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With IIT-K startup’s help, Lucknow firm ready for drone delivery of food

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel

Kolkata/Lucknow:

In a first, an IIT-Kanpur startup, in association with a Lucknow-based food delivery firm, successfully flown in flasks of freshly brewed tea on the doorsteps of its customers in the city of nawabs.

TechEagle Innovations, founded and run by IIT Kanpur graduate Vikram Singh Meena, pilot-tested delivery of two litres of hot tea with the help of battery-powered and GPS-fitted drones on May 23. It has developed the specialised drone to drop-ship a consignment up to 2 kg within a 10-km-radius of its take-off station with just a single click of a mouse. TechEagle has joined hands with OnlineKaka, a Lucknow-based food delivery startup, for these test flights.

“We have successfully delivered world’s first chai via drone. Now, we would provide these mean machines to other food delivery startups like Zomato, Swiggy and Foodpanda. To begin with, we plan to venture out in north India,” Meena told TOI.

Talking about the drone-delivery model, Bilal Arshad, who founded OnlineKaka, along with friend Ahad Arshad and Salman, said: “It’s not like the customer will directly receive the order from the whirring gadget. The drones would be flown and received by our executives at different points and because they would not be commuting through the busy streets, it would cut down the delivery time drastically.” Although the cost implications would be known only after a full-fledged launch of the service, both Bilal and Ahad said they would try to ensure that there was no extra burden for the customer as they would be saving on commuting. At present, they charge Rs 59 per delivery.

Although the trial was conducted with DGCA’s permission, the firs is yet to get a nod for the regular service. “The DGCA had said the norms for drone delivery would be specified in January but it hasn’t come through. It is now expected sometime in July. In sync with the Civil Aviation ministry, the DGCA would mark zones for the drone flights and assign altitude, etc, besides issuing licence for each gadget. The pilots hired for the drones would be another factor to determine cost of operation,” said Ahad.

Interestingly, there are no active drone-based food delivery services in the world. UberEats, the largest grub-delivery platform which has recently opened shop in India, has recently tested a similar drone-based delivery in San Diego, US.

In October last year, global e-tail giant Amazon had filed patent for delivery of products via drones in India.

In 2014, an unmanned drone was used to deliver a pizza to a flat in a high rise in Worli, Mumbai. Another drone startup, based out of Kanpur, called Aarav Unmanned Systems, raised a bridge round funding In April 2016.

However, many firms and startups, who are raring to begin unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drone-based commercial operations (like door-to-door delivery, aerial mapping, infrastructure monitoring and product transport) across the country, have hit a regulatory roadblock as India’s sky watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), hasn’t yet formulated a final official policy for the same. Although, Goldman Sachs has estimated that drone industry will be worth $125 billion globally by 2020.

The founding members of TechEagle Innovations started designing and manufacturing since 2015 in the garage of IIT Kanpur hostel and formed the B2B tech startup only in January 2017.

“Our startup develops custom-made drones of both types — rotary wing and fixed wing — which can carry 500gm to 5kg payload. The wingspan ranges between 60cm and five-meter, flight time varies between 30 min and two hours,” added Meena.

“The drone-based delivery system came to our minds when we saw real-life problems like traffic jams affecting delivery services, especially food transportation. Then, we partnered with Online Kaka,” the TechEagle CEO said.

TechEagle plans to expand its services across the country based on need and resources. “We have analyzed that around 10-15 drones can be deployed in one city. Our drones can traverse 10 metres in one second and one single trip can last up to 20 minutes. So, it can fly up to 6km to deliver tea and come back to its take-off spot. We are doing research on batteries to increase the payload capacity and flight time,” Meena added.

On the likely cost of food or tea to be delivered via drones, Meena signed off by saying, “Quality and price of tea or any food items will be handled and decided by the food delivery firms, who will use our drones, instead of a bike or a motor van. We can’t disclose the exact selling prices of the drones at present. But when the service becomes fully functional, our drone delivery will definitely be cheaper than the current modes of transportation. We are in talks with quite a few food delivery startups.”

There was a time in the city when one could order little from home other than pizza. It was 2016 and while big names like food panda and zomato were foraying into the Lucknow market, a startup with just two delivery boys caught the fancy of locals, whose staple feast is the kabab-biryani fare. “Our shoestring budget did not allow a lavish ad campaign, so we relied more on word of mouth,” said Ahad Arshad, who founded OnlineKaka, along with friend Bilal Arshad, adding.

Founded in 2016, OnelineKaka is a popular service in Lucknow for delivery and is preferred for delivery from iconic joints from crowded Old City. “It saves people the trouble of commuting to the crowded, jammed areas and they could enjoy kabab-paratha, biryani, kulcha-nihari in the comfort of home,” Bilal says. Today, they have a 125-strong army of delivery boys and an equal number of vendors on their panel, with over 500 new joints in queue. From a turnover of Rs 20 lakh in their first year, they have notched Rs 5 crore and recorded a 15% growth per month, said the founders.

“There was a minimum-order rider in the beginning but now we deliver the smallest of orders,” said Ahad, adding that their latest offering was delivery of the city’s favourite chai and bun-makhan, anywhere. “The packing ensures you get your cuppa steaming hot but with a successful run of delivery by drone, we hope to pick up more orders in this segment,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Lucknow News / by Sovan Manna / TNN / June 01st, 2018

New finding turns sweet potato tastier

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
BSIP scientists said the sweet potato fossil found in Meghalaya is the oldest in the world

Lucknow :

There’s sweet news for India. Scientists at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, claim that sweet potato plant originated in India and not the United States.

They claim to have discovered a 57 million-year-old sweet potato fossil from the East Garo hill district of Meghalaya, adding that it is older than the last recorded 40-million-old sweet potato fossil found in Colorado, US.

Their premise is based on an 18-year study conducted by a team of three scientists — BSIP’s Rakesh C Mehrotra and Gaurav Srivastava, and David L Dilcher from Indiana University, US.

The sweet potato fossil found in Meghalaya is the oldest in the world, say BSIP scientists.

The study has been published in the international scientific journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”.

The fossil of some leaves were collected by the two BSIP scientists in 1996 from Meghalaya. After the initial fossil identification study, they found that the leaves were of sweet potato. A detailed research work began in 2000.

“The discovery of a plant fossil is rare because plants’ soft structure is not easily preserved in the rocks,” said senior scientist Rakesh C Mehrotra.

He said that 17 specimens of the fossil of leaves discovered were made to study the pattern of veins in the blade of a leaf and secretory ducts (cells). The study showed that the leaves were of sweet potato and belonged to the ‘morning glory’ family, Mehrotra added. The research was conducted at three herbariums in the country — National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow; Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, and Central National Herbarium, Howrah.

Mehrotra said the sediment where the fossil was extracted was found to be 57 million years old, hence the fossil was also considered to be of the same date.

BSIP director Sunil Bajpai said it’s a landmark discovery.

“The study will help in understanding the evolutionary origins and the existing concepts of sweet potatoes. It will also help in understanding the climatic conditions and related factors that prevailed millions of years ago.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Mohita Tewari / TNN / May 24th, 2018

With steely resolve, they clinch gold

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Stories of grit, determination and dreams coming true filled the atmosphere with positivity at Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University on Saturday. At its fourth convocation, chief minister Yogi Adityanath awarded medals to meritorious students. Rehabilitation professional and social worker Uma Tuli was the chief guest at the occasion where governor Ram Naik was also present. TOI spoke to the top three medal winners.

Inspired by differently abled, he emerges as winner

It was peer pressure which forced him to join a master’s course. He chose SMNRU for an MSc in applied statistics in 2015 because the university was close to his place. Two years hence, Vipin Yadav stands as a topper with the chancellor’s gold medal, awarded for his score of 87.7%, the highest among all students.

The turning point of Vipin’s life was seeing differently abled students: the visually impaired, hearing-impaired and physically handicapped, struggling each day to study. “They made efforts to use laptops and typewriters. I thought when they, who had 100 reasons to not come to college, are working so hard, why can’t I? They inspired me,” Vipin said.

So moved was Vipin with their dedication that he is now pursuing research in the area upliftment of the differently abled.

Mother of two conquers disability

Age and disability are no barriers to education. Anju Kumari, 42, not only decided to pursue education after a gap of 19 years but also scored the highest marks among differently abled students in PG.

An accident at the age of 10 years had totally damaged her right hand but not her determination. For one year, she practised writing with her left hand and never took a scribe. She says her husband and young children were very supportive. Anju was awarded for securing 79.6% in MA Hindi. Now, she has joined MA in Bhojpuri. “No knowledge is waste. I had always wanted to learn languages,” said Anju.

Lost eyes but not vision

She has lost 80% vision but used the remaining 20% to excel in studies. The daughter of a small farmer in Basti, Jyoti Mishra has emerged as a winner among all differently abled students enrolled in UG courses. Overall, she has scored the third highest marks—71.4% in BA.

Despite her odds, she decided to not study in Braille.

“I used my mobile phone camera to enlarge the words and then read. With the help of mobile recordings, I learnt my lessons and then reproduced it to my writer in exams,” Jyoti said.

Purusing BEd now from SMNRU, Jyoti wants to become a teacher. “It’s difficult for my family to make ends meet. Before sending me to Lucknow, my father told me to study hard. The medals are for him. He will be very happy when he comes to know about my success.” she said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Lucknow News> Schools & Colleges / TNN / May 20th, 2018

AMU professor receives National Geoscience Award 2017

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Agra:

A professor from Aligarh Muslim University has been conferred the National Geoscience Award, 2017, instituted by the ministry of mines, for his contribution to the field of basic geosciences.

MEA Mondal, a professor in the department of geology at AMU, was presented the award at a felicitation ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He received a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh for his significant contribution in the field of basic geosciences. His works have been published in several renowned scientific journals worldwide.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Agra News / TNN / May 18th, 2018

Lost dad before test, pays tribute with 100

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

He lost his father hours before the mathematics exam but appeared for it and scored a perfect 100 as it was his father’s favourite subject.

It was a very difficult time for class XII student of CMS Kanpur Road Anmol Singh, who scored 98.25% overall but he is assured he made his father proud.

“My father worked in an insurance company. He suffered a heart attack and was admitted in a private hospital while examinations were on. He asked my mother to tell me that he was fine and I should focus on the board examination. On the day of my mathematics paper, my mother called me from hospital around 10am to inform me that my father had passed away. I was shocked and felt I would not be able to take the exam,” said Anmol, who has also qualified JEE Mains and is confident of making it to IIT by qualifying JEE Advanced.

Anmol rushed to the hospital in tears but was requested by his mother to go to school as his father’s last wish was that he scores well in mathematics.

“My father used to help me in studying mathematics. I was shattered, but I came back from the hospital, wore my school uniform and appeared for the exam which was from 2pm. I scored 100 in maths for my father but he is not with me to celebrate my success,” said Anmol, who, after the examination, completed the last rites of his father. Anmol also scored 100% in chemistry and computers.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Kanpur News / by Mohita Tewari / TNN / May 15th, 2018

Lucknow boy’s creation wins top honours at AtomExpo

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Gautam Bishwas receives the award

Sochi :

‘Atom on Wheels’, a campaign designed by an NPCIL communication expert who hails from Lucknow, won the top honours at AtomExpo Awards 2018 at a glittering ceremony here on Monday evening.

The campaign which especially targeted the rural audience for creating awareness and dispelling myths about nuclear energy, received the award in public communication category. Other two entries in the category were from Hungary and Kenya. Gautam Biswan, executive director, NPCIL received the award from the chairman of the jury.

A beaming Amritesh Srivastava, senior manager (corporate communication) who conceived the campaign, told TOI: “Atom on Wheels” is a unique tailor made public awareness campaign which is especially crafted for rural people to make them aware and educate about numerous aspect of nuclear energy and to dispel the apprehensions related to this. It was organised in 6 states of India, covering more than 6 lakh people in 1500 villages. The response was tremendous and people accepted this wholeheartedly.”

“It’s really a matter of immense pleasure and proud to win this prestigious award for our country and organisation. It’s dream come true for me to achieve this international award,” he said.

‘Atom on Wheels’, the customised AC bus has travelled 1500 villages of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

It has creative panels, models, posters and multimedia presentations in local languages to help villagers develop a positive and rational thinking towards nuclear energy, particularly to build a constructive opinion for setting up of more and more nuclear power plants in a phase wise manner at various locations across the country.

In all, awards were given in five categories. There were participants from 22 countries and entries were judged by a 25-member jury panel, all world renowned experts from across the world.

This campaign has already got many awards at national level and Monday evening got it the ultimate international recognition at what Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev called ‘Atomic Davos’.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> India News / by Pravin Kumar / TNN / May 15th, 2018

In this documentary, Varanasi’s sari weavers talk about their craft and its present state of decline

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All
A still from Bunkar.

“I used to weave saris. It didn’t pay well, so I took to driving a rickshaw.”

Somewhere in the middle of Bunkar: The Last of the Varanasi Weavers, filmmaker Satyaprakash Upadhyay asks erstwhile weaver Shyam Jiyavan if he still keeps his loom. He does, he says, but at home. Does he still use it? “No, I have dismantled and stored it carefully so that it stays safe,” he says.

Another former weaver, Naeem, talks to Upadhyay while sitting in his bright red-and-green autorickshaw. He sounds disgruntled: “I used to weave saris. It didn’t pay well, so I took to driving a rickshaw.”

No longer feasible

Several more of Naeem’s kind find a voice in Upadhyay’s debut documentary, where Varanasi sari weavers talk about their craft and its present state of decline. Most of them have been forced to abandon their profession because it is no longer feasible. Activists and revivalists, who are trying to help the artisans, plead their case.

Since the film is pegged on the weavers, it is a pity that it does not delve deeper into their personal narratives. We meet them late, some 13 minutes into the lengthy and sometimes repetitive 68 minute-long film. The film rides on its breathtaking visuals, capturing the vibrancy of the art form, from the rich hues of the saris to their delicate detailing, and Varanasi’s landscape of opposites, with its teeming life and rituals of death. Cinematographer Vijay Mishra’s artistry is somewhat marred by the relentless background music though.

Bunkar opens with a shot of the emerald-green Ganga and pans to Varanasi’s riverfront before it unexpectedly cuts to a CGI of the river — a voiceover that seems determined to exhaust all the metaphors related to weaving. Sample this: “I [Ganga] have watched the loom of time weave the past into the present.”

The film then segues into a sketchy history of the art form, lists the weaving styles, and then comes to the threat posed by the near-identical, mass-produced and significantly cheaper saris made on power looms. The threat has forced many craftsmen to take up other professions.

“I can’t blame one department or a particular association [for the decline], for the problem is vast,” says Upadhyay. “My aim is rather to inform people,” he adds.

And so the tone of his film remains equivocal and non-committal to the point that at times it contradicts itself. It does manage to make interesting juxtapositions — but that may have been accidental.

Disparities

Take, for instance, the documentary’s discussion on the government’s efforts to protect and preserve the art form by giving it a GI tag and a Handloom Mark. A weaver concedes that such initiatives have given a boost to his business. This is followed by a former weaver saying that only a handful of craftsmen who were awarded the government certification could benefit from it, and that the effort is hardly enough to combat the steady and overwhelming influx of power-loom products. The documentary does not dwell on this disparity.

Upadhyay’s film is an important discussion on the lives of the Varanasi sari weavers but its voice flounders. At the same time, it achieves more by way of solutions than similar documentaries, which do no more than simply acknowledge that a problem exists.

The Mumbai-based freelance journalist is obsessed with cinema and gender rights.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Docu-Drama Movies / by Anahita Panicker / May 05th, 2018

UP to identify, honour ‘jugadu scientists’

Records, All, Science & Technology

Bijnor:

In a bid to identify “homegrown jugadu scientists” — people who haven’t received formal education but have invented things indigenously — the Nav Pravartan centres under UP science and technology department will hold a special drive in Bijnor district on April 28 and May 8. According to officials, the objective behind the exercise is to find out those whose inventions need wider exposure. All village pradhans will be involved and their help will be sought in identifying such individuals. Once the process of shortlisting is over, these “jugadu scientists” will be honoured at the state and national level, officials said.

Giving details about the plan, district coordinator of Nav Pravartan centre, Sudhansu Vats said, “Out here, a large number of people live in rural areas. Some of them invent things indigenously, but their inventions mostly go unnoticed or are not known outside their respective areas/villages. That is why the science and technology department is providing an opportunity to such people to formally showcase their talent. Such individuals will prepare a project and submit it in exhibitions at district and state levels.”

Vats added that in the first phase of the plan, they will take help from village heads. “Several farmers, artisans, mechanics and craftsmen have devised technologies that can contribute in preserving the environment. Also, we have so many vaids who treat people with natural items. All such people are like scientists for us and they need to be identified and honoured,” he said.

On being asked about the larger government plan, state joint director of Nav Pravartan Kendra, Raadhelaal said, “There are many people living in rural areas who know a lot about the use of herbs and plants as medicine. We will invite them to showcase their talent. If their innovation is found good and is up to the mark, we will promote them and attach them to good institutes and universities. If such innovators want their product, medicine or technology to be patented, we will help them in getting that. Our aim is to hone raw talent.

We will also extend invitations to farmers, artisans and mechanics to come forward and show us what they have created. We will also call school and college students to our exhibitions. A four- member team will look at each project and will decide whether it is innovative or not.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Meerut News / by Harveer Dabas / TNN / April 24th, 2018

Farmer’s son from Allahabad bags eighth rank

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Lucknow / Allahabad :

The final results of Civil Services Examination-2017 were released by the Union Public Service Commission late on Friday evening. Anubhav Singh (23), son of a farmer from Allahabad, bagged an all-India eighth rank in the coveted exam.

A BTech from IIT-Roorkee, Anubhav did his schooling from government primary schoolin Daser village of Handia tehsil, 55 km from Allahabad.

Another engineering graduate Vishal Mishra of Kanpur, made it to top 50 and secured 49th rank while two 25-year-old engineering graduates from the state capital, Sanjeev Kumar, a civil engineering graduate, and Ankita Mishra, a computer science graduate,secured 89th rank and 105th ranks, respectively.

Anubhav had cleared the exam in his first attempt last year and is undergoing training as Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.

He told TOI, “I studied in government primary school andthen atBBS Inter College. It was only in Roorkee that I worked upon my English and personality.”

Anubhav gave the credit for his success to his mother Sushma Singh, a clerk in a private school, and father Dhananjay Singh, a farmer.

“There is only one mantra of success, which is hard work. Internet helped me a lot in preparing for the GS paper,” he said.

Vishal Mishra, MTech from IIT Kanpur, said, “This was my third attempt. One has to work hard, be focused and should not be afraid of failures.”

Manish Kumar, who belongs to Kushinagar, had cleared the exam last year also and is IPS trainee, secured 84th rank. “Being an IAS hasbeen always my first preference so I will be opting for it now,” said Manish.

Ankita Mishra credited her success to her father BK Mishra who always motivated her to become a civil servant.
“I feel daily revision and paying more attention to optional subject helps to score better,” Ankita told TOI over phone from New Delhi.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Mohita Tewari & Vinod Khana / TNN / April 28th, 2018

Two more products of Varanasi joins GI club

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Varanasi :

The eastern UP’s two more handicraft goods – Soft stone undercut work and Ghazipur jute wall hanging joined the league of Geographical Indication (GI). With the addition of these two products to GI club, the Eastern UP has emerged as a hub of goods protected under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The GI expert and facilitator Dr. Rajni Kant of Human Welfare Association said that the GI certification was granted to soft stone undercut work (registration number 556) and Ghazipur jute wall hanging (registration number 555) on March 30. Now, the east UP has a total of 10 GI products including Banaras brocade & saree, Handmade carpet of Bhadohi, Banaras gulabi meenakari craft, Varanasi wooden lacquerware & toys, Mirzapur handmade dari, Nizamabad black pottery, Banaras metal repouse craft, and Varanasi glass beads.

He said that with the support of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Lucknow, the local artisans had applied for GI tag in July 2016. These two products were also put on display at the Deen Dayal Hastkaka Sankul for the view of French President Emanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to the city on March 12. The crafts were highly appreciated by them.

The undercut stone carving at Varanasi is very unique producing different artifacts. The most noted product of this kind is an undercut elephant. Artisans carve variety of products from soap stone. Lamp stands, small bowls, jaalis, candle stands and decorative items. Similarly, the wall hanging of Ghazipur is one of the unique handicraft products transformed from the best combination of golden fiber jute yarn and fabric. Proper display of this product provides aesthetic pleasure. Jute fiber used as basic material is a natural gift of mankind, which is biodegradable, non-toxic and environment friendly.

Kant said that the soft stone undercut works produced exclusively in Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts, and jute wall hanging procuced in Ghazipur, Varanasi , Chandauli and Mirzapur districts are entitled to use GI tag after certification.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Varanasi News / by Binay Singh / TNN / April 16th, 2018