Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT) at Halligattu, Ponnampet, functioning under the Kodava Education Society (KES), has been accredited with “A” grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
This was announced by CIT Secretary C.P. Rakesh Poovaiah here recently in the presence of Principal Dr. M. Basavaraj, teaching and non-teaching staff. The NAAC team visited several Departments in CIT on Dec. 22 and 23 to assess the institution in accordance with NAAC guidelines.
Lauding the Principal and staff, KES President Dr. M.C. Kariappa said the responsibility of the staff had increased with the allotment of “A” grade and goaded them to go for higher grades in future.
Endorsing Dr. Kariappa’s views, Rakesh Poovaiah noted that the staff should not slacken their efforts but continue with the same vigour to score higher grades as also secure National Board of Accreditation (NBA), another mode of accreditation for higher educational institutions in the country.
Academic Council members Dr. Pushpa Kuttanna, Dr. Ponnamma Machaiah and K.S. Thimmaiah, guided the CIT teams to prepare for NAAC.
CIT’s NAAC Coordinator Dr. Ramakrishna, Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) Coordinator Prof. B.J. Kishen Karumbaiah and Heads of all Departments, were present.
NAAC is a Government organisation that assesses and accredits higher educational institutions. The main purpose is to create an understanding about the status of education quality among the institutes.
NAAC accreditation focuses on improving quality parameter of education and aims at improving overall development of students by helping them inculcate skills and knowledge.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 11th, 2023
Sainik School Kodagu hosted the Brahmagiri Sahodaya School Complex Inter-School Football and Handball Competition (12-16 year age group) recently.
Six schools, namely SMS Academy of Central Education, Arameri, Virajpet, ALG Crescent School, Madikeri, KVG International School, Sullia, National Academy School, Attur, Gonikoppa, Ankur Public School, Napoklu and Sainik School Kodagu, participated in the competition.
The girls team of SMS Academy of Central Education, Arameri, Virajpet, stood victorious in Handball Competition and Ankur Public School, Napoklu, was adjudged runners-up.
Ankur Public School, Napoklu, won the Football Championship and KVG International School, Sullia, was declared runners-up.
Akhil from Ankur Public School, Napoklu and Sanjana from SMS Academy of Central Education, Arameri, Virajpet, were adjudged ‘Best Player’ in football and handball competition respectively.
Col. G. Kannan, Principal of Sainik School Kodagu, was the chief guest. K. Suresh, PGT (Mathematics), the Event Coordinator, BHM Raneesh, CHM Stalin, Corporal Shiva, Sergeant C. Roy and faculty members of participant and host school were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / January 02nd, 2023
Dr. Chovanda Sneha Harish of Mysuru has secured M.D. in Radiodiagnosis from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
Sneha did her schooling up to 10th standard at Nirmala Convent School in Gokulam. She cleared SSLC exam in 2008, securing 95.68 percent. She joined Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, JC Road, Bengaluru, for her PU education and passed 2nd PUC by securing 94.83 percent in 2010.
After securing 524th rank in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (K-CET) for Medicine, Sneha joined Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences in 2010. On clearing her 4th year of MBBS in 2014 Sneha finished her one year of internship from the same institute in 2016.
Sneha secured 113th rank in the AIIMS entrance exam and joined as a Post-Graduate resident in the Department of Pathology. Later she discontinued her studies in AIIMS as she secured 12th rank in NEET-PG exam which is an all India entrance test for Post-Graduation courses and joined Maulana Azad Medical College for specialisation in Radiodiagnosis (M.D) and completed the course in July 2020.
She is the daughter of Chovanda Harish and late Leela Harish (Ajjamada). Hailing from Maggula village in Virajpet, Kodagu, the family presently resides at Vijayanagar 2nd Stage, Mysuru.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 24th, 2020
Kodagu Model School celebrated its 14th Annual Day on Dec.17 at Jilla Shikshakara Sadhana near Milk Dairy, Mysuru.
N.A. Malleshwari, BEO, Mysuru Rural, Rajini Annaiah, Corporator, H.R. Mahadevaswamy, Cluster Resource Person and Dr. M.R. Jayaprakash, retired Principal, were the chief guests.
The celebrations started with the lighting of the lamp by the guests. School President P.S. Devaiah presided. The annual report was readout by Mary Anitha, Head Mistress of the School.
The guests gave away the prizes to the students for their outstanding performance in various curricular and co-curricular activities. The SSLC topper of the academic year 2021-22 K.
Chandana Urs was felicitated by the BEO.
Speaking on the occasion, Malleshwari appreciated the performance of the School in academic and non-academic activities while Rajini Annaiah said that the School was a boon to Alanahalli cluster.
Dr. Jayaprakash said that parents and teachers must equally share the responsibility of instilling values in children at a very young age. The students gave an enthralling cultural performance and the function came to a close with the National Anthem.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 22nd, 2022
The annual get-together of Sri Kaveri Kodava Association, Mysuru-East, was held at its premises in Vidyashankar Layout in city on Nov. 27. Rangayana Mysuru Director Addanda C. Cariappa was the chief guest. Kodava Samaja Mysuru President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa was the special invitee. Association President Puliyanda S. Devaiah presided over the function.
Three senior members — Kalappanda B. Vishwanath, Kanjithanda K. Aiyappa (ex-President) and Chowrira K. Seethamma (Chairperson – Academic Council) — were honoured by the Association for their selfless contribution.
Also, three members from the Association — Ittira Dr. Priya Uthaiah, Pattamada Dr. Lavya Muthamma and Manduvanda Kumari Ektha Ganapathy — were felicitated for their outstanding achievement in the field of education.
Students who achieved academic excellence were also honoured by the Association. Members gathered in large numbers and made the event a grand success.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 14th, 2022
From 2000, Cheshire Homes India Coorg has been helping children & adults with intellectual disabilities.
Chairperson Gita Chengappa
Madikeri :
‘Save Soil’, ‘Swachh Bharat’, ‘Atmanirbhar…’ are not just grand slogans here. They are constants that motivate the functioning of Cheshire Homes India Coorg (CHIC), in Pollibetta of Kodagu district. An institution for the specially-abled, it caters to the needs of children and adults with intellectual disabilities – a majority of whom are from economically weak backgrounds.
Started in the year 2000, the centre has helped shape the lives of people with special abilities by providing special education and vocational training for free. Students are provided sustainable education and are involved not just in readying themselves to face a not-so-inclusive society but are also taught to lead a sustainable, eco-friendly life. Apart from special education, vocational training involves recycling plastic, clothes, paper and manufacturing eco-friendly value-added products.
“The institution is run under the umbrella of Cheshire National Council, but we are an autonomous body. The institution supports the strengthening of the National Council so that we have a stronger body for disability in India,” explained Gita Chengappa, chairperson of the institution.
The centre receives support from the state government. “The state releases Rs 19 lakh annually and supports us. However, on an average, the institution requires Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, which is raised through various donors. The institution caters mostly to people from very poor economic backgrounds,” added Gita.
Community acceptance While most special schools are residential, CHIC is a day care centre. Each day, five school vans (hired on rent) leave the institution in five different directions. Designated pick-up spots have been drawn up and students are brought to these spots by their parents, where they are picked up and dropped back after school. “We spend over Rs 13 lakh for the van facility annually. Yet, we don’t want to make this a residential institution. We want the community, parents and society to be responsible for children with special abilities,” she opined.
The institution started off with just six students with special abilities. During the initial period, the institution involved itself in Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and travelled the length and breadth of Virajpet taluk. “We went door to door, looking for children with special abilities and convinced parents not to keep these children hidden but to admit them to the institution. It was then run in a small building in Pollibetta,” she recalled.
vice-chairperson Punita amaswamy and honorary secretrary Asha Subbaiah
The CBR programme was continued for eight years, and the institution currently operates in a spacious location with improved facilities, with 68 specially-abled students who are diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
“After Covid-19, the number of students dwindled as many fell sick. But we continued to cater to their needs and are still providing them the required medication,” she said. The institution helps them avail of government schemes for the specially-abled. During the pandemic, the institution supported their families with provisions and monetary help.
Driving force The centre has six special educators. Shivraj, a specialist in visual impairment and mental retardation, heads the team as headmaster. Apart from the special educators, the centre has appointed vocational trainers. “The students are being skilled under different campaigns. While an inclusive society is still a distant dream, we are helping to skill them to earn a living within the boundaries of our institution,” she explained.
Single-use plastics, used papers and newspapers, used clothes and other recyclable plastic waste are turned into value-added products. Children with even severe impairment are involved in vocational activity which can help shape a sustainable, eco-friendly society. Used plastics are cut into pieces and woven (with help from a few women) into aesthetic mats. Used papers are cut into small pieces and processed into eco-friendly reusable paper, which is turned into paper bags and other items, and decorated with indigenous paintings.
From coasters to pillow covers, the talents of the specially-abled not just earn them a good living but help raise funds for the institution. The centre also has a ‘Jumble Sale Room’ where used clothes and other used items are stored and later sold. “We try unique methods to raise funds and build the institution,” explained Gita. The centre has a handloom unit operated by women from economically weak backgrounds, who are paid for their work. They also raise funds through handloom sales.Having addressed the needs of specially-abled people across Virajpet taluk, the institution is slowly expanding to the borders of Somwarpet taluk.
SPECIAL TOUCH
Institution equipped to support needs of specially-abled, has ‘tactile paving’ that helps guide the visually impaired
Toilets fabricated to meet the needs of specially-abled
Institution has full-time physiotherapist and psychiatrist
Helps recycle and upcycle plastic and paper waste, provides means of sustainable earnings to
the specially-abled
Centre has a ‘care unit’ where people with severe intellectual disabilities are cared for and nurtured
Projects of Central government are implemented to empower the specially-abled
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / December 04th, 2022
The PG department of Big Data Analytics at St Agnes College (Autonomous) Mangaluru organized an intercollegiate technical fest, CIFRA, on November 28. The fest was held in celebration of Big Data day and brought together a community of students and technologists. The fest was inaugurated by the principal Sr Dr M Venissa A C and the PG co-ordinator Sr Dr M Vinora A C.
Students from various colleges in Karnataka enthusiastically participated in the fest. The technical fest included three major events and each comprising three rounds.
The first event was based on the fundamentals of Computer Science and Data Science, the second event was a programming language-based event, and the third event was a technical quiz.
The participants had the choice of selecting a programming language for the event. The judges for the events were C G Thomas, Senior Software Engineer, Novigo Solutions, Mangaluru, and Akanksha Jadhav, Analytics Engineer, Riskonnect Services Pvt. Ltd.
The observers for the events were Seementhini Fernandes and Nelson Fernandes, assistant professors at St Agnes College.
The valedictory programme included felicitating the winners and the participants.
The first prize was won by the team from Field Marshal K M Cariappa College, Madikeri, the second prize by the team from Vivekananda Degree College, Puttur and the third place was secured by Vijaya College, Mulki.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com /Daijiworld.com / Home> Campus Beat / by Media Release / December 01st, 2022
These microbial mats in a Lake Huron sinkhole have finger-like protrusions caused by a buildup of methane gas in small pockets beneath them. Image: Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary
By Daniel Schoenherr
Special microbial mat systems in Alpena, Michigan, are helping scientists search for extraterrestrial life.
“It’s so different, and feels otherworldly,” said Stephanie Gandulla, a diver with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary. She has sampled the mats near the sinkholes on the lake’s bottom.
You may have seen a microbial mat before — the green algae on wet rocks at the beach is an example.
Algae’s green color comes from chlorophyll — a substance that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into energy. Carbon dioxide and oxygen support most of life on Earth.
But under special conditions, like those at three sinkholes just 2½ miles east of Alpena, primitive forms of microbes called cyanobacteria can survive without either of them.
These are white, not green, and they get energy from chemicals in the water.
“They are everywhere, but they are incredibly hard to find,” said Bopaiah Biddanda, a biologist with Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Research Institute, who has been studying them for 20 years.
Such mats are normally found in ocean waters over 32,000 feet deep, but they can be found only 80 feet below the surface of what is known as Lake Huron’s Middle Island Sinkhole.
The sinkhole’s biologically extreme environment can help simulate sample collection in extraterrestrial worlds where life is based on similar chemicals. A new study by Biddanda models scenarios where robots could analyze material beneath the water of other planets. It’s based on the work in Lake Huron.
The study focuses on two methods: suction devices for soft mats and coring devices for hard mats.
Click on the photo below to watch a video about these mats:
The sinkholes near Alpena provide sulfuric, oxygenless groundwater that creates the conditions needed for the mats to grow. Filaments of cyanobacteria drift together, creating a wispy white-purple flow.
“It almost looks like a mirage,” Gandulla said.
It could be a long time before the experience from sinkholes in Lake Huron will be used to explore the potential of life on planets elsewhere, but Biddanda’s exploration is yielding other finds now.
Recently, for example, his team found an explanation for the mats’ mysterious ability to change colors overnight.
The purple and white cyanobacteria travel upwards to capture energy from the top of the mat, according to the study. During the day, microbes with color capture the small amount of sunlight reaching the seafloor with chlorophyll.
As the sun sets, the white microbes move to the surface of the mat to absorb chemicals in the sulfuric water for their energy. This continuous, vertical shift in microbes causes patches of the mat to change between purple and white in a daily cycle.
The microbial mats thrive off a special soup of chemicals in the groundwater, but changes in land use could disrupt it in the future.
The Thunder Bay sanctuary is constantly combating such threats to coastal ecosystems such as the one near Alpena.
“Development might choke off the water supply,” Biddanda said.
The marine sanctuary offers educational programs and tours to K-12 students and operates a welcome center year-round.
“We work together to protect it as a community,” Gandulla said.
Scientists hope to sample the oceans of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, for microbes with robots pioneered in Lake Huron. Image: NASA
The characteristics of Middle Island Sinkhole’s cyanobacteria could hold the key to much more than planetary exploration. They could lead to advances in other scientific fields, such as evolutionary biology and medicine.
“We have a library of pharmaceutical value here,” Biddanda said “This could help us down the road.”
And, he noted that they look cool: “There is something fascinating and mesmerizing about these colorful mats.”
