US researches to study Hubli-based NGO's work

US researches to study Hubli-based NGO's work

Rishikesh Bahadur Desai, TNN, 30 January 2010, 09:45pm IST

HUBLI: A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will descend on Hubli with a special mission in a few months.The researchers will have a focused agenda __ to study the activities of Deshpande Foundation (DF) here.

The researchers will not only study the impact made by the NGO that promotes social business, but also highlight the creations of Indian inventors on the world stage. "This will, in turn, help us design the way ahead," foundation founder-trustee Gururaj Deshpande told the 'Sunday Times of India'.

"Several top officials, including a former director of MIT, visited India last week. Apart from areas of our operation, I took them around IISc and IITs. They came to Hubli also," Deshpande said.

"There is a lot of invention going on in India. But it is not being recognized by the right people. The MIT study will help us bridge the gap between those who invent and those who support inventions," he said.

'LEAD'ING FROM THE FRONT

The foundation, located at BVB Engineering College here, aims at shaping a participative education module for students. Its LEAD programme supports over 4,000 students across north Karnataka to develop technologies and come up with new ideas to solve problems of everyday life. It also has several leadership promotion qualities for schoolchildren, parents and NGO leaders.

"The LEAD (Leaders' Accelerating Development) programme supplements students' education. Their participation in such a programmes will boost their confidence. The student may end up being an inventor or a corporate leader or an NGO activist. But he or she will be among the best," Deshpande said. The MIT study will help the foundation to fine-tune LEAD and other programmes.

DF has a strong MIT connection. Gururaj and his scientist-wife Jaishree Deshpande also founded the Deshpande Center at MIT School of Engineering in 2002 to increase the impact of MIT technologies in the marketplace.

What is Deshpande Foundation?

The Deshpandes started the foundation in 1996. DF fosters social entrepreneurship by supporting a variety of non-profit organizations in India in the areas of health, education, micro-credit and agriculture. Its various programmes aim at creating local leadership.

The Stoneham-based foundation operates in USA and India. It has attracted the attention of social change leaders worldwide due to its unique programme like Venture Philanthropy and the Sandbox scholarships that help foreign nationals to work in Indian NGOs.

Karnataka beckons investors

Karnataka beckons investors

New Delhi, Jan 29,DHNS:

Five major industrial houses, including Hero Honda, evinced their interests in investing in Karnataka when the state government kick-started its investment road show on Friday.

Karnataka Industry Minister Murugesh Nirani told newsmen that these five companies had, during his interaction with them, promised to invest Rs 4,645 crore in the state.The projects can generate around 8,000 jobs, he said.

Nirani held a series of meetings with industrialists here as part of the road show ahead of the global investors’ meet in Bangalore in June.

Confident minister

The minister is confident of clinching a deal with Hero Honda soon. The two-wheeler major, which is looking for setting up its fourth plant in the country, is interested in setting up a plant at Dharwad or Hubli with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

Nirani said the company has said it will send its technical team for evaluating the project next month. The company has sought 50 to 100 acres. It has promised jobs to 800 people directly. And 5,000 people may get jobs indirectly. A number of auxiliary units can also come up if the project is set up.

Nectar Lifesciences is also keen on setting up a plant for manufacturing life-saving drugs with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore. The proposed plant has the potential to generate 800 jobs. The State government has asked the company to submit a project report.

Mosarbaer has come forward for setting up a 50 MW grid-connected solar photo voltaic project with an investment of Rs 850 crore in Chickaballapur district. Kajaria Ceramics plans to set up a unit for manufacturing ceramic tiles with an investment of Rs 150 crore in Belgaum. It has the potential to provide direct employment to 200 people.

The government has already conducted road shows in many countries. The Delhi programme is its first in India. Similar shows will be held in Mumbai and Chennai.

Walls of twin cities will turn aesthetic

Walls of twin cities will turn aesthetic

TNN, 29 January 2010, 09:03pm IST

HUBLI: The residents of Hubli-Dharwad will get to see tourist places of Karnataka, its rich temple architecture, cultural heritage and traditions on the walls of the cities.

Taking a cue from the Bruhat Bangalore Municipal Corporation, the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation has decided to smarten up the cities by painting its walls. The intention is to curb defacement, promote state's tourist destinations and highlight its rich and vibrant culture, according to civic officials.

However, the beautification project will not cost too much for the HDMC. It will sell the space for advertisers who will get about 80% of the upper portion of the wall painted free of cost. In turn, they will get the remaining space for advertising their products. The advertisers themselves will see that no posters/ bills will be glued on the paintings.

HDMC special officer N H Naregal said the beautification project has already started in Hubli and Dharwad. "We have begun by painting the walls of HDMC-owned Lamington School in Hubli and Azad Park in Dharwad. Tenders will be invited in a few days to reflect the same elsewhere," he added.

Twin cities to come under the ambit of JnNURM

Twin cities to come under the ambit of JnNURM
TNN, 17 January 2010, 09:29pm IST

HUBLI: Union minister S Jaipal Reddy has assured a delegation led by the mayor of Hubli Dharwad, Veeranna Savadi that the twin cities will be included in the JnNURM project in the next financial year.

"Reddy has assured us that all cities that have a population of five lakh or more will be brought under the scheme by next year. Mangalore, Hubli Dharwad and Belgaum have a population of more than five lakhs and we are hopeful these cities will be included,'' Savadi told reporters here on Saturday. The union minister said they will consider including 29 cities under the scheme next year.

Bangalore and Mysore are already covered under the scheme. HDMC will construct a large super market in Dharwad at the cost of around Rs 5 crore. This will have around 1,000 shops. These will be rented out to petty shop owners and to farmers who sell fresh vegetables. "If successful, we will construct similar markets in Hubli,'' Savadi said.

You can buy handicrafts at Hubli airport

You can buy handicrafts at Hubli airport

TNN, 16 January 2010, 10:12pm IST

HUBLI: Those who fly into Hubli can shop unique articles from now on. The visitors can buy GI-certified handicrafts and other rural art products like Gokak toys, Ilkal sarees, Bidriware, Mangoor silverware, Athani leather goods, Dharwadi kasuti, Lambani mirror products, Betageri and Shigli sarees, and embroidery products at the Shalmala showroom, after their landing at the airport here.

What is more, products made by physically challenged artisans of Equip India and Bhadiwad and Hubli hospitals will also be on display at the centre set up by the Zilla Panchayat. The centre that has a floor area of 30 square metres will be maintained by District Supply and Marketing Society.

RDPR minister Jagadish Shettar, who inaugurated the centre on Saturday, hoped the centre would serve as a one-stop shop for all unique handicraft products of north Karnataka.

Shettar said the centre will showcase/ sell products made by women SHGs, rural artisans, physically challenged craftspersons and other deprived groups. "This will save many native arts from extinction. It will also generate pride about our heritage among the younger generation," he added. ZP CEO C Shikha and others were present.

'Most farmers okay with land acquisition'

'Most farmers okay with land acquisition'

Express News Service 11 Jan 2010 04:52:00 AM IST

HUBLI: Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Medium and Large Scale Industries has claimed that 90 percent of the farmers, whose land have been identiified for expansion of Hubli airport, had little problem with the price fixed by the district administration.

Nirani, who is also the District In- Charge Minister, was speaking to reporters here on Sunday. He alleged that there are only a few people who are opposing the government price and slammed them for blowing the issue out of proprtions.

The Minister claimed that the government had been offering ‘an appropriate and a good price’ for the land as part of acquisition for the development and expansion of Hubli airport. “As per the government’s guidelines, we are offering the farmers a price that is more than the market value. The demand by some farmers to fix price for the land on par with Bangalore and other parts of the state is not fair and not practical,” he said.

He pointed out that the development and expansion of Hubli airport would pave way for overall development of the North-Karnataka region. ‘‘This is a very important project. All have to extend support to the government in its endeavour to develop the region,” he said. Nirani appealed to the farmers to cooperate with the government in the acquisition process.

Referring to the suggestion made by some MLAs of the region to go for a separate international airport between Dharwad and Belgaum to ensure the growth of the region in the next 50 to 100 years, Nirani said that since the government had already taken the decision to develop the Hubli airport to international standards, the suggestion is not practical at this juncture.

He said that non-availability of land in Dharwad was the main reason for Tata’s Nano project not being set up in the state.

60 years of AIR station's `yeomen services' recalled

60 years of AIR station's `yeomen services' recalled

TNN, 10 January 2010, 11:37pm IST

DHARWAD: The Dharwad station of All India Radio has completed 60 years. Those who spoke at a programme here to commemorate the occasion hailed

Professor C V Venugopal recalled how the Dharwad centre of AIR remained committed to the values amidst onslaught of electronic media and said it had helped several talents to bloom.

Police commissioner Raghavendra Auradker explained how he had benefited by the AIR programmes. Hindustani vocalist Chandrashekhar Puranikmath narrated the role of AIR in honing the talents of musicians in the region.

Sateesh Parvatikar, Keerti Nidgundi and Manjula Puranik, who have secured national prize in Akashavani drama competition, were felicitated on the occasion.

Assistant station director C U Bellakki explained the path traversed by the Dharwad station. Station director Bhagawan Sahay presided.

Govt to go ahead with airport at proposed site

Govt to go ahead with airport at proposed site

TNN, 10 January 2010, 11:38pm IST

HUBLI: District minister Murugesh Nirani on Sunday reacted to the demands of farmers, who will be displaced after the expansion of Hubli airport, saying it is not correct to compare the property value of Hubli to that of Bangalore. The landlosers were asking Rs 1 crore per acre like in case of Devanahalli airport.

Speaking to reporters after launching the pulse polio campaign, Nirani said the government is ready to give more than the sub-registrar value and the farmers should accept it. The expansion of the airport will help the development of the city and its surroundings in terms of industrialization and others.

Nirani said the farmers can buy land elsewhere with the same money. On some landlosers asking the government to shift the airport to elsewhere as it will fall in city limits, he said at present there is no such proposal before the government. The government wants to pursue the airport at the same spot, he said.

Karnataka govt woos auto czars to cement industrial sector

Karnataka govt woos auto czars to cement industrial sector

Hemanth Kumar/DNA Saturday, January 9, 2010 8:29 IST

Bangalore: A day after global steel emperor Lakshmi Mittal announced his commitment to set-up a mega steel project in Karnataka, state large and medium industries minister Murugesh Nirani was busy in Delhi wooing auto giants to set-up a huge automobile manufacturing hub in the state.

Nirani visited the international auto expo being held in Delhi on Friday. He met the top brass of global auto giants Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Honda, Tata and Bosch and invited them to set up their units in Karnataka. He also invited them to participate in the Global Investors’ Meet to be held in Bangalore in June.

“I made a brief presentation on the attractive incentives and concessions being provided by Karnataka to attract automobile industries to the state. The success stories of Toyota, which has a huge plant in Bidadi near Bangalore, and Tata Motors in Dharwad, is testimony to the fact that we provide what we promise.

The initial response from all the auto majors was very encouraging and we are highly optimistic about significant breakthrough in wooing them during the Global Investors’ Meet,” Nirani told DNA.

The state government has drawn up ambitious plans to develop a mega automobile industrial cluster in Bangalore Rural district and Dharwad-Hubli-Belgaum region.

Nirani also stated that the state government had set its eyes on the cement sector too for the speedy development of northern Karnataka.

Dispelling fears about red tapism in providing land for the mega steel plant to be set up by the Arcelor Mittal group, chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said that there will be no delay in the setting up of a mega steel plant in North Karnataka.

“Land acquisition will start immediately after signing the memorandum of understanding. All necessary approvals would be issued immediately after the Mittals finalise their land selection,” he said.

Talking about the grand celebrations planned to commemorate the 500th year of coronation of Sri Krishnadevaraya, the iconic king of the erstwhile Vijaynagar empire, Yeddyurappa said that the state has allocated Rs15 crore for the event, of which Rs7 crore has already been released, and an order has been issued for the release of the remaining amount as well.

“We plan to invite prime minister Manmohan Singh to declare open the celebrations at Hampi in Bellary from January 27 to 29. We also plan to invite to the festival President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, chief ministers of all states, and some foreign dignitaries,” the chief minister said.

He added that he would invite the prime minister when he calls upon him at Delhi on January 13. The chief minister is leading an all-party delegation to discuss the Kalasa-Banduri Nala drinking water project.

He added that a cabinet reshuffle would be done only after the presentation of the 2010-11 annual budget. “I met the new national president of the BJP, Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday, but did not discuss anything about the cabinet reshuffle and appointments to boards and corporations with him, as it was a cordial visit,” Yeddyurappa said.

When asked about the charges levelled against him by JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on his government flouting rules with regard to the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor, Yeddyurappa declined to react.

Nine science museums to come up soon, Dharwad one among them

Nine science museums to come up soon, Dharwad one among them

PTI STAFF WRITER Jan 8 2010, 21:33 HRS IST

New Delhi: Nine new science museums will come up across different states in the country by 2012 in cities like Ranchi, Raipur and Dharwad, with at least three of them expected to go operational this year.

The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture, which currently manages 27 centres across India is engaged in spreading out to other major cities.

While the regional Science Centre in Ranchi and Raipur is likely to open this year, work at four others at Dharwad, Coimbatore, Jaipur and Mangalore is expected to complete by next year, an official statement said today.

It said the work on the Solapur sub-regional science centre in Maharashtra is already complete, and that on Pimpri Chinchwad centre and Jorhat in Assam is expected to be complete by 2012 and 2013 respectively.

CM to meet PM on water project

CM to meet PM on water project

Press Trust Of India / Chennai/ Bangalore January 1, 2010, 0:24 IST

BANGALORE: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 13 seeking his intervention to withdraw the revocation order on the Kalasa-Bandori Nala drinking water project.

A decision to this effect was taken at an all party meeting convened by Yeddyurappa to finalise the state's stand on the Mahadayi river diversion project utilising 7.26 tmc ft out of the state's entitlement of 45 tmc ft of water.

Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa said the meeting was of the view that the objection being raised by Goa to the project, which “posed no environmental problems, has no substance.”

The meeting also decided to request the Centre not to go ahead with its plan to set up a tribunal to adjudicate the sharing of Mahadayi river between Karnataka, Goa and Maharastra.

There is about 200 tmc ft yield in the Mahadayi catchment areas and none of the riparian states have been using it now, Yeddyurappa said.

Karnataka has proposed to take up the Kalasa Bandori nala project to provide drinking water to water-starved cities of Hubli-Dharwad and surrounding villages. The Centre accorded approval for the project on April 30, 2002 but it was revoked in the face of protests from Goa

Happy New Year 2010 to all Readers

Wishing Happy New Year 2010 to all Readers

I author of the blog hublidharwadbuzz(formerly buzzpappu) wishes all its readers a very happy and prosperous new year 2010.

May the new year bring peace and happiness in abundance to you and your family.