Category Archives: Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Rotary District 3181 Builds 50 Houses For Kodagu Flood Victims

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

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Madikeri/ Mysuru:

At a time when the victims of 2018’s devastating floods and landslips in Kodagu are still to be fully rehabilitated as most of the houses meant to be constructed for them are yet to see the light of day even two years after the tragedy, Rotary International District 3181 has handed over 50 houses for flood victims.

Unprecedented rains, landslips and floods devastated lives and properties in Kodagu in 2018. Many villages were wiped out as mud came crashing down carrying everything in its path — trees, mud, electric poles and houses. It has been a tough two-year journey for those who lost their homes, hard-earned money and properties.

Between Aug. 5 and Aug. 19, 2018, unprecedented rains triggered by cloudbursts, floods and landslides brought untold misery to the people of Kodagu and over 30 percent of land in Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks was destroyed in previously unheard of havoc that was unleashed by nature, rendering hundreds of people homeless.

Saramma, a beneficiary of Rotary house rebuilding activity, is seen with Past Rotary District Governors Nagarjun, Krishna Shetty, Immediate Past District Governor P. Rohinath, Past Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee (third from right), Rebuild Kodagu Trust Project Chairman and Past District Governor Dr. K. Ravi Appaji (second from right), District Governor-Elect Ranganath Bhat and other dignitaries.
Saramma, a beneficiary of Rotary house rebuilding activity, is seen with Past Rotary District Governors Nagarjun, Krishna Shetty, Immediate Past District Governor P. Rohinath, Past Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee (third from right), Rebuild Kodagu Trust Project Chairman and Past District Governor Dr. K. Ravi Appaji (second from right), District Governor-Elect Ranganath Bhat and other dignitaries.

Though the State Government, in 2018, launched an ambitious project to build 835 houses in phases, there has been a long delay. Only 423 houses that were promised in the first phase of rehabilitation project has been completed at Jamboor and Katakeri by Nirmithi Kendra.

The tragedy, however, is that the houses have not been handed over to the deserving. Only 35 houses that have been constructed in Karnangeri have been handed over to beneficiaries. The construction of the remaining 412 houses is yet to begin.

In the light of this delay, the work done by Rotary International District 3181 has caught everyone’s attention. 50 houses that were built in two phases have been handed over and the latest group of 25 houses were handed over to beneficiaries on May 10 (last Sunday) at Gargandhur-Madapura areas. The first phase of 25 homes were handed over on June 18 last year at Iggodlu-Madapura in the presence of Past Rotary International President Kalyan Bannerjee.

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Worst affected and most deserving

Rotary has spent Rs. 2.56 crore for 50 homes. Speaking to ‘Star of Mysore,’ Rebuild Kodagu Trust Project Chairman and Past District Governor Dr. K. Ravi Appaji said that the 50 families were selected on the basis of selective criteria of worst affected and most deserving.

Immediate Past District Governor P. Rohinath is the Rebuild Kodagu Trust Chairman and Past District Governor Krishna Shetty is the Treasurer with District Governor Joseph Mathew and District Governor-Elect Ranganath Bhat as members.

The beneficiaries were identified by the community leaders and stakeholders of the Rotary project. “They were local people and among those who were not chosen to be supported by the Government. The land and title belonged to the beneficiaries and homes were built on their own land instead of building houses at an unfamiliar surroundings. Some of the houses had just plastic sheets wrapped in bamboo poles with a make-shift covering on top,” he said.

The victims were living under constant fear of wind and rain. “Each home cost Rs.5.05 lakh and contributions from donors, Rotarians, friends and others all over country and abroad were collected,” he added.

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Social distancing

Due to Corona lockdown and restrictions, no stage ceremony invites or other formal arrangements were done. Homes were handed over in a simple way maintaining social distance. “This was done for the benefit and convenience of the beneficiary families so that they could occupy the houses before the monsoon rains started this year. Any finishing work like final coat of paint and sponsor nameplates will be done in the due course,” Dr. Appaji said.

This project was initiated and encouraged by Past Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee along with Past Rotary International Director C. Basker in association with Habitat for Humanity India and senior leadership.

“It was supported by all the District Governors, Chairman of Birla Group Rajashree Birla, sponsorships through Past Rotary International President Rajaa Saboo, Rotary International President Nominee Shekar Mehta, Rotary International Director Dr. Bharat Pandya, Rotary International Director Kamal Sanghvi, Rotary India Literacy Mission RILM, Rotary News Trust, Rotary International Director Nominee (RIDN) Dr. Ravi Vadlamani, RIDN Venkatesh, Past District Governor Dr. Devdas Rai, Rotary District 3181 grants, all District Governors, all Past Governors, Rotary leaders, Presidents various Rotary Clubs and individual Rotarians, institutional donors and philanthropists,” he said.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 14th, 2020

She rakes in medals for India even after 3 decades

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports

Reeth Abraham is one of India’s most well known athletes participating in the hurdles, long jump and heptathlon events, with a career that began in 1976. She has won various medals at several international competitions including at the Asian level. Her achievement stands out particularly since she won a medal at the Asian level less than a year after she became a mother.

Reeth, at one of her practice sessions at Kanteerava Stadium / Pic: Deepthi M S
Reeth, at one of her practice sessions at Kanteerava Stadium /
Pic: Deepthi M S

Although she retired from competitive athletics in 1992, this 49-year-old has continued training over the years and is now active as a Masters athlete. In 2011, she won 2 medals for India at the World Masters Athletics meet at Sacramento, USA in the triple jump and long jump events. Among various awards and recognitions she has received over the years, she has been a recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1997. She is one of the founding members of Clean Sports India. Reeth lives in Koramangala.

Citizen Matters caught up with her for a brief chat at the Kanteerava Stadium, just after she had finished her day’s training.

Reeth, enough is known about your career as an athlete but only last year, your achievements at the World level as a Masters athlete caught our attention. How does one even qualify?

Clean Sports India is an organisation founded to rid Indian sport of its twin malaises, lack of sports persons in administration and drug usage. Clean Sports India aims to get former sportspersons into managing the various sports bodies in India including the Olympic Sports Federations, Associations and other Clubs in India, as opposed to administrators who have occupied positions of influence in various bodies without the sport itself making much progress. Its other objective is to ensure clean competition by keeping drugs away from both practice and competition.

This was my sixth appearance at the World Masters meet. One has to first qualify at the State Masters meet, for which you can just turn up and then the National meet, which you get to if you are successful at the state meet. If one is good enough and successful at the national meet, you get to represent India at the global level. The Karnataka state meet was held in Mandya recently. The World meet is in Brazil next year. The World Masters meet is held every two years. One needs to be over 35 years to be eligible as a Masters athlete.

How did you manage to train and keep in shape while raising two kids (Reeth is the proud mother of a daughter and a son)? Do you go to a gym regularly? What is your current training schedule like?

(Smiles) I don’t know how I managed. It just happened. I would sometimes leave my kids under the care of someone while I trained. It wasn’t easy but somehow I managed.

I train at the stadium 3 days a week and train in a gym on 3 days a week. I also swim occasionally for relaxation.

In addition to your involvement with the Nike Run Club, do you coach any athletes?

No I don’t have any trainees. There is not much time left on hand between my job and my own training outside my work hours.

You were recruited by a bank years ago. How has the situation changed for athletes on the sponsorship front?

I was amongst the first batch of athletes recruited by Corporation Bank. This was followed by various other banks later, which recruited various sportspersons. Some banks even had cricketers in their ranks. It is still very difficult for most athletes to eke out a living without sponsorship. That is one reason most athletes these days give up after a certain level since they don’t have the patience to put in years of hard work, which may or may not result in success. And even when one is successful, the recognition one gets may not mean much monetarily. Even as a Masters athlete, I have managed to get a sponsor for my travel to the World Masters meet but I am not sure how other athletes manage.

One of the things I have noticed at the Kanteerava stadium is the significant number of talented girls who are training as athletes, which is not quite reflective of the trend of India’s senior athletes. Where do they disappear as they grow older?

Reeth is one of the coaches at the Nike Run Club (NRC), an initiative from Nike to introduce ordinary people into running. Reeth helps the NRC attendees warm up through a routine of various exercises and then go for a run, before cooling down and helps various runners get introduced to the sport and get better at it, every Saturday at the Kanteerava stadium.

The problem is that as these kids grow older they have several options before them which are sometimes more rewarding. And as I said earlier, not all of them are willing to invest the effort and work hard for 10-12 years before tasting success at higher levels of athletics, especially when their hard work elsewhere can lead to success in other areas. And athletics after a certain point is extremely competitive. So I can see the perspective of the kids if they choose to focus elsewhere.

If you could change something in Indian athletics today, what would it be?

Make it enjoyable for young athletes to participate and compete. Once one reaches a certain level of competition, it is very challenging for an athlete to handle the pressure to perform and win medals. In my time, there was no one to help us on such matters.

What are your opinions on sports facilities in Bangalore?

In Bangalore, it is gradually improving. There are more people who are taking sports seriously.

You are a resident of Koramangal, what do you think of the sports facilities there?

Speaking of sports facilities in Koramangala, it is zero. I see no changes at all, the Koramangala indoor stadium for that matter, is used only for exhibition and nothing else.

Any message for aspiring masters athletes?

Unless you have been an active athlete earlier, events with throws (shot put, discus) and jumps (long jump, triple jump) are out, since they require special training and may result in injuries, if one doesn’t train carefully. Perhaps long distance running is an event a beginner can aspire to compete in.

source: http://www.bengaluru.citizenmatters.in / Citizen Matters / Home> Current / by Dharmendra D. / February 28th, 2012

‘Houses built for flood victims are best of quality’

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All
District In-charge Minister V Somanna chairs a meeting at Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Madikeri on Friday. DH Photo
District In-charge Minister V Somanna chairs a meeting at Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Madikeri on Friday. DH Photo

The houses built for the flood victims in Made and Jamburu are of best quality according to my knowledge, said Kodagu District In-charge Minister V Somanna.

Addressing mediapersons here, on Friday, he said it was not right to make allegations for political reasons. He said that he had checked the quality of the houses.

The minister said that the programme of handing over the houses, scheduled on May 29, had been postponed. The houses will be handed over to the beneficiaries before June 5, he added.

Leaders and elected representatives will be invited to the programme as per the protocol, he said.

Replying to a query, Somanna said, “What is important is that the facility reaches the beneficiaries. It is not important who has implemented the project.”

The minister meanwhile stated that there was a plan to construct 10 lakh houses in urban and rural areas in the next two years.

450 people under quarantine

Later speaking at a meeting, the minister said that 450 people had been quarantined in the district.

“Our district cannot be compared to Bengaluru. People have given their cooperation to the district administration in implementing the lockdown guidelines.”

Somanna further stated that migrant labourers in the district had traveled to Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states. Many other labourers have requested the district administration to send them to their native places. But, the respective states are yet to give their permission, he added.

MLA K G Bopaiah said that the vehicles transporting fish and pork into the district should be subjected to thorough checking at the check posts, as there are chances of beef being transported in these vehicles. He requested the people coming from other districts to get themselves voluntarily tested for COVID-19.

MLC Veena Acchaiah said that the rainy season was approaching. But, the driftwood have not been cleared. “If the wood is not cleared, I will hold a dharna in front of the forest department office,” she added.

Mobix organisation Kodagu branch manager handed over 14,000 masks to the minister, for distribution among students taking SSLC examination.

MP Prathap Simha, Kodagu Zilla Panchayat President B A Harish, MLA Appachu Ranjan, MLC Sunil Subramani, Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, District Superintendent of Police Suman D Pannekar and Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmipriya were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / May 22nd, 2020

Rashmika Mandanna arranges food for police, home guards

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Food is supplied to the police and home guards in Virajpet.
Food is supplied to the police and home guards in Virajpet.

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has made arrangements to supply food for the police and home guards, who have been implementing lockdown guidelines effectively in Virajpet.

The food is being supplied for 150 people including police and home guards for the last 10 days.

The food is prepared in Serenity Hall owned by Rashmika’s father M Madan Mandanna and later taken in a vehicle to reach out to the police and home guards. Arrangements have been made to supply both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Serenity Manager Vikki Changappa said that Rashmika has asked to make arrangement for the food till May 17.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Manglauru / by DHNS, Virajpet / May 17th, 2020

Field Marshal KM Cariappa 27th Death Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About The First Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
Field Marshal KM Cariappa (Photo Credits: indianarmy.nic.in)
Field Marshal KM Cariappa (Photo Credits: indianarmy.nic.in)

It is the 27th death anniversary of Field Marshal KM Cariappa on May 15 this year. He was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in Independent India. KM Cariappa is widely regarded as one of the most-decorated Indian Army officers of all times. There’s a lot to know when it comes to his life and achievements of his illustrious military career. If you are looking for interesting facts about Lt Gen KM Cariappa, his life, career, etc., then you have to come to the right place. We, at LatestLY, bring you some of the lesser-known facts about General Cariappa as we observe his 27th death anniversary.

1. KM Cariappa was born in a family of farmers, on January 28, in 1899, in Coorg. Not many people know that his childhood pet name was ‘Chimma’.

2. During his college days around 1917, he came to know about the Indian Army’s recruitment exercise. KM Cariappa was one of the 42 applicants out of 70 who were selected. The rest, they say, is history.

3. In 1925, KM Cariappa was sent on a world tour, where he came across a lot of foreign cultures, soldiers, and public. He was nicknamed ‘Kipper’ by a wife of a British officer who couldn’t pronounce his name.

4. In 1942, when he was promoted as the acting lieutenant colonel and the commanding officer of 7th Rajput Machine Gun Battalion, KM Cariappa became the first Indian to do so, in the Indian Army.

5. In the same year, i.e. 1945, he was promoted to the post of Brigadier. This made KM Cariappa the first Indian officer to fully attain this rank.

6. Not many people know that KM Cariappa was the officer-in-charge of the division of Army and its assets during the time of India’s independence in 1947.

7. During the First Indo-Pakistani War 1947-48, when the Indian Army HQ had strictly instructed to not conduct any operation in the Kashmir Valley, KM Cariappa didn’t obey the orders and instead launched offensive strikes in the region. The result of it was that India was able to assert its control over Ladakh and nearby regions.

8. In 1949, when Indian Army had to appoint the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), there were two other contenders, i.e., Shringanesh and Nathu Singh, along with KM Cariappa, who was in contention too. However, it was KM Cariappa who eventually took over as the first Indian C-in-C of independent Indian Army.

9. It is a little-known fact that the phrase ‘Jai Hind’, which was the slogan of Subash Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA), was adopted by KM Cariappa, and has since then been the formal phrase to greet each other in the armed forces.

10. KM Cariappa retired from the post of Commander-in-Chief in 1953, after serving the position for 4 years.

11. Not many people know that he has also served as the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand, after his retirement, until 1956.

12. KM Cariappa was also honoured with the Legion of Merit by American President Harry S Truman – one of the rare feats.

13. After being persuaded a lot by his friends and family members, KM Cariappa also tried his luck in politics. In 1957 Lok Sabha Elections, he contested unsuccessfully from North-east Bombay seat, against Krishna Menon.

14. In 1986, the government conferred the rank of Field Marshal on KM Cariappa as a mark of honour and recognition of his illustrious career spanning over three decades. He, along with Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, are the only people who have been accorded this honour, till date.

15. As per a legend, when his son, KC Cariappa was captured as a prisoner-of-war (POW) in the Indo-Pakistani War 1965, KM Cariappa was contacted by Pakistani General Ayub Khan informing him about his son’s safety, and even offered his release. However, KM Cariappa proudly replied, “He is my son no longer. He is the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot. My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment.”

KM Cariappa breathed his last on May 15, 1993. After suffering from arthritis and heart problems, he died in his sleep at Bangalore Command Hospital. As India observes the 27th death anniversary of the decorated soldier of the Indian Army, we at LatestLY, thank KM Cariappa enough for his selfless services, and wish his soul rests in peace!

source: http://www.latestly.com / LatestLY / Home> Lifestyle> Festivals and Events / May 17th, 2020

Nurses feted on special day

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology
Nurses working at the District Covid-19 Hospital were felicitated on the occasion of World Nurses Day.
Nurses working at the District Covid-19 Hospital were felicitated on the occasion of World Nurses Day.

On the occasion of International Nurses Day, nurses at the District Covid-19 Hospital in Madikeri were felicitated by the JD(S) district committee, on Tuesday.

JD(S) district unit president K M Ganesh and other workers honoured 38 nurses by presenting shawls and flowers. Jasmine flowers were showered on them.

A nurse said that she and her colleagues have joined hands with the government in the protection of the health of the people.

Video conference

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy held a video conference with tahsildars, taluk panchayat executive officers, taluk health officers and town panchayat executive officers, regarding the Covid-19 guidelines to be implemented in the days to come.

A detailed discussion was held on the quarantine measures for the natives of Kodagu who are arriving from foreign countries as well as from other states and districts.

Additional DC Dr Sneha, Assistant Commissioner T Javaregowda, district health and family welfare officer Dr K Mohan, City Municipal Council Commissioner Ramesh and nodal officer Raju were present.

Workshop held

A workshop on the ‘Karnataka Covid Health Watch App’ was conducted for the benefit of BLOs and primary school teachers, at Kaveri Kalakshetra on Tuesday.

The programme was held under the guidance of tahsildar Mahesh.

The official said that the state government has released the mobile application to collect information from households. BLOs and teachers will visit the houses and will collect information on the health of people above 60 years of age.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / May 12th 2020

Brainchild of hockey festival no more

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
Pandanda Kuttappa was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015
Pandanda Kuttappa was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015

Pandanda Kuttappa, the brainchild of the popular Kodava Hockey Festival, passed away at his residence here on Thursday. He was 85 and is survived by two daughters and a son.

Kuttappa, a former first-division hockey referee, conducted the inaugural tournament in 1997 with the help of his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa. Through the tournament, Kuttappa aimed to bring all the Kodavas together under one roof and preserve the rich hockey culture of the district.

Held annually during April-May, the festival has grown to become the most popular event of the Kodavas. Since the first edition, which saw 60 teams competing, the meet has got only bigger. In 2017, with 323 teams participating, the festival entered entered the Limca Book of Records.

After its initial editions, the meet became a platform to unearth young talent as well. To groom the gifted players recognised in the Festival, Kuttappa, a retired State Bank of India manager, established the Kodava Hockey Academy.

“It’s sad day for hockey lovers,” said AB Subbaiah, the former India hockey goalkeeper, on Kuttappa’s demise “He has done a lot to the Festival. When he started this, he didn’t think it would become as famous as it is today. Full credit to his hard work,” said the former Olympian and coach, who is now the secretary general of Hockey Karnataka.

Subbaiah said with Kuttappa’s passing, the tournament will not be the same. “Kuttappa had only hockey in mind. Now with others to deal with, organising the event will not be free of challenges,” he said.

The Festival was a starting point of careers of India internationals Pradhan Somanna, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SK Uthappa. “We in Kodagu are fascinated by hockey. When I represented the country I thanked him (Kuttappa) for helping me achieve my dream,” said Nikkin.

“In all my interactions with him, he always told me that he wanted young players from Kodagu to go on and play for India. I owe my career to the Festival,” he added.

Last year, the tournament was cancelled due to the floods that ravaged Kodagu. The coronavirus outbreak forced the organisers to call off the meet this year. The Kulletira Cup was the last meet held under Kuttappa’s supervision in 2018.

Fondly known as ‘Kuttani’, he was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Vivek MV / DHNS, Bengaluru / May 07th, 2020

This Kuttappa was the Baahubali of Coorg hockey

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Pandanda Kuttappa, legendary co-founder of Kodava Hockey Festival, is mourned by hockey lovers everywhere.

Pandanda Kuttappa
Pandanda Kuttappa

Coorg:

The world of hockey on Friday mourned an amazing man who promoted the game in Coorg by tapping into ethnic pride and kept it alive in the face of inroads made by packaged cricket.

Pandanda Kuttappa, a legendary figure in Coorg and co-founder of the famous Kodava Hockey Festival, died of old age-related problems on Thursday. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, and remembered by countless thousands who love hockey. He was 85.

Along with his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa, Kuttappa designed the Kodava Hockey Festival as a family hockey tournament exclusively for Kodava families. When it started in 1997—with finances arranged by the brothers themselves–few thought it would be anything more than a vanity event for a few years before everybody packed up and went home. They were wrong. The tournament tapped into the Kodava identity and gave it an intensity money-funded tournaments cannot match – be it the derby frenzies of football in England or the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. The Kodava Hockey Festival not only struck a chord in the coffee plantations of Coorg, it made the region a nursery for the game, producing an entire sequence of star players who graced the Indian national team.

Paying rich tributes to Kuttappa, Hockey India on Friday recalled his contribution to the sport and his crucial role in popularising the game in the south and making Coorg the breeding ground for hockey in the country.

“We are truly saddened by the demise of Pandananda Kuttappa. We share his family’s grief and pray for his soul. Kuttappa’s contribution to hockey especially in the Kodava region will be remembered for generations,” HI president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said in a statement.

The Family Hockey Tournament not only sees intense competition but also draws thousands to the hockey pitch. Interestingly, it has no gender bar for the participating teams. Women could play in the same team as men.

On an average, 250 families send teams to the tournament which is usually played during April-May every year.

Despite there being no age or gender bar for participating in the matches, the tournament is highly competitive, involving high-caliber hockey. Some strict rules apply: such as that all members of a team must belong to the same clan and participate in full hockey attire. It is for a woman to decide whether she wants to represent her father’s family or husband’s.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports, In Other News / by D C Web Desk / May 08th, 2020

New Discovery By Kodagu-Born Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera And Team At MIT

Amazing Feats, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

DrJagadeeshKF05may2020

Quantum Physics deals with the behaviour of subatomic particles and is arguably the most complex branch of Theoretical Physics. I do not profess to understand this highly abstract subject but know that classical laws of Physics fail at quantum levels.

It boggles the mind when told that a subatomic particle exists simultaneously at two different spots. One location could be on your table and the other on the surface of Jupiter!

English Physicist Paul Dirac theoretically proved way back in 1930s that fundamental particles known as fermions should have a counterpart somewhere in the universe with an opposite charge – known as anti-particle.

Complicated. Difficult to fathom. I fail to comprehend. Based on this theory it is theoretically possible to have ‘teleportation’ that are portrayed in science fiction movies and books.

Coorg-born Physicist Dr. Jagadeesh S. Moodera has been a scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 1981. He has several path-breaking research papers to his credit. My wife and I had the good fortune of a guided tour of his laboratory at MIT during our visit to Boston to attend the Kodava Convention-2019, in September last year.
DrJagadeesh02KF05may2020

Dr. Jagadeesh explained the intricacies of the experiments that he and his team were involved in. It was fascinating to see a huge setup with myriad tubes, probes, cables and instruments in order to create a 100% vacuum in a space of about 2 cubic centimetres.

Part of the experiment was conducted in this small space which was absolutely contamination free. There was another setup equally complicated where a space was created for the experiment which was free of any kind of vibration – not even that created by the traffic in the streets distance away, or footsteps of students in the nearby corridors. In addition, this space is cooled to -273 degree centigrade (that’s as close as one could get to -273.15 degree centigrade which is absolute zero). The experiments were conducted under these ideal conditions and usually between 10 pm and 6 am when chances of vibration were the least.

The experiment Dr. Jagadeesh and his colleagues have been working on since 2012 was to discover what Italian Theoretical Physicist Eltore Majorana, extending on Paul Dirac’s theory, had postulated in 1937 that there should be some subatomic particles that are indistinguishable from their anti-particle.

Scientists have been looking for these particles named Majorana fermions. Many theories have emerged over the years. Theoretical Physicists at MIT and elsewhere predicted that Majorana fermions may exist on solids such as gold under certain conditions. Dr. Jagadeesh and his team were on a mission to discover the existence of the elusive Majorana fermion.

The experiment, extremely complicated, needed many long hours in the laboratory. Dr. Jagadeesh explained how the delicate research was carried out at nano-particle level and observed through Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). STM is capable of ‘feeling’ the presence of atoms and molecules. 3mm x 3mm was the size of the surface on which the experiment was carried out, consisting of nano-wires of gold, grown on superconducting material: Vanadium.

MIT News dated 10th April 2020 has announced the successful sighting of the mysterious Majorana fermion by Dr. Jagadeesh Moodera and team. This is a major breakthrough. In Dr. Jagadeesh’s words ‘We have shown they are there, and stable, and easily scalable.’ Please visit webpage: http://news.mit.edu/2020/first-majorana-fermion-metal-quantum-computing-0410

The finding that Majorana fermions are scalable and could be made into qubits (individual computational units) is spectacular. These qubits could be used to build the most powerful and error free quantum computers. This will be a step closer to the phenomenon known as Singularity, which predicts that by the year 2042 AD there will be computers that will have computing power of all the human brains put together!

Once Singularity is achieved, humans need not invent anything further. Solutions to the most complex problems will be arrived at within seconds. If we had these computers today, a remedy for the current Covid-19 would have been found in a jiffy!

Dr. Jagadeesh’s wife Dr. Geetha Berera is a senior lecturer in MIT and we had an opportunity to visit her laboratory as well. The couple are totally dedicated to academics and research. Every year they visit Coorg and conduct a Quiz programme for school students. They are in the process of starting a school in Coorg under their organisation – CREATE Gurukula Trust – focusing on encouraging young minds in research activities. Meritorious students at Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT) are recipients of annual scholarships and awards instituted by Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha. Dr. Jagadeesh and Dr. Geetha are eminent role models for young Kodavas to emulate.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by C.P. Belliappa / May 04th, 2020

Out-of-the-‘box’ solutions to labourers’ hunger woes

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Uncategorized

OutoftheBoxKF29apr2020

As hundreds of plantation workers are stranded in Kodagu and bearing the brunt of lockdown, the district administration has placed boxes in five prominent places in the district requesting the donors to contribute rice, lentils and other items that have a long shelf life.

The initiative, titled “Hasida Hottege Tanivu Pettige,” is directed towards providing foodgrain to the distressed labourers’ families. Under the scheme, boxes have been placed in an old private bus stand in Madikeri, private bus stand in Kushalnagar, private bus stand in Somwarpet, near clock tower in Virajpet and bus stand in Gonikoppa.

Workers, in thousands, from other districts and states work in coffee plantations in Kodagu. They are now stuck in the district and are not able to return to their native places.

They do not have any work and are currently living in the line houses of the plantations.

As these families do not have any ration cards, they cannot get foodgrain distributed by the government through fair price shops. It has become a challenge for the district administration to provide food and other facilities to these labourers.

The condition of labourers living in hilly areas of the district has worsened as the supply of rice, sugar, edible oil, onion and spices is hit.

The people, who purchase grains on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, have been requested to contribute a share in these boxes, towards the less privileged.

The district administration has now been registering the names of volunteers to distribute the collected grains to the needy.

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that 2,500 workers had been identified in the district, to whom the food items collected will be distributed. This apart, food kits are being provided through the ITDP department, she added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Politics / by DHNS / March 30th, 2020