Month: February 2022

** Former Kenya PM thanks Ayurveda practitioners

Former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, who arrived at Koothattukulam in Ernakulam earlier this week, to express his gratitude to physicians at an Ayurvedic eye hospital-cum-research centre there for helping his 44-year-old daughter, Rosemary Odinga, regain vision and for her follow-up treatment, will leave from there on Saturday.

Ms. Odinga had lost her sight completely in 2017, following optic nerve damage. Treatments done in South Africa, Israel, and China were futile.

It was then the family was informed by a friend about Kerala’s Ayurvedic tradition in dealing with such medical complications, said a press release.

In 2019, Ms. Odinga began treatment at Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre at Koothattukulam. After a month of treatment, she was discharged and continued medication at home. The treatment was done under the guidance of chief physician Dr. N. Narayanan Namboodiri. “The visit of the former Kenyan Prime Minister has reiterated the pride and possibilities of the Ayurvedic tradition. Ms. Odinga will remain at the hospital for three more weeks for follow-up treatment,” said a statement issued by research centre vice chairman Hari N. Namboodiri.

** 10,000 km of routes mapped in Greater Kochi area

The app-based survey aims at rationalising public transport

A total of 250 of the 360 active bus routes in the Greater Kochi area have been mapped by Systra Consortium, a French transport planning agency that was deputed by the Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) to ready a report on rationalising bus routes in the Greater Kochi area.

This has helped map bus routes and bus stops in around 10,000 km of different bus routes that are located as far away as Munambam, N. Paravur and Angamaly on the city’s north, Perumbavoor, Kakkanad, Pookattupady, Ambalamugal, and Poothotta on the east, Aroor and Chellanam on the south, and the densely populated West Kochi region. Muvattupuzha too might be brought under the ambit, it is learnt.

** Navy’s largest exercise Milan to bring together over 35 countries

Exercise Milan is scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 4 for which 46 countries have been invited

The Navy is set to hold the 12th President’s Fleet Review (PFR) on February 21 at Visakhapatnam and few days from that it will host the largest multilateral exercise in this region, Milan 2022, which will see participation of all major Navies including Quad countries, Russia and from West Asia amid tensions in Ukraine and developments in West Asia.

** ‘Mega IPL auction’, a global attraction, all set to unfold

590 players will be up for new contracts, with franchises entitled to spend upto ₹561.50 crore

The Indian Premier League auctions, where life-altering sums of money are on offer to cricketers from around the world, generate as much interest as the tournament matches.

A ‘mega auction’, with a bigger pool of players vying for a bigger total purse, will draw that much more attention. Over the weekend, 590 cricketers will be up for new contracts, with franchises entitled to spend upto ₹561.50 crore to acquire their services.

Among the 10 marquee players, David Warner, Shreyas Iyer and Pat Cummins could go for megabucks. They are proven performers, who double their value as potential captains. They will pique the interest of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — franchises in search of a concrete leadership group.

* NRI teen girl invents problem-based learning to helps kids

“I saw my parents testing lead levels in water at home and the process was tedious, unreliable and expensive,” she said.

 Gitanjali Rao, a child prodigy and inventor, said the cause of her success was her community, a supportive environment as well as the focus on problem-based learning in schools.

Speaking at the Diaspora Diplomacy speaker series, organised by the US Mission in India, the 16-year-old talked about her experiences, her thought processes as well as her upcoming inventions. Gitanjali, an Indian-origin student from the US, is an accomplished inventor, having come to the forefront with Tethys, a device that detects lead levels in water and transmits the information over Bluetooth.

** Winners Of World Online Karate Championship

The Karatekas of IKA Karate Academy, Mysuru and Kali Warriors Academy, Karnataka, under Pekiti Tirsia Kali India, have bagged various medals in the World Online Karate Championship-2022 organised by Dynamic Shotokan Karate Do Association, World Union of Martial Arts Federations, World Karate Alliance and Evolution of Karate between Jan. 20 and Jan. 25, 2022.

** WhatsApp skills classes set to begin, initiative by Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation

Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation’s WhatsApp-NSDC Digital Skills Academy Programme is set to begin from Thursday.

The initiative, launched in association with WhatsApp India, National Skill Development Corporation and InfiSpark, aims to empower students in regards to employability skills, general data privacy, cybersecurity, financial literacy and nano entrepreneurship. It also aims to develop students’ communication, leadership, community building skills and public speaking skills, and challenge them to think on their feet. 

** RIP Lata Mangeshkar: 12 lesser-known facts about the Melody Queen, from running into a Beatle to her refuted world record

She was named Hema at birth and was later renamed Lata, after a character in her father’s play ‘BhaawBandhan’ called Latika. Her family name Mangeshkar was derived from the Mangeshi village in Goa.

Lata Mangeshkar was the first female singer who demanded better pay and royalties in Bollywood.

In 1979, she was the first Indian to perform with the Wren Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

** Queen of Tabla’s journey with Rhythm and Reason

These days, ‘Queen of Tabla’ Anuradha Pal is playing a different taal. Her instrumental composition, ‘Bharat Vandan’, released on the occasion of Republic Day, is an ode to India’s rich heritage, spirituality and other cultural practices. In it, the first female tabla player of India combines the piano, sarod, and the tabla to present the diversity that makes the country special. Available on her YouTube channel and music streaming platforms, this acclaimed percussion artiste’s robust bols are played to the Vande Mataram tune.

Mumbai