Monthly Archives: July 2016
30
New batch of IITKanpur students attempt to make a world record of flying maximum paper planes
Kanpur :
The new lot of undergraduate and postgraduate students who have just taken admission in IIT-Kanpur, attempted to make a new Guinness world record of flying maximum number of air planes. A total of 2100 paper planes were flown in the air on Tuesday afternoon by 1050 students. The unique activity undertaken was aimed at giving a social message to the students. The entire process was filmed by the drone cameras and was also manually monitored so that the authenticity of the paper flying event could be established before the office bearers of Guinness World Records. The event had been organised a day before the commencement of the classes of the new students by the ‘Counselling Service’ of IIT-Kanpur. The previous record attempted by was students of a college in Indore in 2015 in which 2000 air planes were flown.
Talking to TOI, head, Counselling Service, IITKanpur, Prof MK Ghorai said, “We attempted to break the record of flying 2000 air planes by a college in Indore last year. A total of 1050 students participated in the World Record bid of flying 2100 planes. Each student had been given two paper planes to fly and on each paper plane a unique social message was written. After the planes came down on the ground they were picked by the students who participated in the event. They then came across the messages that were written on them. The students vowed that they will follow these messages as a practice in their life.”
Prof Ghorai said that while students had written messages that they will donate their eyes, others had written that they will donate blood. He said that students wrote that they will help the poor and ensure that they teach students free of cost.
During the event senior officers of SBI and Union Bank of India were present as observors. On each participating first semester student, student guides (senior of second year) was appointed by the counselling service to monitor the attempt made to make a world record of flying maximum number of paper planes. This was done to maintain transperancy and to ensure that all the 2100 air planes took flight in air.
Dean of Students Affairs, Prof AR Harish said that the main purpose of the event was to give social message to the students who have just joined the institute and would be staying here for a duration of four years during their BTech course.
Prof Ghorai said that the soon the entire set of documents including the footages shot by the drone camera to the Guinness World Record office so that they could cross-check our game.
The event was held in the auditorium ground of the institute. The event turned out to be colourful one with 2100 paper planes taking flight. From Wednesday, the first semester students will have their first class and this activity had been planned in such a way that it could be executed a day before the start of the classes.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Abhinav Malhotra / TNN / July 27th, 2016
Tiger Hill witness recalls day with cycle feat
Lucknow:
Seventeen years after he witnessed the capture of the strategic Tiger Hill in the Kargil Conflict by his ‘Ghatak buddies’ of the 18 Grenadiers, retired Havaldar Santosh Kumar Jaiswal would attempt to create a record with his cycle covering 300 kilometres in 12 hours.
Elaborating, Jaiswal said, “I would be attempting to create a new record with an Indian gearless non-racing cycle.” His cycle is five-years-old and he is being backed by local clubs in his endeavour.
“In order to give it a look of a racing cycle, I have removed both the mudguards,” said Jaiswal. Khel Khiladi Utthaan and Champions Cycling Club is extending support to Santosh in his attempt to make the new record.
Settled in Lucknow after taking VRS from the Army, Santosh works at the UP Bhootpoorv Sainik Kalyan Nigam. On the reason for opting July 26 as the day for attempting the record, the former soldier of the 18 Grenadier said, “Initially, it was planned for July 24. But, I insisted that the event could be extended by a couple of days, and could coincide with Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26).”
The former Grenadier said if he succeeded in his attempt, he would dedicate it to his friends in 18 Grenadiers general and the members of Ghatak platoon (which captured Tiger Hill).
Recalling the capture of Tiger Hills, he said, “Ghatak platoon attacked the Tiger Hill while I was in the reserve with the Charlie company. It was Grenadier Yoginder Singh Yadav who with his sheer grit and courage helped the Army capture the strategic post.” Yadav was later awarded Param Vir Chakra.
In a first-hand account of the capture of Tiger Hill given by then Chief of Army Staff General VP Malik (published on the official website of Ministry of External Affairs), the assault began at 7.00pm on July 3, 1999 with direct and indirect firing by artillery. It was a multidirectional infantry assault. 8 Sikh provided the firm base and engaged the enemy from ‘obvious’ approaches as part of a deception plan. 18 Grenadiers moved towards the objective from the South and North East. The weather assisted the battalions in achieving surprise. Lieutenant Balwan Singh led the Ghatak Platoon (Commando) of 18 Grenadiers on the most difficult, North-Eastern approach.
His Platoon make use of the rope to reach the top of the Tiger Hill at 4.30am and totally surprised the enemy that had already suffered due to heavy artillery shelling and air attacks. In the ensuring hand-to-hand fighting, the enemy lost 10-12 personnel. 18 Grenadiers suffered six fatal casualties. Grenadier Yogendar Singh Yadav, who was in the lead on the rope, and wounded badly, earned India’s highest gallantry award of Param Vir Chakra.
The Ghatak platoon with some reinforcements firmed in on the Tiger Hill top, but throughout the day came under enemy fire from the Western Spur. This position (Western Spur) was cleared by a very gallant and highly motivated action by 8 Sikh on the night of July 4-5, 1999.
Santosh Kumar Jaiswal was enrolled in 18 Grenadiers on November 30, 1995 and took voluntary retirement from the Army on November 30, 2013.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / Arunav Sinha / TNN / July 26th, 2016
The Fairfield by Marriott opens in Lucknow
Global hospitality major Marriott International today opened The Fairfield by Marriott, Lucknow, the second property of the company in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
Marriott is already operating ‘Renaissance Lucknow’ in the city, which opened in September, the firm said in a release.
The Fairfield by Marriott offers the largest room inventory in the city with 222 rooms.
“We are excited to bring the Fairfield By Marriott brand to North India, we believe the market is ideal for a brand like Fairfield which sets the standards of delivering a great hotel experience at an affordable price point.
“With the opening of this hotel we continue to strengthen our relationship in Lucknow. This hotel will help us gain a formidable presence in the market, along with providing a strategic advantage of having a multi-brand presence in the city,” said Marriott Market Vice-President (South Asia) Neeraj Govil.
The Fairfield by Marriott brand is a front-runner in the moderate tier segment catering to a target guest looking for a comfortable stay and ‘international’ service at great value.
Considered a growth engine for the company’s expansion in Asia with 13 hotels signed in India and additional properties signed in Nepal and Indonesia, Fairfield By Marriott represents an opportunity for Marriott International to move into new locations and markets.
Marriott International is a global lodging company based in Maryland, US, with more than 4,400 properties in 87 countries and territories.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National / Press Trust of India, Mumbai / July 05th, 2016
Indian students win 5 medals at Olympiad
Five Indian students, who participated in the 47th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Zurich in Switzerland, last week, have got three gold medals and two silver medals, officials from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) said on Monday.
Debaditya Pramanik from Kolkata, Preey Hiten Shah from Mumbai, and Gowtham Amirthya S.N. from Hyderabad won gold, while Divyansh Garg from Jaipur and Manan Bhatia from Lucknow got silver, showing a 100 per cent result at this year’s Olympiad. They will be felicitated at a ceremony at TIFR’s Mankhurd office on Tuesday.
The 47th edition of the IPhO was held from July 11 to July 17. A total of 398 students from 84 countries took part. The competition had a theoretical and an experimental examination, each of five-hour duration.
The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, a national centre of TIFR, is the nodal centre in the country for all science Olympiads (physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and astrophysics and junior science) and the mathematical Olympiad. The centre selects and trains the Indian teams.
The five winners were selected through a three-stage process. The first one consisted of a nationwide physics examination for which over 44,000 students appeared across 1,300 centres. The remaining two stages had a series of selection tests: theoretical and practical.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mumbai Local / by Special Correspondent / Mumbai – July 19th, 2016
First centre for special kids opens in Allahabad
Allahabad:
Cantonment board opened Udaan, a school for special children, on Monday.
The school was inaugurated by General officer in Command (GOC), HQ Purva UP & MP Sub Area, Major General SK Singh.
Maj Gen Singh, who is also the president of the board, inaugurated the facility in the presence of chief executive officer of the board, Shalini Pandey, along with president of the AWWA (army women welfare association), Bala Singh and vice-president of the board, Arun Kumar Sonkar. A large number of parents of special children and their wards were also present at the event.
Shalini Pandey said that Udaan is the first centre for special children in Allahabad.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / July 19th, 2016
World heritage tag for city scientist
Lucknow:
Geologist from Lucknow S B Mishra’s research on fossils in an ecological park ‘Mistaken Point’ in Newfoundland, Canada has made it world heritage, the UNESCO declared in Istanbul on Sunday.
In a message to Mishra, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav stated that Mishra’s work has brought laurels to the state.
Mishra had gone to Canada as a geologist in 1967 and spotted some fossils in the Newfoundland in Canada.
He submitted a research paper highlighting the evolution of life on planet earth. On the basis of his studies, Canadian government had declared the region where fossils had been recovered an ecological park.
Speaking to TOI, Mishra said when he had started studying the single cell organism in the Newfoundland, it was totally inaccessible as the terrain on the seashore was nearly impossible to access.
But Mishra stayed there for months and completed his studies which got international acclaim.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / July 25th, 2016