of the Food Security Arm (FSA) under the University has developed a system of protocols to use the equipment ‘fertilizer broadcaster’ as lime applicator.

After field trials at ARS Mannuthy, applicator was successfully demonstrated at Ponnamutha Kole padavu, before the farmers, and was found very successful. It will apply lime at the rate of 600kg/ha.

According to ARS head U Jaikumaran the kole lands of Malappuram and Thrissur districts, stretching over 30,000 acres, is inherently faced with high acidity problem.

Here high acidity interferes with soil fertility and hinders the uptake of nutrients by the paddy crop thereby reduces rice production up to 60-90 per cent, unless neutralised by lime application.

The farmers in this area were demanding the development of a suitable machinery, over the years, for lime application in kole lands, at the prescribed rate. This demand was projected in ‘Operation Ponnamutha 300/5’ project and since then Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, was trying to development of a lime applicator feasible to kole lands, Jaikumaran said.

This led to the development of two lime applicators. Both these functions through PTO operated tractor and mounted on three point linkage. Its hopper is conical in shape and can hold nearly 450 kg of lime material. The PTO operates a central spin situated on the bottom opening of the hopper, which scatters lime material dropping through the hopper.

When manual workers claim nearly `3-5/ kg for lime application, using this machine can reduce the cost by `1/kg. The equipment can also be hydraulically lifted.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 22nd, 2014

Kerala bakers plan 600-ft-long cake to mark baking legacy

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
The eggless cake will be prepared by a team of 30 cake experts on October 30. Representational image
The eggless cake will be prepared by a team of 30 cake experts on October 30. Representational image

Thiruvananthapuram:

In a first, the Kerala Bakers Association (KBA) is planning to bake a 600-feet-long cake to mark the 131st anniversary of cake-making in the country.

The association is planning to bake the cake at a convention centre in Thrissur on October 30 to showcase the legacy of ‘plum cakes’ in the country.

According to local historians, the first cake in the country was baked by an Indian in the historic town of Thalassery in north Kerala over a century ago.

Taking cue from the European settlers in the Malabar region of Kerala, Mampally Bappu, a local entrepreneur, is said to have baked the first cake using local ingredients in the coastal town in 1883, they said.

To mark the occasion, the KBA has roped in scores of its members to prepare and exhibit the massive cake.

The event is being organised not just to commemorate the legacy of bakers in Kerala but to create awareness about the significance of baking industry in the economy, the association said.

“Kerala may be the only place in the world which has such a large number of bakeries. So we thought it is our responsibility to create awareness about its glorious past,” P M Sankaran, state president of KBA told PTI.

Mampally Bappu, who lived in Thalassery, was a visionary who introduced the exclusive taste of cakes to Indian foodies, he said. “Though there was a bakery set up in Bengal in 1880 to cater exclusively to the British, Indians could not savour the delicacies prepared there. Bappu made the first cake in his Royal Biscuit Factory in 1883,” he said.

Bappu had made the cake based on a sample brought by a European planter who lived in Thalassery then, he said.

Though Bappu’s descendants have been celebrating the legacy of cake-making as a family affair for many decades, the association decided to mark the occasion on a larger scale this year.

M P Ramesh, the owner of Cochin Bakery and a fourth generation member of Bappu’s family, is taking the initiative of making the giant cake, weighing over 3000 kilograms.

“The eggless cake will be prepared by a team of 30 cake experts on October 30. It will be exhibited for the next two days,” Ramesh told PTI. A 353.5 feet-long cake, showcasing significant features of Thalassery, was prepared by the association to mark the 129th anniversary of cake making in 2012, which gained entry into the Limca Book of Records, he said.

Besides the display of the giant cake, several other programmes and cultural events have been planned as part of anniversary this year, association members said.

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / On Manorama /  Home> News> Kerala /  by Agencies  / Saturday – October 18th, 2014

Johny Lukos bags Madhyamasree award

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
Johny Lukos, news director, Manorama News channel
Johny Lukos, news director, Manorama News channel

New York:

Johny Lukos, news director, Manorama News channel bagged the Madhyamasree Award instituted by India Press Club of North America (IPCNA). M.G. Radhakrishnan, Editor, Asianet News has also won the award.

The award has been conferred in view of his outstanding contribution to contemporary journalism. The award will be presented on November 8 at a ceremony to be held in New York, India Press Club president Taj Mathew informed.

The awardees will share a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh among them. The winners were announced after the shortlisted candidates were evaluated by Malayalam film actor, Mohanlal.

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / On Manorama / by The Correspondent / Saturday – October 18th, 2014

Mammootty’s ‘My Tree Challenge’ a Hit Abroad, Accepted by Australian Mayor

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

Kochi :

The ‘My Tree Challenge’ campaign, launched by actor Mammootty recently for planting trees, has crossed the oceans and reached other continents, with an Australian mayor accepting the challenge.

Stuart Slade, Mayor of the Glenorchy City Council, has planted a gumtree at the Tolosa park in the capital of Tasmania, an  island city in Australia.

The mayor, who named the tree ‘Gandhi’ as  an honour to Mahatma Gandhi, has also challenged the mayors of Melbourne, New York, Paris and London to plant trees.

Slade thanked Mammootty for the concept, while acknowledging it as a solace to the  planet that is fast becoming polluted. He also invited Mammootty to Tasmania, and urged him to pay respect to the Gandhi tree.

The Mayor, who is an enthusiast of India and the country’s development, came to know about the My Tree Challenge from Sajini Sumar, chairperson of the Multi-cultural Women’s Council of Tasmanaia.

The My Tree Challenge, a campaign involving planting of saplings and challenging others to do so, was launched by Mammootty on August 30 – inspired by the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’. He had asked Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Tamil actors Vijay and Suriya to take up the challenge.

Mammootty had also planted a tamarind tree on the premises of Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 21st, 2014