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The Hindu : y>

Sree Cauvery School, Indiranagar bid adieu to yet another batch at the graduation day held recently. Dr. K.P. Puthuraya, senior professor, International Medical College, was the chief guest and he delivered the keynote address. The students sang as the traditional lamp was being lit by the dignitaries. 

Reading from the holy scriptures, nostalgic moments at school reminisced by the head girl, award presentation to the best students,  parents’  experiences with the school, words of wisdom by the chief guest were all part of the evening’s programme.

Inputs fromSUDHINDR A. B.

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The Hindu : y>

“Impelled by integrity” was the theme of the graduation ceremony at Bishop Cotton Girls’ High School, St. Marks Road held recently. Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde was the chief guest. The evening began with elegantly dressed outgoing students of Stds X and XII in blue and pink saris led by Melvin Smitha, the school captain. She led the graduating students in the valedictory pledge. Kavya Krishnamurthy recalled her days at school and paid rich tribute to her mentors. Then the choir presented the song “the best that I can be”. The ceremony drew to a close with the symbolic lighting of the lamp and the glow of torches dispelling the darkness. School principal Lydia Joshua welcomed and introduced the guests to the gathering.

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The Hindu : KRISHNA KUMAR

The recently inaugurated KnowledgePark aims at popularising the basic concepts of science and technology.

 Reckoned to be one of its kind, It enables students to learn at leisure in a congenial atmosphere by sitting, watching and observing

Brace yourselves: Its time to see and learn.

It is a unique knowledge park to fulfill the needs of informal learning at leisure. Established at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Mysore, the Knowledge Park was inaugurated by distinguished scientist Prof.C. N. R. Rao recently.

See and learn

For school students it is an opportunity to reinforce their theoretical knowledge acquired in classrooms by observing the working models on display. As for instance the working model of a solar system in which different planets have been hoisted to move along their orbits made possible by motor that is embedded in the planet models. The computerised model helps understand the rotation and the revolution of the planets around the Sun.

 The Resonator for instance is another equipment comprising hollow pipes of different length and dimensions. As students place their ears against each pipe, they hear a distinct sound and this sound is different for each pipe. Students learn that the shorter the pipe, the higher the frequency.

 Know your contributors

 As an introduction to the contribution of Indians to the field of science there are detailed write-ups with photographs and images of scientists. In the field of Mathematics the visitors learn about the contributions made by Baudhayana and Aryabhatta to Bhaskaracharya and Srinivas Ramanujam. Moving on to the life science students learn about Parashara and Charaka right down to Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.

 The concern of Swami Vivekananda to the development of science, his interactions with Jamshetji Tata and the genesis of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, has also been described in detail.

 Reckoned to be one of its kind, the Knowledge Park enables students to learn at leisure in a congenial atmosphere by sitting, watching…More

The Hindu : y>

MLA Krishna Byregowda was the chief guest at the graduation day conducted by Sudarshan Vidya Mandir Institutions (SVM) for the outgoing students of Std X of both ICSE and SSLC streams. The programme began with the invocation dance presented by the students of ICSE wing. Ananya Kavthar and Shravasth recited shlokas in Sanskrit. Mr. Byregowda distributed letters of appreciation to students. He told the graduating students to work hard to realise their dreams. Krithika and Rohan Dutta shared their experiences at the school. Hemaa Narayan, director and principal, SVM Institutions, welcomed and introduced the guests to the gathering. 

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The Hindu : y>

Fearsome predator Komodo dragon

It is morning on remote Komodo Island in eastern Indonesia. A young boy, Mansyur and his friends are playing in a field outside a village. When Mansyur crouches in some bushes to hide, he finds himself in a fight for his life- with a famous and deadly foe, a Komodo dragon, the largest lizards in the world.

They can grow over nine feet long, and weigh in excess of two hundred pounds. The Komodos are also fearsome predators, hunting prey as large as water buffalo fifteen times their size. Watch “True Stories” on National Geographic Channel tonight at 11 p.m. Tomorrow night at 10 p.m., National Geographic on “Dangerous Encounters” learn more about the giant squid. The Humboldt squid that grows up to six feet long, is expanding into thousands of square miles of new territory, threatening commercial fisheries, and reportedly attacking divers! Yet we know almost nothing about them. Brady collaborates with researchers to undertake a high-risk mission to capture a squid unharmed, and attach National Geographic’s state-of-the-art Crittercam. But before he ventures into squid territory, he gets an idea of what he’s up against: Eight powerful arms, each lined with suckers containing sharp teeth, two long tentacles that launch out to capture prey, and a beak that can bite more powerfully than a crocodile – Brady finds out what an ultimate predator the Humboldt can be.

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The Hindu : PARVATHI NAYAR

Did your guesses come true? Parvathi Nayar captures the highpoints of the 83rd Oscar ceremony

PHOTOS: AP & AFPTHE BIG MOMENT A scene from “The King’s Speech” which bagged the prize for Best Picture and the winners Tom Hooper (Best Director), Collin Firth (Best Actor) and Natalie Portman (Best Actress)

And the Oscar goes to… Christopher Nolan. Well, of course, it didn’t, not the least, because he wasn’t even nominated for Best Director, though “Inception” did get a Best Picture nomination.

At least Nolan did get mentioned by the second winner of the night (or morning, if you’re talking Chennai-time), in the 83rd Oscars, hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco in a bid to lighten up the Oscars and, as they quipped, get a younger demographic interested in the Awards.

And what of the winning film itself, picked from the 248 that qualified for the 2011 Best Picture Award (they needed to have opened by December 31, 2010, run for over seven consecutive days, and be longer than 40 minutes)?

Originally, “The Social Network” was considered the frontrunner, reinforced by its win at the Golden Globes. “Inception” had as much chance of winning as the proverbial snowflake in hell, being a rare animal — a brainy blockbuster; the Academy is notoriously leery about mega-hits that aren’t sentimental or epic.

The magic factor

However, it was “The King’s Speech” that gathered incredible momentum (and 12 nominations) by Oscar time, unexpectedly winning best picture at the Producers Guild of America as well. The movie, apart from quality, also had a key magic factor behind it — The Weinstein Company, famous for the persistent and canny marketing of their films to gain Oscar wins.

Few, then, could have been surprised when “The King’s Speech” walked away with the statuette. But one of the very few “surprises” of the evening was its director Tom Hooper winning for directing — the…More

The Hindu :

Singer-actor Ali Zafar talks about how he would like to go beyond his successful launch

Bonding over music Ali Zafar

He’s best known for his role in last year’s zany hit “Tere Bin Laden” as the strapping youngster who concocts a fake Bin Laden as a bargaining tool to get himself a coveted U.S. visa.

His antics ultimately catapult the Arabic (with a Punjabi accent) spouting counterfeit Osama to broadcast a message of universal love.

However, Ali Zafar would like to be known as more than the cute Pakistani boy-next-door-with-a-plan he played in his debut film.

Amongst Pakistani listeners, Ali is a popular youth icon with hit albums such as “Huqqa Paani” and “Masti”. Now, he’s launched an album, “Jhoom”, created under the label of Yashraj Music.

Together over seven million copies have sold worldwide. Critics responded positively too, with descriptions like “a solid Kishore Kumar-like voice, clubbed with yuppie Ibiza-ish electronic beats and a dash of nostalgic lyrics”.

With his latest offering, Ali hopes to reach a wider audience in the sub-continent. “Jhoom” has 12 tracks, and features Sufi poetry and ghazals. Ali has contributed to the music and lyrics.

Says the singer: “The spirit of my new album is the divine energy that flows in all of us. It stems from how blessed I feel at this point in my life, and reflects my sense of gratitude..”

Fans can look forward to his next film, “Mere Brother ki Dulhan”, also from the Yashraj stable. He stars alongside Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan in this romantic comedy that is set for a July release.

“I feel increasingly comfortable in the Hindi film industry, and eventually hope to do two to three films a year.”

Apart from acting and singing Ali is also a trained painter. His taste leans towards the classical with Michelangelo and Da Vinci being all time favourites.

As an actor, he looks up to the likes of Amitabh…More

The Hindu :

Disney Publishing scouts for children’s authors in India

Put on your thinking caps And spin a yarn

‘Pitchkiaow’ will be the cry resonating in the world of children’s books this summer. Disney Publishing Worldwide (India), a part of The Walt Disney Company, is venturing into fresh territories this time and scouting for Indian authors to spin out stories for children.

On Disney’s new venture and increasing significance given to the Indian market, Roshini Bakshi, Vice President, Consumer Products, Walt Disney India Publishing and Retail, says, “Disney India, including its various lines of businesses, is delivering kids and families a rich mix of international and locally developed stories and characters….‘Pitchkiaow’ was launched last year by our television business, where local storytellers were invited to present new show ideas for our three network of channels.

“This year, we are taking ‘Pitchkiaow’ to the next level by inviting local authors and giving them a platform to share their original stories.”

Any aspiring writer can be on the list of authors of this iconic brand for children by taking part in their hunt. They ask for an original story; at stake is Rs.50,000, besides being published by Disney.

Storytellers have to create an original local storyline along a range of themes. However, the flavour of the region in the author’s tale becomes the key to Disney’s scheme of things now.

“Indian audiences are our focus towards building an Indian Walt Disney Company. All our creative engines in India are working towards bringing locally relevant content in a creative way to the Indian fans.

“For example, our Telugu film “Anaganaga-O-Dheerudu”, or locally developed original programme “Ishaan” on Disney Channel, or the availability of our channels in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu has resonated with audiences across the country,” points out Roshini.

Pitchkiaow becomes an extension of this philosophy, in the form of books.

Authors can rummage through any of their grandmother’s stories, and give it a…More

The Hindu :

The world is waking up to immense potential for talent on YouTube, where many young musicians broadcast themselves

There are no more unsung heroes… literally. When YouTube suggested that you ‘broadcast’ yourself, they weren’t kidding.

And as the world continues to sing praises about Justin Beiber, the 17-year-old who became popular after a talent manager found him through his home videos on the video-sharing site, the world woke up to the immense potential for talent on this site. There are others too, who have found an audience for their music, and they might not all have record labels or deals but they’re celebrities too, of the YouTube kind.

Sungha Jung

This fifteen-year-old guitar prodigy from South Korea became popular when he was just twelve! With over 38 videos on YouTube, his most popular cover being the “Pirates of the Carribean” theme, Sungha Jung has gone places, from winning 13 awards on YouTube to releasing his debut album, “Perfect Blue” earlier this year. Sungha plays by ear and takes up to three days to learn a song.

Christina Grimmie

She is sixteen, plays the piano, sings, writes songs and has at least a million hits for every song she posts. Christina has even been on the Billboard Top Social 50 since it began last year (it has a list of artists who are popular and active on social networking/sharing sites). She recently crossed Justin Beiber and Rihanna on My YouTube content, getting more votes than both these established musicians. Though she’s sung for many record labels, the teenager says she’s saved her originals for her debut album. Check her out on YouTube.

Boyce Avenue

This band of brothers of Puerto Rico-American descent are now officially a boyband, thanks to the video sharing site. In 2007, the brothers Fabian, Daniel and Alejandro Manzano began posting covers on YouTube after they formed the band three years earlier. They performed popular…More

The Hindu : y>Neha Upadhyay talks about the need to embark on water conservation

I spent my childhood in a small township; Modipuram on the outskirts of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Basic necessities like water supply were available in plenty and there was never a need to complain. Sweet cold water gushed out of the taps and people would not even close taps. Baths were not a luxury and two showers a day was quite the norm. Watering the garden everyday at leisure was a fun activity too. I never realised the importance of water till I moved out of my township.

Now, I stay in Koramangala, Bangalore where water supply is available on alternate days. Here, we have to make sure that we use water diligently so that it suffices our needs for the two days. In case the pipes run dry, we are at the mercy of the water tankers, who demand exorbitant rates. The entire family pitches in their own way and avoids wasting water. Unlike before, I ensure that I close the tap while brushing my teeth. We often store rain water to clean our cars. We water the plants in a manner that avoids water wastage.

I was unaware that many small townships like Modipuram use precious commodities with scant regard. These people must also be educated about the need to conserve water.

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