Gen Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, dedicated a statue of Field Marshal K M Cariappa at the Army Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment and rechristened the parade ground as “Cariappa Parade Ground” .
It is customary in the Indian Army that parade grounds are named after eminent military personalities and war heroes.
Army Parade Ground at Delhi Cantonment has been rechristened as Cariappa Parade Ground in the memory of Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
The Parade Ground in Delhi Cantonment is one of the largest and most prominent parade grounds of the country.
source: http://www.defenceaviationpost.com / Defence Aviation Post / Home> News Updates / December 31st, 2016
Renowned cartoonist Nala Ponnappa, known for his off-beat tongue-in-cheek humour, is the Coorg Person of the Year 2016.
Ponnappa was selected for the honour in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal, promoted by senior journalist P T Bopanna.
Ponnappa’s first cartoons appeared in Chicago in 1972 where he was studying for a Master’s degree in Architecture. He began cartooning as a hobby by contributing his cartoons to college magazines.
The cartoons of the Coorg-born Pune-based cartoonist, also appears in The Sunday Mid-Day, The Economic and Political Weekly and the Economic Times. His works have also appeared in the International Business Times.
Born in 1948, his early education was in Mangaluru and Pune. He graduated in architecture from the Madras University with a first class. He had an 11-year stint from 1970 to 1981 as an architect in Chennai, Delhi, and Lagos, before he turned into a cartoonist. He settled down in Bengaluru in 1982 and began his career as a freelance cartoonist.
His works have also been published in the Penguin Book of Indian Cartoonists and The Third World Book of Cartoonists from Germany. He was awarded the first prize by the epd- Entwicklungspolitik publication, in a competition held at Frankfurt to commemorate the 50th year of India’s Independence.
Ponnappa was a member on the world jury of an international cartoon competition on Humankind and Energy held in Hanover, Germany, in September 2000.
At a competition held in Germany, one of Ponnappa’s cartoons, which depicted the German language being deeply influenced by the English language, was selected to be put up as a poster by the German Cartoonist Association.
He has also won prizes of excellence at cartooning competitions held in Korea and Romania. He was the only Indian to be invited to attend the Kyoto International Cartoonist Conference in 2002, where he was also presented the jury award for his cartoon on ‘Remembering 9/11’.
Among the many awards he has received is also the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award in 2007.
In the past, the winners of the ‘Coorg Person of the Year’ title include, Dr Kaveri Nambisan, novelist (2005), Dr Boverianda Nanjamma Chinnappa, researcher and writer (2006), Moodera Jagadeesh, scientist (2007), Air Marshal K C Cariappa, environmentalist (2008), cricketer Robin Uthappa (2009), tennis player Rohan Bopanna (2010), retired Tamil Nadu IAS officer P M Belliappa (2011), technology innovator Vineet Devaiah (2012), birdman Dr S V Narasimhan (2013), squash champion Joshna Chinappa (2014), and athlete M R Poovamma (2015).
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS-Madikeri, December 31st, 2016
At No 28, Rohan Bopanna is the highest ranked Indian doubles player.
Name: Rohan Bopanna
Age: 36
Country: India
World Ranking (doubles): 28
Record in Chennai Open: 2002: Round of 16 ( partnered Carlos Cuadrado); 2006: Finals ( with Prakash Amritraj); 2009: Round of 16 ( Flavio Cipolia); 2010: Quarterfinals ( Mahesh Bhupathi); 2011: Quarterfinals (Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi); 2012: Semifinals ( Bhupathi); 2013: Quarterfinals (Rajeev Ram); 2014: Quarterfinals ( Qureshi);
Form Book:
Rohan Bopanna began the year 2016 by reaching the final of Sydney International ATP 250 tournament with Florin Mergea and followed it up with another entry to the final at the Madrid Masters with the same partner. He reached the quarterfinal of Rio Olympics in the mixed doubles event with Sania Mirza and also has three semifinal appearance in ATP tour events including one in the Masters.
At No 28, Rohan Bopanna is the highest ranked Indian doubles player. He will partner local lad Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in the doubles in what will be his ninth appearance in the ATP tournament. The duo played the Chengdu Open in September and had reached the quarterfinals.
source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / SportStar / Home> Chennai Open / December 31st, 2016
At the announcement of ‘Vaira’ Kannada film Navarasan director and actor of Rakshasi (Pisasi remake) said he is looking for a hero to his Dharmasri Manjunath production. Now that place is occupied by him.The shoot of ‘Vaira’ is taking place in and around Madikeri. The producer ‘Rathavara’ Manjunath has invested on this film with Geetha Entertainment.
Navarasan has penned story, screenplay, dialogue besides acting and directing the film. Priyanka Ballal is female lead. Sharat, Ajay, Tabla Nani, Bharat Singh, Harry, Krishna Sri, Master Sujith are in the cast.
‘Vaira’ is a crime thriller with horror, comedy, crime, thrill, love, revenge, friendship, glamour and action. It has Nithin cinematography, Ravi Basroor music, Ultimate Shivu Stunts, Ravi Poojari art.
source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / IndiaGlitz / Home / December 29th, 2016
Indian Oil looked the better team in the initial stages, earning two quick penalty corners before Gurjinder took the lead off one. S.V. Sunil was in the thick of things by creating good moves.
Kolkata :
Indian Oil won their fifth All India Beighton Cup title by edging past Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) 5-3 in the final at the SAI training centre here on Tuesday.
India defender Gurjinder Singh scored a first half brace with S.K.Uthappa with the veteran duo of captain Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh also finding the net.
Indian Oil led by three unanswered goals at halftime. Bharat Petroleum, led by Sukhwinder Singh, tried to stage a comeback in the early stages of the second half through Amir Khan and Varun Kumar who sounded the boards after a flurry of penalty corners. But Deepak and Prabhjyot sealed the deal by scoring two more goals with Harmanpreet Singh getting on the scoresheet for the runners-up with a late consolation goal.
Indian Oil looked the better team in the initial stages, earning two quick penalty corners before Gurjinder took the lead off one. S.V. Sunil was in the thick of things by creating good moves. Prabhjyot made a solo run, almost doubling the lead, before Uthappa pulled the trigger to make it 2-0 from a V.R. Raghunath pass.
Gurjinder doubled his tally from another penalty corner as Indian Oil made the most of their opportunities while Bharat Petroleum failed to do so. The eventual winners also saw their goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan on top of his game pulling off a string of good saves. After the breather, Amir scored a field goal to make it 3-1 with Varun finally converting a penalty corner for Bharat Petroleum.
Deepak and Prabhjyot though dashed any hopes of a fightback by netting goals in quick succession. Harmanpreet finished off the goal glut with a consolation strike in the dying minutes of the match. “We wanted them to press the panic button first,” Deepak, who was part of all five Indian Oil wins in the oldest domestic tournament, told reporters later.
“They were younger and faster than us. We had quite a few veterans in the side so we could not match up to their pace. We played the Asian style of hockey while they stuck to the European style which the national team also plays. I am happy as captain that we prevailed eventually,” he added.
Indian Oil’s Kothajit Singh was adjudged the man of the tournament. “I take inspiration from Mary Kom (boxer),” the Manipuri said. “She and Sarita Devi (boxer) have inspired me a lot,” added the 24-year old India international.
source: http://www.india.com / India.com / Home> Business / by Indo-Asian News Service / December 27th, 2016
As Karnataka roils over the Kaveri water dispute, the underlying cause is lowered climate resilience of the agro-forestry ecosystem in Kodagu’s coffee plantations
Coffee farmer B. B. Thammaiah’s rainfall record (Photo by S. Gopikrishna Warrier)
Coffee planters in the hill district of Kodagu in Karnataka are meticulous in keeping rainfall records in their estates. For some, the data goes back for decades. Their numbers tell the story of changing rainfall patterns, an indicator of climate change. The changing patterns also have an impact on the way they grow coffee, which has an effect on climate resilience in the hills and the plains.
Due to the presence of this decentralised network of rainfall measuring stations, it is easier to obtain a nuanced picture of the precipitation trends for Kodagu, earlier known as Coorg, than in other parts of India. The average annual rainfall varies from above 5,000 mm in the western edge of the district to 1,200 mm in the east.
This data was used as part of the baseline survey by an international collaborative project to study the unique coffee agro-forestry system of Kodagu district. The College of Forestry at Ponnampet in Kodagu, as a participant in the Coffee Agro-forestry Network (CAFNET) project, has analysed the rainfall data of over 60 years from 116 coffee farms.
“Keeping meticulous rainfall data is part of the culture we inherited from the British,” said C.G. Kushalappa, university head for forestry and environment sciences at the College of Forestry.
The CAFNET report noted that the length of the rainy season had decreased by 14 days over the past 35 years. It also noticed a strong fluctuation in annual rainfall with an apparent cycle of 12 to 14 years.
Low rainfall in coffee land
Whether it is due to being the lowest point in this cycle or an El Nino changing rainfall patterns, 2015 and 2016 have been years of low rainfall in Kodagu. This is the second year of deficit rainfall in Kodagu. During 2015, it was deficient by 19%. As a result, the storage in the Krishna Raja Sagara dam reservoir, built across the Kaveri River immediately downstream of Kodagu district, has a 31% deficit this year.
On the ground measurements by coffee grower K.K. Naren in Kunda village near Ponnampet confirms this. “Our normal rainfall is 90 to 100 inches (2,200 to 2,500 mm). This year we have got 38 inches, whereas by this time we should have received 70% of the year’s rain.”
A farm worker measures rainfall in K. K. Naren’s coffee farm. (Photo by K. K. Naren)
Coffee planters are confused by the erratic rainfall of recent years. “Rain and weather patterns have become increasingly unpredictable in recent years,” said M.B. Ganapathy, head of plantations for Tata Coffee. “Even though the quantum does not seem to have changed, the rainfall is not well distributed any longer. There are long dry periods followed by heavy rain and high-velocity winds. This has made farm management difficult for us.”
Blossom showers affected
According to coffee farmer B.B. Thammaiah of Kolagadalu village, the erratic rainfall has meant that blossom showers, which usually take place between February and April, are missing in some years. This has an impact on coffee production, since this helps coffee flowers to blossom, ensuring good yields later in the year.
There is an ecological impact of this, according to Kushalappa. When the blossom showers became erratic, coffee farmers started irrigating during these months. For traditional coffee cultivation, it was a combination of mixed-shade trees plus blossom showers that gave a good yield. When the blossom showers were replaced by irrigation, the shade from the trees did not matter. The farmers’ dependence on the native trees decreased, resulting in their proclivity for letting the native trees die. These trees are being replaced by silver oak.
See: Bringing coffee back into the shade
There is also an issue of ownership that is leading to the clearing of forests. Thammaiah’s farm is in Kolagadalu village, not far from the western crest of the plateau deep in a forested valley. His farm receives more than 5,000 mm of rainfall every year. While in the valley floor he continues to grow rice as his forefathers did, he cultivates coffee in the shade of the forest trees. Though the forest may not be as thick as it was during his grandfather’s time, he plans to conserve it.
The landscape of Thammaiah’s farm is typical of what the people of Kodagu inherited. While historically joint families cultivated the rice paddies where they owned the land, they used the forest for collecting mulch and firewood and grazing cattle. The families do not have property rights over the trees, which belong to the government.
Economics of silver oak
Silver oak, on the other hand, can be planted, cut and sold. M.C. Cushalappa, a coffee farmer from Siddhapura, said that silver oak yields a two-fold benefit to coffee farmers. One, it can supplement the family’s income in times of need. Two, its straight trunk can be used as a support for pepper vines, which bring more additional income. With no ownership and no economic stake on the native trees, farmers do not have an incentive to keep them alive.
Cushalappa’s family has paid the price of the native trees to the government and obtained ownership over them. “This encourages me to maintain the native tree species in my farm, unlike most of the other farmers in Kodagu.”
The coffee agro-forestry system of Kodagu is of immense importance ecologically; not only does it provide climate resilience to the hill communities but provides water to millions downstream through the Kaveri. The current acrimony over the waters of the Kaveri between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have led to violent protests.
There is a problem though. Unlike in other parts of the country where the forests are fully under the control of the forest department, in Kodagu they are under the combined control of the department and thousands of coffee farmers. It means that it is difficult to give them a protected status. It is not as if the forest department it always the best protector; but uniformity in control has the potential to improve conservation practices.
Geographical location of coffee farms where rainfall data has been collected for 70 years and a map of rainfall distribution generated with these data points as an exmple for the year 2002. ( Image by College of Forestry, Ponnampet)
“The majority of forests in Kodagu are not notified and hence for their upkeep thousands of coffee farmers have to be incentivised,” a forest department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “About 90% of the catchment of the Kaveri river before the Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir is in Kodagu. There is need for a mindset change so that the farmers conserve the native trees and biodiversity.”
Through the CAFNET study, the ecosystem services could be quantified. “We looked at the role of native trees and silver oak to study their hydrological impact. Our team studied how much of the rain was intercepted, how much came through the stem, how much got run off, and how much got recharged,” noted Kushalappa.
The magic of native trees
The study found that increasing the proportion of exotic species such as silver oak in the shade cover composition had little impact on rainfall interception since trees intercept less (1% to 6%) than coffee plants (9% to 22%). Although there are lower quantities of water from native tree plots going to rivers than from the exotic tree plots, the higher contribution of evaporated and transpired water from native trees have a positive impact on the microclimate. Further, large canopy and deep-rooted systems of the native species help in the percolation of water to deeper aquifers, mainly during the monsoon.
Thus, native trees held the rainwater as it fell torrentially, and released it gradually into the rivers. At the same time they created a climate-resilient environment in the farms.
The mixed agro-forestry systems also helped in sequestering carbon. The CAFNET studies showed that Arabica coffee grown under the shade of mixed species sequestered more than the reference forests. Arabica coffee grown under silver oak sequesters marginally less than Robusta grown under native trees. Robusta grown under silver oak sequesters substantially less than the other combinations.
The missing blossom showers could be adding to the reasons for coffee farmers opening their canopies. On the flip side, the farmers’ actions could result in more carbon in the atmosphere, making rainfall more erratic in Kodagu.
source: http://www.indiaclimatedialogue.net / India Climate Dialogue / Home> Impacts / by S. Gopikrishna Warrier / December 27th, 2016
Sprinter HM Jyothi and golfer S Chikkarangappa are in the list of 16 sportspersons who will receive the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) awards this year.
Other notable winners include young table tennis star Archana Kamath, swimmer Damini K Gowda, top-ranked girls’ badminton player Shikha Gautam and Indian hockey team midfielder SK Uthappa.
Press photographer G Mohan and sports promoter Vinaya Hegde will also receive the honour while in the veteran category, B J Kariappa will be the recipient, KOA President K Govindaraj told a press conference.
Sharana Gouda Beleri (wrestling) will receive the award in the coach’s category.
The awards will be presented on Monday by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a ceremony to be held at Yavanika, State Youth Centre.
In Photo: World Coffee Events Creative Director Amy Ball
Despite the strong growth of coffee shops in the Philippines, the Filipino brand of coffee has yet to have a wider presence in the international market.
World Coffee Events, a group that is part of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, said the world has yet to be fully aware of the Filipino coffee beans.
“In the United States I know there is an awareness of coffees in the Philippines, but it is not common to see beans from the Philippines in specialty cafés. But I know they are always looking for quality coffees everywhere, and I know there is interest in developing more of a sort of a specialty commodities market here,” World Coffee Events Creative Director Amy Ball said.
However, Ball said the Philippines is slowly gaining a name for itself in the world’s coffee industry through its representatives who have continued to rank high in the annual Word Barista Championships.
Ball commended the progress the Philippines is making in its bid to professionalize the country’s coffee shops.
“There is a difference now in food-and-beverage training, and they understand the specific skills of the job, and that is a really cool thing to standardize and professionalize, so that shows there is some traction and some progress,” Ball said.
Meanwhile, Philippine Asia Conferences and Exhibitions President May Juan said there is now a boom in coffee shops across the country, noting that the number of independent coffee players has exceeded those from popular franchises.
“According to research that we have seen, there are more independent cafés and coffee shops compared to franchises. But, of course, these franchises are still strong in marketing. This is also the case for restaurants. Not that we want to kill the franchises, but it is good to see that there are more independent players. This will show that our country is indeed progressing. You have to create a balance,” Juan said.
Juan, whose company will be handling the Philippine Restaurant, Café and Bar (Philresca) Expo in March, said there are now also more companies supplying equipment for café businesses.
Philresca will be the first trade event focusing on restaurants, cafés and bars. It will also host the Philippine National Barista Championship and Philippine National Latte Art Championship, where the winners will represent the Philippines at the world championship in South Korea in November next year.
Outside of coffee shops, Juan noted that full-service restaurants and fine-dining centers in the country are now revisiting Filipino cuisines.
“Mostly the food here is modernized, so the authenticity is a bit lost. If you go to Thailand or Vietnam, they have some sort of ownership of their food. Here in the Philippines, adobo alone has different versions,” Juan said. “So there is a debate. When you talk of adobo or sinigang, we have to know its history. Is it really a Filipino or a Spanish dish?”
Juan said they will be working with institutions like Culinary Generals & Razor Chef Philippines in a discussion of traditional Filipino food, and how there can be a single identity that can be presented to the international market.
source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph / Business Mirror / Home> Envoys & Expats> Features / by Danielle Gabriel / December 24th, 2016
The Ponnampet Kodava Samaja organised Kodava Samskrithika Dina and ‘Puthari Kolmand Namme,’ at Ponnampet on Monday.
The members, irrespective of age, participated actively in ‘Bolakat,’ ‘Ummathat,’ ‘Puthari Kolat,’ ‘Pareyakali,’ and ‘Valagathat’ cultural programmes. The event saw shooting coconuts, musical chair competitions for men and women, skit by T Shettigeri Schoolchildren and Puthari dance ballet by the students of Ponnampet Appacchakavi Vidyalaya.
The winners in various competitions are as follows:
Coffee beans cool after being dark roasted at Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea in Waterbury (Photo: Courtesy Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea)
Coffee drinkers are growing up. So is their beverage of choice.
Baby boomers and seniors are the biggest coffee consumers in the United States, according to the National Coffee Association.
An increasing number of Vermont companies are hoping that baby boomers’ desire for locavore products will lead them to purchase coffee that is roasted close to home. They import their beans from a variety of sources and provide high-end coffee for those who have cultivated a taste for their caffeinated beverage of choice.
As is the case with craft beers and craft spirits, Vermonters are showing an affinity for locally roasted, small batch coffees. For some, the country of origin is the most important selling point. Others search for esoteric flavoring or the recognition that the coffee beans are Fair Trade or organic..
Mané Alves of Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea in Waterbury said while some people drink coffee only for the caffeine, many others are developing a more sophisticated palate for the beverage.
“The previous generations may not have cared that much,” he said, “but I think that has evolved. We’re not at the wine model yet, but we’re moving toward it. … In a restaurant, you’re likely to ask for a cabernet or pinot, rather than just a red wine. People are starting to order coffee based on the varietal or country of origin.”
Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea is among a growing number of Vermont companies dedicated to coffee roasting, some of which are doing very inventive things like infusing cold coffee with nitrogen or using coffee for meat rubs.
Alves, a native of Portugal, worked in the wine industry in California, but moved into the world of coffee when he followed his future wife to Vermont. Sensing a void in the field of coffee education, he said, he founded Coffee Lab International in 1995.
“I was lucky because I came from wine country and had the sensory background which could be applied to the coffee industry,” Alves said. “At that time, there was no place people could go to learn, but these days, the Specialty Coffee Association of America and other organizations in Europe have established a curriculum where we can teach about brewing, cupping, roasting, and being a barista. It’s almost like professional development classes.”
Alves is putting the finishing touches on a new building, which is tentatively scheduled to open in early January. It will include a larger space for teaching and a coffee bar. It will be the first fully certified facility on the East Coast.
“We only roast coffee when we have an order, so people have to order ahead,” he said. “This way, I can sell by the cup.”
The cupping and tasting classes Alves will offer will follow the curriculum of the nonprofit Coffee Quality Institute, while the roasting classes will be of his own design.
Alves has developed a new product line, Caff-Draft; a nitrogen-infused cold coffee. The product is poured from a tap and resembles a dark ale, but tastes like coffee.
“It’s very refreshing,” he said “and we’ll have different types that we’ll put on the market seasonally.”
The new café will have two or three different spigots for Caff-Draft. Additionally, Alves is planning some mixed coffee drinks using local brewed alcohol.
Customer loyalty matters
Like Alves, Sandy Riggen came to the world of coffee via a circuitous route. A former caterer and private chef, Riggen bought Brown and Jenkins Coffee 10 years ago with her husband, Rich Williams. The company is one of the state’s older coffee roasters, dating back to 1984.
The sensory team at Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea cups a production roast. (Photo: Courtesy Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea)
Riggen said baby boomers continue to favor percolated coffee over more modern single-serve options. The majority of her sales are online, with a subscription business of nearly 2,000 people. The company also has commercial and personal accounts and sells its coffee at the Vermont Maple Outlet on Route 15.
“Our demographic is over 50, well-traveled, well-educated and worldly,” Riggen said. “I know a lot about my customers and they tend to be more loyal than millennials.”
Baby boomers are interested in learning more about what they drink, Riggen said, so she has begun providing more background material about her coffee on the company’s website.
Brown and Jenkins has 72 different types of coffee, including 14 single origin beans, a designation which indicates that all the beans come from the same location.
Riggen said coffee can be used in a variety of foods and she offers coffee rubs as part of her product line. It was only after she had purchased the company that she learned one of the secret ingredients in her grandmother’s signature gravy was coffee.
Boomers want better coffee
A relative newcomer to the field of gourmet coffee is Tony Basiliere, the 63-year-old owner of Earthback Coffee Roasters in South Burlington. Basiliere said he thinks baby boomers are drinking less coffee than they did in their youth, but are gravitating to better coffee.
“They are enjoying coffee more for its flavor attributes,” he said, noting that young people are following suit. “Being into coffee as a young person is a hip thing, which I think is fantastic.”
Earthback Coffee can be purchased online and at locations in Washington and Chittenden counties. It is the exclusive coffee served at Tight Squeeze in Burlington.
Baby boomers and their millennial counterparts are part of what is known as the third wave of coffee, Basiliere said, a movement which considers coffee to be an artisanal product similar to wine rather than being treated as a commodity.
But Basiliere said he thinks, in some cases, that wave is being pushed a bit too far by those who make coffee overly light in order to accentuate the flavor characteristics, but lose body as a result.
Basiliere has been in business since 2011 and his beans are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade or USDA Organic. He said baby boomers are particularly interested in the organic label for health reasons.
“We’ve beaten ourselves up and we want to take better care of ourselves now,” he said, “but the reality is that specialty grade coffees, even those without an organic certification, don’t have anything bad in them.”
The name Earthback comes from Basiliere’s commitment to a healthy ecosystem.
“My philosophy in business,” he said “is awareness of the environment, constantly seeking ways to lessen the impact or footprint.”
Basiliere makes his deliveries with recycled banana boxes and only a tiny percentage of the company’s waste goes to a landfill. He recently purchased a Loring coffee roaster which he described as the most energy efficient on the market, using one-fourth the energy of a conventional roaster with no emissions.
After years of medical warnings about the effects of coffee, Riggen said she is pleased that current studies show that there are benefits to drinking it.
“Coffee is universal,” she said. “It connects the world.”
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Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Company
