The kit is being used by over one lakh students in 16 states of India, according to an official of PROSOC Innovators Pvt Ltd, a start-up incubated at IIT-Kanpur.(sourced)
A start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) has come up with a unique solution to check the problem of bad posture among students. ‘Deskit’ — a study table-cum school bag — is being used by over one lakh students hailing from the economically weaker section in 16 states of the country, said an official of the start-up.
“Our company is incubated in the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT-K. The centre, a launch pad for purpose-driven entrepreneurs, provided our start-up, PROSOC Innovators Pvt Ltd, a platform to come up with this innovation,” said Eshan Sadasivan, founder and CEO of the company. He explained that PROSOC stood for ‘products for society’.
Explaining how he first got the idea for the kit, he said, “I was teaching children of marginalised communities as a volunteer as part of an initiative of IIT-K students. I saw students sitting in a wrong posture while studying. When I surveyed the market for existing solutions, I found that the products were not ergonomically well-designed.”
“I took the help of some friends, a few team members from PROSOC and the technical staff of IIT-K’s design programme to develop more than 40 prototypes before finalising the design that was eventually commercialised,” said Sadasivan.
He said the idea behind attaching the desk to the bag was to make it simpler for students to carry it to school. “Also, in many government schools in our country, children still sit on the floor to study. The kit would be of great help to them,” said Sadasivan adding that recently the Telangana government had placed an order for these special kits with PROSOC.
“Each bag costs around Rs 500. The funding and incubation support we got from the Invent Social Incubation Programme by the technology development board, Government of India, in association with Villgro and UK Aid, was very helpful while we were scaling up,” he said.
‘Deskit’ has design registration and trademark protection. “The PROSOC team is working on taking the kit to more than three crore students,” said Sadasivan.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Lucknow / by Rajeev Mullick / November 27th, 2019
The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Anandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh (PTI)
The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express was announced in 2016 but was introduced in the new time table released recently
The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Annandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh.
New Delhi :
The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express is set to be the first train to be operated by private players, sources said Monday, indicating that the Railways is going ahead with its 100-day agenda of handing over operations of two of its trains to the private sector, despite protests from its unions.
The Railway Board is deliberating on a second such route, which too would be within the 500-km distance range.
The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express was announced in 2016 but was introduced in the new time table released recently.
The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Annandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh and will be handed over to private players after an open bidding process for operationalisation.
However, the custody of the trains will be transferred to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) , which will pay for it, including their lease charges, to the financing arm, IRFC.
“These two trains will be given on an experimental basis and we hope that within the next 100 days, we will be able to run at least one of them. The idea was to identify routes which have low congestion and connect important tourists spots. The second tain too will be identified soon,” a senior official said.
The Delhi-Lucknow route is currently served by 53 trains but does not have a Rajdhani. The Swarn Shatabdi has the highest demand on this route and takes around 6:30 hours.
The IRCTC, which will be given the two trains to run initially, has been asked to finalise a proposal by July 10 and submit it to the Railway Board after a meeting of the Member, Traffic, with officials of the Railways’ tourism and catering arm on July 4.
The proposal of the Railway Board in its 100-day plan was to offer two trains to operators who would be willing to be part of the bidding process for rights to run private passenger day/overnight train sets connecting important cities. The Railways also said that it would float a Request for Proposal (RFP) and a Request for Quote (RFQ) in the next 100 days.
The proposal, however, has come under severe criticism from the railway unions, who have threatened large scale protests over the issue.
source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Explore / by PTI / July 09th, 2019
The inaugural JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship, in association with AD, was awarded to Lucknow’s Kalhath Institute for embroidery
Photo caption: Maximiliano Modesti and Sangita Jindal at the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow. All photos courtesy Neville Sukhia
Hanging on the walls of the JSW office in Mumbai is a symbol of gratitude—a unique interpretation of a painting by French artist Anne Pesce.
But where Pesce’s medium is oil-on-canvas, this piece uses thread and glass beads to translate her abstract expressions of landscape into tangible reality. Its embroidered surface softly catches the light, and the textured shades of grey, white and pink make viewers stop for a second glance, then lean in closer to admire the dexterity that went into creating it.
The work was gifted by the Kalhath Institute as a gesture of thanks, from the recipients of the inaugural JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship, which was founded in 2018, at the AD Design Show in India.
It also signifies a turning point for the Lucknow-based institute, whose pursuit of embroidery education uncovered a new opportunity for craft production.
Photo caption: The facade and campus of the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow, which was founded by Modesti in 2016
Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: Serial Skiller
After over 20 years of working with karigars (craftsmen) and luxury houses, French-Italian craft entrepreneur Maximiliano Modesti realised that pride in one’s work was a big driver, and that formalising recognition was as important as addressing wages.
He founded Kalhath in 2016, and its mission has been to recognise, promote and sustain craft excellence. His approach to create an impact across craft is now through measured interventions. What this means is that engagements must be deep, long term and, to begin with, in smaller numbers.
Sangita Jindal confesses to being completely taken by her visit to the institute, housed in a heritage building in Lucknow: “The work of Kalhath was very inspiring to see first-hand. It is a unique institution and they are doing a commendable job.”
Photo caption: Embroiderers at the Kalhath Institute, Siraj Ali and Amir Khan, working on artist T Venkanna’s Holy Tree artwork
Fourteen karigars recently celebrated their convocation. The faculty had introduced them to a wide spectrum of skill-building engagements, including spatial perception, colour, costing and design.
They learnt through practical application, and the programme concluded with an art residency that had them co-creating artworks with artist T Venkanna.
Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: French Influences
But it all began with the initial experiment. The first artwork interpreted by the karigars during the initial stages of the programme was the Pesce piece.
Titled New York #14, karigars Mohammed Ishtiaque Ansari and Mohammed Tabriz Shaikh worked on it over a period of two months.
Modesti shares the reasoning behind this piece being chosen as the gift: “I wanted to acknowledge the kindness of Sangita’s award with the first-ever artwork we worked on at the institute. This work travelled to the AD Design Show as well.”
Visitors to the last year’s show might recall a young man, Ishtiyaque Ansari, working over an adda (a rectangular wooden frame), intently focused on transforming into three dimensions, Pesce’s two-dimensional work.
Photo caption: Embroiderers at the institute working on an artwork titled Incomplete Circle
Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: Bridging the Gap
Embroidered works of art are not new, but the opportunity lies in creating production facilities dedicated to, and experienced in, managing the expectations and the relationships between artists and karigars.
Modesti’s view on the final product being classified as either a work of art or craft is telling: “It depends on who the artist is, and what kind of work they want to create.
For instance, there is no difference between a painting by Venkanna and his embroidered works: he is using embroidery as [a medium].
However, in the case of Pesce, it is a translation of her work. What is emerging is so different for each artist—and that is the great potential: It is not only one language, it is multiple ways of creating and translating work.”
Photo caption: A piece titled Fire being shown by Venkanna (left) and Zeeshan Ahmed, a member of faculty at the Kalhath Institute
That Pesce’s work is being translated into five editions almost undermines the understanding of each as a unique work that reveals the potential, and need, of new classifications between craft, art and design. It is perhaps in these new classifications that the future of craft lies.
The recipient of the second edition of the JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship will be announced at the AD Design Show 2019.
source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Architecture & Design> Craftsmanship / by Malika Verma Kashyap / May 27th, 2019
Jyoti Shukla and Neetu Gupta have been drilled in the do’s and don’ts of Metro operations at the Delhi Centre and now work as train operators for Lucknow Metro. The women are more than proud to be a part of the dream project of Lucknow from its inception. On International Women’s Day, 2019, the two will operate the Metro.
When you board the Lucknow Metro which is all set to be launched, don’t be surprised to find a female train operator in the operator’s cabin.
Jyoti Shukla and Neetu Gupta have been drilled in the do’s and don’ts of Metro operations at the Delhi Centre and now work as train operators for Lucknow Metro. The women are more than proud to be a part of the dream project of Lucknow from its inception. On International Women’s Day, 2019, the two will operate the Metro. When home minister Rajnath Singh will be seated for the first ride of the second phase of the 23-kilometre stretch, Neetu will pilot the train with a male pilot companion, Sushant Sarvare. Jyoti, along with a male pilot companion, Pankaj K Singh will pilot the second train.
Gupta has train-operating experience of 45,000 kilometres. Talking about her initial days she said, “I belong to a small district, Ballia, where life is still very sluggish and laid back. But for me, I always dreamt of achieving something big in my life. Studies took most of my time and Math was my favourite subject. So, the inclination towards technology was evident since childhood. How keenly we follow our dream that’s the key to success. My interests were spotted by my parents at very early age. Being the eldest, I too felt that I should behave like a responsible daughter.”
Shukla, who hails from Mirzapur, feels that there is no end to dreams for any girl, “Yes, a woman has full right to dream and also to fulfil them because at the end of the day, passion matters. I have moved around with my parents to many cities, as my father a retired serviceman now, kept getting transferred. I shifted many places and schools but the dream to be an officer in uniform was always on my mind.”
Gupta feels that only gender equality in every sector will help the nation become a developed country in the truest sense. “When we can have equal work rights in LMRC here, why can’t it be everywhere? Why is it still so difficult for girls from small towns and villages to be given equal opportunity and rights? Many small villages don’t even let girls study, let alone allow them to dream big. Girls are just considered a helping hand to run a household. Only education can change the scenario. The trainees at our centres are so positive and we feel proud training them, irrespective of gender.”
Shukla considers herself lucky that her family, especially her parents, support her and let her take decisions regarding her job and studies.
On being asked where they see themselves five years from now, Gupta was quick to respond, “Definitely not operating a train, because I believe I must have become something big, sitting in some cabin, (laughing). But I am sure that I will see more success in coming days.”
Shukla enjoys training the new batch. “I am happy with whatever little I have achieved but I know this is just the beginning.”
MEN ON THE MAIDEN RUN
The two men who will be operating the metro on the first day along with their female counterparts are Pankaj K Singh and Sushant Sarvare. Both are more than happy to be part of the venture from initial days.
Singh who has train-operating experience of 28,000 kilometres, feels that in today’s times, no girl is behind in any field, “I come from Agra and have seen women from my city going places. My parents are the reason that I see every woman as an equal and also a competition as in reality they lack nothing. At LMRC, we are friends, but at the same time, we competitors. So, this is the new India all of us youngsters want.”
Singh said that he is blessed to have made a name for himself and his family, “Yes, I am proud that today I have reached a place in my life and my choice of career is bringing in good results. My family is proud of me and my achievements. For me, it was my father and elder sister who were the driving force. My father not only supported me but also let my sister opt for her choice of education and career. She is a headmistress today and we all are so proud and happy for her.”
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Lucknow / by S. Farah Rizvi, Hindustan Times, Lucknow / March 08th, 2019
The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that the digital land project of the Board of Revenue won the national gold award for 2018-19 for e-governance at an award ceremony at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The award was given away by Union Minister of State (Independent charge) Jitendra Singh.
“Our digital land project also formed foundation for successful implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana under which Rs 2,000 was directly transferred to the accounts of more than one crore farmers in the state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24,” a government spokesman said in Lucknow on Thursday
The spokesman said that the success of the project could be gauged by the fact that this portal received more than a crore hits per day. During the peak period (on 13-2-2019), the portal received more than 5.30 crore hits in a single day.
The national gold award-2018-19 for e-governance was presented to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by a Revenue department team in Lucknow on Thursday.
source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State Editions> Lucknow / PNS Lucknow / March 01st, 2019
Men, it’s time to rejoice! Lucknow’s famous clothing line ‘Ajara’, known for its designer ethnic and wedding wear, has finally launched a male line. The clothing line which was earlier exclusive to females has now branched into the male world on their 1st birthday and we can almost hear the men taking a sigh of relief.
Okay Men, answer my questions, isn’t it difficult to find something that is not only comfortable but fashionable? Something that makes sense when you wear it, but also makes you look and feel good, it’s difficult right? There are plenty of options for women in ethnic, like saree, salwar-suit, lehengas and shararas. As if that was not enough, there are options like ethnic gowns and dresses.
But what do we have for men? Not enough, evidently. Not enough, but not anymore!
With Ajara’s new male line, you can find anything and everything that you require or can think of! The name ‘Ajara’ is a Sanskrit word which when loosely translated, means ‘Everlasting’. ‘Ajara’ with its name wants to create a clothing line that is always in vogue and accessories too.
Because at the end of the day styles change, fashion comes and goes but elegance and class never get old! Which is exactly what ‘Ajara’ promises to its patrons.
Already a well known and trusted name in the fashion community, Ajara is trying to bring comfort, class and elegance in the forefront. Most of the work they do and the styles they carry are done organically, you get exquisite handmade pieces that are designed with passion and love.
Ajara has adopted a village near the city, which is visited by their team of experts, who teach the local women the craft of embroidering, and sowing. The women then work on luxurious pieces of fabrics that are also sourced locally and made using the finest material. Which is later sown together by design experts, giving you a flawless design that fits and feels as luxurious as can be imagined. Surprisingly, even after the entire process, the designs remain reasonable and pocket friendly.
Ajara has also launched an amazing range of fragrances and bath & body products that are exquisite and heavenly, and will change the way you feel about yourself.
So, if you are looking for a gorgeous piece that will make you stand out and be the centre of everyone’s praises and envious looks, give Ajara a visit. Maybe you’ll find yourself falling in love with the fashion wonderland and getting lost in all the luxuries!
Resplendent with the flavour of Kumbh, the ongoing 10-day-long Lucknow Book Fair is drawing denizens in hordes.
‘Atal’ tribute to Vajpayee In a tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, has named its new variety of lemongrass ‘CIM-Atal’. Having represented Lucknow inParliament for five consecutive terms, Vajpayee passed away in August last year. The institution’s director Dr AK Tripathi claims that true to its name, the new variety of lemongrass is firm and resistant to moderate changes in farming conditions as ‘Atal’ means firm and constant. Moreover, the plant gives a constant high yield of aromatic oil. Besides, ‘CIM-Akshay’, ‘CIM-Sukhda’, ‘CIM-Suvas’ have also been evolved from basil (tulsi) to be released and distributed to farmers for cultivation and being high yield varieties, these will contribute to consolidate farmers’ income.
Fair with ‘Kumbh flavour’ Resplendent with the flavour of Kumbh, the ongoing 10-day-long Lucknow Book Fair is drawing denizens in hordes. Cultural performances, ‘traffic security week’ and many other attractions have been set up at the fair. Called ‘Ankuram Shiksha Mahotsav’, the festival is being managed by a civil society group ‘icareindia’. A satrangi exhibiton is also being organised with the participation of government primary and upper primary schools from 11 districts — Agra, Aligarh, Basti, Maharajganj, Etawah, Mathura, Kheri, Kannauj, Balrampur, Ayodhya and Lucknow in the festival. The Kumbh festival has been going on since January 14 and has been set up on an unprecendented scale.
Lucknow ready for Metro In a matter of days, the first phase of the Lucknow Metro will kick off from the airport to the other end of the city, covering a 23-km stretch from February 15. The ambitious project of connecting the city’s ends is two-and-a-half months ahead of its deadline. As of now, the Metro will only ply on the 8-km route from the airport to Charbagh. Recently, ‘Metroman of India’ E Sreedharan, who is also the principal advisor to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC), inspected the North-South Corridor — from the airport to Munshipulia — with a team of the corporation and endorsed the work carried out. Following another inspection by Commissioner Railway Safety between February 20-23, the project would be ready for commercial runs.
Marquee bubbling with Oudhi culture Lucknow residents woke up to the soulful notes of Raag Bhairavi and ‘Jago Mohan pyare’ rendered by noted classical singer Shruti Sadolikar, who performed at the ‘Safed Baradari’ in a concert at dawn on Sunday. Presenting timeless melodies for an enthusiastic audience at 6am, Sadolikar enthralled music connoisseurs with her ethereal voice at the ongoing Sanatkada Festival in an ode to the Oudhi culture that is quintessential to Lucknow. The event was a day-long celebration with food and a mushaira and a qawwali session in the evening.
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh / namita.bajpai@newindianexpress
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Namita Bajpai, Express News Service / February 05th, 2019
Varanasi-based Sanrachna Group, which is into construction and real estate development, has become the new owner of the troubled Aussie mining company, India Resources, which has been operating Hindustan Copper’s mine in Surda.
Owned by architect Anurag Kushwaha, Sanrachna has acquired India Resources through its Australian arm Avidsys Pty Ltd which is into mining and commodity trading with the presence in US and Russia.
Following a decade-long dispute between the state-owned sole copper mine owner and its Australian contractor, India Resources had turned sick and went to the administrator in a process similar to Indian government’s effort to find buyers for stressed assets by appointing resolution professionals at National Company Law Tribunal.
After erosion of most of its worth, the deal for India Resources has been valued at about AU$4 million or about Rs 20 crore paving the way for settlement of dues worth about Rs 40 crore with most of the creditors, including lender Axis Bank, earlier agreeing to haircut, Arvind Mishra, former managing director of India Resources, told DNA Money.
Axis Bank, which would be paid AU$1 million, would suffer a haircut of more than 50%, Mishra said.
There is a catch though as the agreement to acquire the company is conditional upon India Resources getting back the mining contract for the Jharkhand mine.
But with the mine now being operated by Shriram EPC and Hindustan Copper aggrieved by the Australian company’s exit, that condition might not get fulfilled.
Apart from the haircut, which is roughly about 50% for most of the debtors, the cost had been heavy for Australian investors who had bet on the opening up of mining and natural resources sector in India to foreign investors.
“Our AU$40 million Foreign Direct Investment created 1500 jobs and contributed AU$140 million to Indian government with profits and taxes, yet our Australian shareholders have lost it all,” lamented Mishra.
While areas of disputes between Hindustan Copper and India Resources were many, the last trigger for the Aussie company calling off its contract was Hindustan Copper’s refusal to reimburse doubling of minimum wages by the Indian government in early 2017.
“There were violent strikes by the workers which stopped operations. It wasn’t possible to run the operations in a sustainable way if we had to shoulder the burden,” Mishra said.
DIGGING DEEPER
The deal for India Resources has been valued at about Rs 20 cr
It will pave the way for settlement of dues worth Rs 40 crore
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Business / by Sumit Moitra / February 07th, 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accept greetings during a public meeting for the inauguration of two major national highways and an inland waterways project, in Varanasi | Photo Credit: PTI
This is the first of the four multi-modal terminals being constructed on the National Waterway-1 (river Ganga) as part of the World Bank-aided Jal Marg Vikas project of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated India’s first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga river in his parliamentary constituency here and received the country’s first container cargo transported on inland waterways from Kolkata.
The first consignment containing food and beverage had set sail from Kolkata in the last week of October.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP State president Mahendra Nath Pandey, who is also the MP of the neighbouring Chandauli Lok Sabha constituency.
This is the first of the four multi-modal terminals being constructed on the National Waterway-1 (river Ganga) as part of the World Bank-aided Jal Marg Vikas project of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
The total estimated cost of the project is ₹5,369.18 crore, which will be equally shared between the Government of India and the World Bank.
Earlier, upon his arrival here, the Prime Minister was given a detailed presentation of the waterways and watched a short film on the viability of the waterways between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Haldia in West Bengal.
According to an official statement, the Centre’s Jal Marg Vikas Project aims at developing the stretch of the river between Varanasi and Haldia for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1,500 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes.
Its objective is to promote inland waterways as a cheap and environment-friendly means of transportation, especially for cargo movement. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the project implementing agency.
The project entails construction of three multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia), two inter-modal terminals, five roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs, new navigation lock at Farakka in West Bengal, assured depth dredging, integrated vessel repair and maintenance facility, differential global positioning system (DGPS), river information system (RIS), river training.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by PTI / Varanasi – November 12th, 2018
Minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari termed UP as the most competent state in terms of molasses output that helps in production of ethanol, used in the production of bio fuel.
Minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday termed UP as the most competent state in terms of molasses output that helps in production of ethanol, used in the production of bio fuel.
He said UP had more than 250 sugar mills and therefore the productivity of molasses here was relatively high.
“It can be of great help in the production of bio fuel and bio CNG that could run more than 10,000 buses. I am sure our departments could come out with a suitable solution that could further reduce the use and cost of fuel, especially in the aviation field,” he said while addressing the valedictory session of the IISF-2018.
The minister will lay the foundation stone for development work of Ghagra river, as National Waterway (NW) 40, in Basti district on Tuesday under the Sagarmala programme of ministry of shipping.
He said science and technology had a crucial role to play when it came to development.
“Perhaps it’s the only reason why the Prime Minister has already launched programmes like Digital India, Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan, and Smart City that intend to change the face of the country and to take the development to another level,” he said.
He also expressed concern over migration from rural/agricultural areas to urban areas, saying lack of basic amenities like adequate irrigation system, availability of good seeds, fertilisers and water were the major reasons behind it.
Union minister for science and technology Dr Harsh Vardhan, who was also present at the function, said this was the biggest science festival to be organised so far. “In the past four days, more than 10 lakh people visited the fest. This includes around 20,000 students and 800 women entrepreneurs,” he said.
He said over 1,000 institutions took part in the event. The minister also assured that by 2030, India would be among the top three scientific nations.
Dr Dinesh Sharma, deputy chief minister, UP too termed the IISF-2018 as a mega fest. Prior to this, the biggest science fest in the city — Science Congress — was witnessed at University of Lucknow in 1998.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Lucknow / by Oliver Fredrick, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / October 09th, 2018
