Funds released from Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission
Madikeri:
The long-pending and legitimate demand of the people of Kodagu for a Critical Care Centre comprising advanced facilities for ailments like heart and kidney and emergencies will soon become a reality as the Centre has released Rs. 25 crore to set up a new Critical Care Centre (CCC) at Madikeri under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure (PMABHI) Mission.
The aim of PMABHI is to strengthen the critical healthcare network from village to block to the district to the regional and national level in the next 4-5 years. It will create elaborate facilities for diagnostics and treatment and there will be facilities for the early detection of diseases. Facilities like free medical consultation, free tests and free medicine will be available in these centres.
According to the guidelines released from the Centre, a 50-bed CCC will be set up in Kodagu as the total population in the district is within 5 to 20 lakh people. The building will be built in a 4,250 sq.ft area with an estimated cost of Rs. 16.63 crore. In all, Rs. 23.75 crore is the estimated expenditure for the building construction, other medical equipment and basic facilities.
District Health Committee supervision
The CCC will work as an important internal section wing of Kodagu District Hospital and Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences which will be under the supervision of the District Health Committee. State Health Department Secretary, Additional Secretary and other officers will hold the responsibilities for the construction and functioning of all the CCCs which will be set up in different parts of the State.
The State Government must take up decisions with respect to the proposed land sanction for building construction and get a letter of consent from the regulatory agencies. Based on the population in the districts, 50, 75 or 100-bed CCC will be set up near the existing District Hospital and Medical College.
The project will be implemented by the Health Department in the State-level and National Health Mission (NHM) at the National-level. There are about 5 to 20 lakh people in over 274 districts across the country and all those districts will get 50-bed CCCs.
Speaking to Star of Mysore, about the new CCC at Madikeri, MLA M.P. Appachu Ranjan said that a memorandum was submitted to the PM and Union Health Minister requesting grants to set up Super Speciality Hospital in Kodagu as the people had to either go to Mangaluru or Mysuru to get critical care facilities and these places are more than 100 kilometres away.
“In this regard, MP Pratap Simha had drawn the attention of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and after this, Rs. 25 crore has been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission to open a Critical Care Centre in Madikeri,” he said and thanked the PM, Union and State Health Ministers and MP Pratap Simha.
Land and building
Stating that land has already been earmarked to construct a new CCC building, Appachu Ranjan said that about 94-cent area is available at the Public Works Department (PWD) building located near General K. S. Thimayya Circle in Madikeri.
“The new Critical Care Centre can be built after demolishing the existing PWD building while a new place will be allotted to construct a new PWD building. A discussion related to this has already been done with the State PWD Minister where he has agreed for the same,” the MLA added.
Top officials and architects will visit the place soon to inspect the place and seek land alienation and allotment and the construction works will begin soon after the inspection. The building will have four floors with a parking lot on the ground floor and the remaining three floors will be used for hospital purposes.
The CCC will be useful to those who have heart and kidney-related issues. A request has been raised to sanction grants of Rs. 200 crore to build the hospital. If these grants are sanctioned, then there is no need for people to depend on such Super Speciality Hospitals in Mysuru or Mangaluru, the MLA added.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 09th, 2022
In this rare iteration of the DownBeat Blindfold Test, all three musicians were asked to comment on selections consisting entirely of trio music. (Photo: David Crow)
Seeing a colorful press photo of Rudresh Mahanthappa and his bandmates adorned in masks, tights and capes might lead one to believe that they are the comic book-like heroes from which the trio’s name is derived. But the alto saxophonist has been clear: He is paying homage to his own musical heroes — Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Lee Konitz, for starters. Rollins and Konitz virtually trademarked the chord-less trio format embraced by Mahanthappa and his rhythm section players, both of whom work regularly in other highly regarded trios: bassist François Moutin with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, and drummer Rudy Royston with guitarist Bill Frisell.
In this rare iteration of the DownBeat Blindfold Test, all three musicians were asked to comment on selections consisting entirely of trio music. It was Mahanthappa’s second Blindfold Test, and the first for Royston and Moutin. The following article originally ran in two installments in DownBeat’s May 2022 and June 2022 issues.
ORNETTE COLEMAN
“Dawn” (At The Golden Circle Stockholm, Blue Note, 1966) Coleman, alto saxophone; David Izenzon, bass; Charles Moffett, drums.
Rudresh Mahanthappa: That’s Ornette Coleman, At The Golden Circle, with David Izenzon and Charles Moffett. This is on Blue Note, not Atlantic, I believe. When I was at Berklee in the ’90s, I wanted to do a recital of all Ornette Coleman music. It had a horrible name — it was called “Ornette, or Not.” We ended up doing a ballad called “Dawn” — this is it? There it is, I hear the melody now. 5 stars.
François Moutin: I don’t know of anything else that David Izenzon did, but he’s a monster bass player.
JERRY BERGONZI TRIO
“Have You Met Miss Jones” (Lost In The Shuffle, Double-Time, 1998) Bergonzi, tenor saxophone; Dan Wall, organ; Adam Nussbaum, drums.
Mahanthappa: It sounds like Steve Grossman when he was in his Sonny Rollins phase. It has a Jerry Bergonzi vibe to it, too. It’s not Dan Wall, is it? Adam Nussbaum? Jerry is great. For better or for worse, Grossman, Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, even George Garzone, to some extent Dave Liebman — these guys were like the kings of this post-Coltrane [sound]. I think Grossman was the forefather of all those guys, including Michael Brecker. Steve was playing like that when he was only 19 years old with Elvin Jones.
Moutin: There’s one lick in there that could have been you on tenor, Rudresh.
Mahanthappa: It’s the same source material, just up a fifth. I tried playing tenor in high school; I sounded terrible on tenor.
Rudy Royston: Adam Nussbaum is on! I like all the energy, rhythm, big fat sound … not like that “clean” stuff that was going on at that time.
Moutin:I’ve played with him half a dozen times, and every time, it was an incredible experience.
Royston: He’s a cat who believes in the drums leading the band, the drums leading the vibe. He came to UNC when I was there. He said, “You should be able to tell what the tune is from what I’m playing.” You could hear it in his rhythms and how he was defining stuff around the melody. He’s still a bad cat.
Mahanthappa: 5, shall we go 5 stars on that?
Moutin: Yeah.
Royston: Everyone was killing on that.
MELISSA ALDANA & CRASH TRIO
“Turning” (Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio, Concord, 2014) Aldana, tenor saxophone, Pablo Menares, bass; Francisco Mela, drums.
Royston: Is that Melissa Aldana? The thing I love about Melissa is how she uses space. She’s never in a rush. She always waits, and then she does that thing where she starts low, I don’t know what it is [sings the line]. And the way she uses … falsetto?
Mahanthappa: Altissimo. I like Melissa a lot, I don’t know her playing real well. One of the things that’s hard for me to realize is that there’s a whole generation of folks that were influenced by people our age. Melissa told me a story about how into Mark Turner she was, and how he gave her a seven-hour lesson once.
Royston: That’s a great trio. I saw them at Dizzy’s. They were a good trio.
Moutin: Good composition, too.
Mahanthappa: 5 stars.
CHRIS SPEED TRIO
“Arrival High” (Platinum On Tap, Intakt, 2017) Speed, saxophone; Dave King, drums; Chris Tordini, bass.
Moutin: Triplicate?
Mahanthappa: No, it doesn’t sound anything like that. It kind of reminds me of Bill McHenry. Is it George Garzone? It definitely sounds like it could be someone of our generation. It could be Rasmus Lee, or it could be …
Moutin: Donny McCaslin?
Mahanthappa: No, it can’t be, that’s not Donny’s sound. Or guys that I went to Berklee with, like Matt Renzi … all these cats that played all that modern shit, but with harder reeds and a darker sound, as opposed to Donny. It was almost like a reaction to Michael Brecker, “We’re going to go dark!”
Royston: I know this drummer, man.
Mahanthappa: It could be Chris Speed, too. Is this the trio with Dave King? There you go. Chris was a little older than me, but he was still in Boston when I was in school, but he was hanging out, playing his ass off. 5 stars. Chris is a bad motherfucker and more people should know who he is.
Royston: I knew that it was [Dave King on drums], but I just couldn’t put my finger on that sound. Big tom sounds, and you can hear all that facility with the rim shots and the bells. You can hear all that stuff in the Bad Plus.
… To be continued in the June 2022 issue of DownBeat. Same Hero Trio time. Same Blindfold Test space!
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio (Part 2, June 2022)
Previously on The Blindfold Test: Our three heroes, led as always by the indubitable alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, and ably assisted by his sideman sidekicks François Moutin and Rudy Royston, added to their legerdemain with a perfect four-for-four on last month’s treacherous playlist, a feat they accomplished even while blindfolded (figuratively speaking). After easily nailing the mysterious Ornette Coleman and killers Jerry Bergonzi and Melissa Aldana, a bit of high drama occurred as their last unknown audio assailant proved elusive until Mahanthappa deduced the culprit to be Chris Speed at the 11th hour. But this month, new and more dangerous challenges lie ahead. Can our heroes pull of a perfect score, or will they succumb to the weight expectations they’ve already set? Read on to find out!
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Sounds like Arnett Cobb. It’s not rough enough to be Turrentine.
Rudy Royston: Sounds like Turrentine right there.
François Moutin: It’s not Turrentine?
Mahanthappa: It’s so of another generation. It reminds me of Houston Person records, or even Lockjaw. But I could also see Seamus Blake totally playing like this, and doing it convincingly, and sounding like an old cat. I could see Josh Redman playing like this too. But I’m stumped.
Moutin: It’s not Ron Carter, is it? There’s something in the sound … I don’t know.
[afterwards]
Mahanthappa: I would have never gotten that.
Moutin: You tricked us.
Mahanthappa: Branford definitely has his own sound, but then he can kind of inhabit all these other things, historically.
Royston: “Tain” came to my mind with that ride cymbal, but I was like, “I don’t think so.” I needed to hear a “Tain”-ism.
Moutin: 5 stars.
Royston: I didn’t know Branford could do that. Branford was getting a lot of lip back then, going to Sting’s band, and all the jazz cats were like, “Oh, man!”
Moutin: Makes me realize how much Ron Carter borrowed [from] Milt Hinton.
Mahanthappa: I’m a little embarrassed; Branford and I just hung out last week.
ANNA WEBBER
“Forgotten Best” (Idiom, Independent Release, 2021) Webber, tenor saxophone; Matt Mitchell, piano; John Hollenbeck, drums.
Mahanthappa: It’s killing, whoever it is.
Moutin: European?
Mahanthappa: Sounds like Anna Webber, kind of? With Matt Mitchell and John Hollenbeck? Anna’s ridiculous, she can do anything. 5 stars, 5½! I had Anna come and speak to my advance improv class last semester. She was amazing. She’s actually kind of codified and demystified “free improvisation.” She had this beautiful list of all these techniques to work on. Imagine Jamey Aebersold’s scale syllabus, but it was techniques and strategies for free improv. It was literally just one sheet of paper, and it was a lifetime of stuff to work on.
Moutin: Matt Mitchell is amazing.
Mahanthappa: Matt was in Bird Calls. He was practicing [his piano etudes] in sound checks for every gig we did.
Royston: He did those every day when we were in Dave Douglas’ band. You just knew it was going to come [mimics atonal piano sounds]. I used to try to play with him to figure out [the time].
JEFF BALLARD TRIO
“Western Wren (A Bird Call)” “Mivakpola” (Times Take, Okeh, 2014) Ballard, drums; Miguel Zenón, alto saxophone; Lionel Loueke, guitar.
Moutin: It’s killing. I don’t know what it is, but it’s great!
Mahanthappa: That’s insane. I can’t even …
Royston: And that wasn’t Jeff on drums? Jeff Ballard?
[afterwards]
Mahanthappa: I never would have guessed that.
Moutin: I should have guessed that.
Royston: I thought that was Jeff, because you can hear that staccato style. When Jeff plays, he plays “off” the drums. Everything is precise and staccato.
Mahanthappa: Oh, god, Matt sounds amazing. That sounds great. I don’t know Josh’s playing well enough to recognize it, to tell you the truth. But he always sounds great.
Royston: Hutch man, wow. We’re friends. He came to Denver when I was in high school. He was playing with Roy [Hargrove’s] band. We had this jam session in Diane Reeves’ basement. I was trying to play all this “Tain” stuff. Roy was there. Then, Hutch comes in, he’s got the flu. He has this big bomber coat on, he sits on my drums and my cymbals and he just [gestures a seriously minimal ride pattern]. I wanted to leave after that. That was a lesson learned right there. I went upstairs and ate some of Diane Reeves’ cooking. DB
The “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and identify the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is then asked to rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist prior to the test.
source: http://www.downbeat.com / Down Beat / Home> News / by Gary Fukushima / June 14th, 2022
Codanda B. Devaiah, fondly called as Devi Sir, one of the Founder-Members of Kodagu Vidyalaya and a resident of Mattadkad Estate at Suntikoppa, passed away at a private hospital in Gonikoppal yesterday morning. He was 75.
Devaiah leaves behind two daughters and a host of relatives and friends.
Last rites were performed at Codanda Burial Grounds here yesterday evening, according to family sources.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 14th, 2022
Former Speaker K.G. Bopaiah felicitating Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Madikeri on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Union Minister tells MLA to adopt ‘Nagpur model’ to improve yield of Kodagu oranges whose production is on the wane
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has promised to look into the demand for highway improvement and expansion in Kodagu if a proposal in this regard came to his office from the State government.
Mr. Gadkari gave this assurance when former Speaker and MLA K.G. Bopaiah met him in Madikeri. Mr. Gadkari is on a private visit to Kodagu with his family members and was staying in a resort in Madikeri.
Mr. Bopaiah shared details on the highways and the steps to be taken for tourism development in the district. “The works will be considered on priority if the Centre gets the proposal on the list of works to be taken up for highway development,” the Minister told the MLA, at the meeting.
Mr. Gadkari spoke about Kodagu’s tourism potential and employment it brings to locals.
Mr. Bopaiah felicitated Mr. Gadkari and presented him with a book besides honey, spices and coffee for which Kodagu is famous. Mr. Gadkari complimented the purity and freshness of the honey.
Expressing concern over the drop in the yield of Kodagu oranges, the Union Minister told the MLA to take steps in this regard, creating an environment for rejuvenating the yield on the model developed in Nagpur which is also known for oranges, besides taking steps for improving the variety.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 13th, 2022
The series will be created in 10 second-video formats to capitalise on the traction gained via Instagram Reels.
EatFit, one of India’s largest healthy food platforms, has announced Ashwini Ponnappa, hailed as one of India’s leading international badminton players, as the face of its campaign to promote healthy eating.
Ashwini, who represents India in the international circuits for women’s badminton and has won several laurels for the country, joins the EatFit fraternity to help its community of consumers explore and inculcate healthier food habits.
Ashwini is a staunch practitioner, and believer in fitness and the role food plays in maintaining an active lifestyle. Ashwini makes for the perfect campaign ambassador to inspire people to find simple food that can bring them joy while becoming a part of their daily lives.
Since its inception, EatFit has been on a path to help consumers build sustainable and healthy eating habits, aided by its wide variety of wholesome food options and a mantra to make eating healthy a happier experience. Through this collaboration with Ashwini, the company endeavours to amplify this message with a weekly food exploratory show.
The show, to be published on the company’s social media platforms, will feature Ashwini on a journey to discover healthier food options and enjoy good food that is nourishing.
The series will be created in 10 second-video formats to capitalise on the traction gained via Instagram Reels – a platform where a bulk of EatFit’s potential consumers engage with them. A new video in the series will be released every week, extending the campaign for two months.
Commenting on the development, Ankit Nagori, founder of Curefoods, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ashwini Ponnappa, a phenomenal badminton player and a personal inspiration, for our latest campaign. Ashwini’s achievements and commitment to an active lifestyle, of which food is an intrinsic part, make her a stellar example for people to imbibe similar values in their lives. Through the weekly food show we have planned, we want people to go on this journey of discovery with Ashwini and find ways that simple food can make a huge difference in their lives. This is what EatFit, at its core, is all about. I am excited to watch this campaign unfold and hope that our message can achieve the desired impact.”
source: http://www.afaqs.com / afaqs! / Home / by afaqs! news bureau / June 10th, 2022
Blue Tokai’s compostable coffee capsules can elevate your daily coffee.
Image courtesy: Instagram/@bluetokaicoffee
After cold brew cans and easy-pour sachets, Blue Tokai has now dropped a line of biodegradable coffee capsules, made with home compostable biodegradable materials that don’t harm the environment. They’re easy to use and offer a quick, fuss-free brewing experience. These capsules are compatible with multiple kinds of Nespresso machines and are ideal for making a single shot of espresso and espresso-style-beverages .
There are available in four variants.
Our recommendation? The Attikan Estate coffee capsules, which are the darkest of the brand’s standard medium roasts and have a bold and fruity profile with a hint of nuttiness.
In its 42 years, Coorg Wildlife Society has taken up conservation of the mahseer, ecology awareness, plantation and cleanliness drives.
Participants during a nature awareness trek organised by the Coorg Wildlife Society
Madikeri :
Triangular green and yellow stickers with the silhouette of a sambar deer are instantly recognisable on a majority of vehicles in Kodagu. The stickers of Coorg Wildlife Society — a pioneer NGO that has taken oath to protect the Western Ghats in the district — are a badge of pride which not only connect residents instantly, but also give out a strong message of environment conservation.
Established in 1980, Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS) is primarily engaged in wildlife programmes across Kodagu, and has a dedicated team that aims at increasing awareness about wildlife and protected habitats.
“CWS started with an aim to educate children and the local population about wildlife, flora and fauna. Gradually, the society got involved in conservation of environment,” explained KA Chengappa, president of CWS. Member Navin Bopaiah shared that CWS has a long history of campaigning for the environment, which has ensured that government policies and laws help safeguard wildlife and promote wildlife-friendly land management.
CWS’mahseer fish conservation progamme
Among the many projects undertaken by the organisation, the conservation of mahseer fish ranks first in its table of achievements. Nearly 35 years ago, CWS leased a 35-km stretch of river Cauvery near Siddapura to start a conservation programme for the endangered mahseer species. Today, the organisation has been successful in curbing mahseer poaching, and establishing a large-scale breeding programme to revive the fish variety.
“All commercial activities along the 35-km stretch of river have been stopped due to the efforts of CWS. We have made many blocks across the stretch and appointed guards to stop illegal fishing of mahseer. With successful breeding programmes, the fish variety has restocked in river Cauvery,” explained Chengappa. He added that CWS has now taken special interest in repopulating the Cauvery with the orange-finned mahseer variety.
“Orange-finned mahseer are native to the Cauvery and are critically endangered. Apart from illegal fishing, excessive preying of these fish by other fish varieties affected its population. We are starting conservation of the orange-finned variety in a holding tank, and have got immense support from the fisheries department,” he explained.
CWS is also in talks with the forest department to extend the conservation of mahseer in the Cauvery at Bheemeshwari, in Mandya district. “We have written several letters to the authorities to stop construction of the Mekedatu dam, that will seriously affect the species in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary,” Chengappa confirmed.
Apart from mahseer conservation, the society is actively involved in plantation drives, cleanliness projects, birding programmes and organising eco treks across Kodagu. CWS, with support from the forest department, will soon initiate a plantation drive of Napier Grass across Dubare and Mathigodu riverside areas, where elephant populations are found in herds. The organisation hosted a bamboo re-plantation drive to replenish the forests. It also hosts treks across reserve forests and hills of Kodagu with support from the forest department. “These are awareness treks, and participants learn the importance of forests and its inhabitants. Cleanliness drives are also hosted along the way,” he explained.
Meanwhile, a massive clean-up drive was hosted by the CWS team on Thithimathi forest fringes and saw participation from students from Bengaluru and Mysuru too. Two truckloads of trash were cleared during the Environment Day event. The annual birding initiative by the organisation attracts professional and amateur birders, who record the variety of bird species found in the district. During this year’s bird festival, the team spotted the critically endangered Indian Vulture soaring high up in the sky, across the Brahmagiri Range.
The team opines that awareness among the people towards environment protection is the need of the hour. “Alongside awareness, forests must be maintained scientifically. The population of tigers and elephants is increasing, but forest cover is shrinking. If this continues, we will have to face a grave future filled with human-wildlife conflict,” concluded Chengappa.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / June 12th, 2022
Five hockey players who trained at the Sports Authority of India Training Centre, Madikeri and represented the State in the 12 th Hockety Senior Women’s National Championship, were felicitated by the local authorities recently.
They represented Karnataka at the event held in Bhopal in May and scripted history by winning the silver medal after a gap of 33 years.
The players were S.P. Likitha, Leelavathi B. Koppad, H.G. Dhanushree, B.A. Shaya Kaveramma and K.A. Deepthi. The authorities said in addition, two ex-atheltes Pooja and Nisha from SAI Training Centre, Madikeri, were also in the team.
Kodagu Deputy Commissioner B.C.Satish praised the performance of the girls in the tournament and said that they were models for other athletes and sportspersons and a source of inspiration to perform better.
He said they should raise the bar higher and strive for greater achievements and promised all facilities and assistance to the SAI Training Centre to ensure high performance at both national and international levels.
Superintendent of Police M.A. Aiyappa said practice makes a person perfect and player should give their best to shore up their performance in future tournaments as well. He said one could achieve perfection and victory in any field provided one was committed and passionate about it. Kodagu ZP CEO Bhanvar Singh Meena said Kodagu was known to patronise hockey and advised the youth and the players to practice, participate in more tournaments and make themselves eligible to represent the country in international tournaments like the Olympics, Common Wealth Games etc.
Offficials of the training centre including Mini Unniraj, in-charge of the Centre, C.U. Rani, Assistant, Komala, hockey coach, were among those present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 10th, 2022
Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) is “monsoon-ready” in Kodagu as it has deployed additional men and equipment in the coffee land as a part of special plan for tackling problems triggering from rains.
The rains and the landslides that occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020 did a lot of damage to the power supply infrastructure as the devastation was widespread and the CESC incurred heavy losses following damage to the poles, transmission lines and transformers.
Learning from the past experiences, the CESC is now geared up to meet the challenges of monsoon in Kodagu which usually witnesses heavy to very heavy rains, causing power disruptions because of the damage caused to its infrastructure.
“Our men and equipment are ready to tackle contingencies and minimise hardships caused to the people by restoring disruptions at a faster pace. The past experiences helped the corporation to make preparations for tackling the hurdles posed by the monsoon,” said CESC Managing Director Jayavibhavaswamy.
He told The Hindu that the recent transformer maintenance drive helped the corporation to rectify transformer issues in Kodagu and these measures have come as a relief now since those works have to be carried out now if not done earlier.
The necessary groundwork has been done with the corporation deploying 15 additional vehicles and 75 additional gang men besides keeping ready surplus electric poles, transformers, cables and all other needs. The preparations done so far ahead of monsoon can help to attend to the challenges and deal with the inconvenience that accompanies whenever there was a damage caused to the power supply infrastructure, he added.
An order deploying 110 linemen is also being issued soon and they will be serving in Kodagu. This will help us in attending to emergencies, if any, from rain. The maintenance works done in the last three months were supportive. Steps to attend to the sagging lines, taking precautionary measures in hazardous lines and maintenance of transmission lines around the waterbodies were done.
With regard to the transmission infrastructure inside forests, the MD said the poles are taller than the trees and the damage to the poles from tree falls would be minimal. Due to tall poles, cables don’t get easily damaged when trees get uprooted during rains. It has also helped in mitigating damage from wildlife. The hitches have been cleared, he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – June 10th, 2022
Having studied at AIISH Mysuru, Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda becomes the first Indian-American to occupy the top post.
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda is a Professor (Adjunct) at Texas Tech Health Sciences and Chief Audiology Officer at National Hearing and Balance centres in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With more than 30 years of experience, he is now the President-Elect of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and he will have a three-year term from October 1, 2022.
Hailing from Kodagu and coming from a humble background, he did his B.Sc. in Speech and Hearing from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH – 1970 batch), then under the University of Mysore. By becoming the first person of colour to head AAA, Dr. Bopanna has become a role model for many.
Star of Mysore caught up with Dr. Bopanna, who was on a short visit to Mysuru and spoke to him about his role in AAA, Mysuru memories and his family. Excerpts:
Star of Mysore (SOM): You have a three-year term and how do you propose to take forward the programmes of American Academy of Audiology (AAA)?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: The American Academy of Audiology is the world’s largest professional organisation of, by and for audiologists. It is committed to advancing the science, practice and accessibility of hearing and balanced healthcare for our patients.
I am humbled and honoured to be elected by the members as the President-Elect and later the President of AAA. My role is to understand the issues and address them when I take charge. These opportunities and challenges vary from year to year. However, the Academy has set goals and agenda to further the profession and help audiologists achieve their highest potential.
SOM: You are the first Indian-American to occupy the top post of AAA. This is no mean feat and you studied at AIISH Mysuru. Do you have any fond memories of Mysuru?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I do have a lot of fond memories of Mysuru. Back then Mysuru was a quaint town with excellent opportunities for scholarly work, today too I hope it’s the same. I still cherish my time in Mysuru when I used to meet friends at the corner of crossroads (Somberi Katte) and talk for hours. I also fondly remember the joy I felt riding my bicycle to the Institute from home. So Mysuru and my time in Mysuru is very much in my thoughts.
SOM: Audiology is a relatively lesser-known profession or a field of expertise in India. Do you think there is a lack of awareness? If so, what should be done to popularise it?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: You are absolutely correct. Audiology is lesser known. However, the field of audiology has been in existence in India for a long time. Based on my research, I see an apathy for hearing loss and corrective measures to overcome communication problems. Hearing loss and its impact are not well-acknowledged and hearing loss and its impact on humans need to be made aware.
As we know that the two major inputs to the brain are vision and hearing. We are quick to correct vision problems but are reluctant or hesitant to correct or use hearing aids. Recent research has clearly shown that an untreated hearing loss has many impacts on communication, psychological well-being, and most of all deterioration in mental functions. Hearing loss does not only affect hearing but has broader consequences like memory loss etc. I don’t know the reasons why people cancel or postpone treatments. Being out of India, I have limited knowledge of the apathy or lack of motivation of the general public to deal with hearing problems.
SOM: AIISH is doing wonderful work in audiology and the institute has grown in leaps and bounds. Your comments on this.
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: AIISH is a great institute. I had the opportunity to visit the institute a few days back and I was stunned by the clinical facilities, research work, and innovative projects. I was humbled by the warm welcome extended by the Director, Dr. M. Pushpavathi. The Institute that I remember has changed a lot, and changed for the better. I am so proud to say that I graduated from this premier institution.
SOM: You are from Kodagu, a small district, how did you get to where you are now professionally?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: Like many Indians in the 80s, I stepped foot in the USA with a dream. I was born to late Pulianda Kamakshi and late Ballachanda Belliappa. My dream began when I graduated with a B.Sc. degree from AIISH and a love for Wild West through John Wayne movies. On the way to the Wild West, I did a two-year stint as a specialist of Speech and Hearing at the Al Sabah Hospital in Kuwait, finally ending up at the University of Texas, Dallas, where I earned a Ph.D in Auditory Neuroscience, the study of hearing and the brain which at that time had not been explored very much.
SOM: Tell us about your initial days in the US.
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I was recruited by Purdue University, Indiana, as an up-and-coming academician. While at Purdue I pioneered clinical procedures for practising audiologists, authored two books that are used as educational material in many audiology programmes and many professional/scientific articles that received acclaim in the hearing industry.
I returned to India after 10 years in the USA in 1990 and got married to Kambeyanda Naina Muthappa and then I moved to the University of New Mexico as an Associate Professor of Audiology.
SOM: Tell us how you got involved with American Academy of Audiology and the business side of audiology?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: During my tenure at the University of New Mexico, I became actively involved with the American Academy of Audiology. I was the first foreign-born audiologist in the USA, the first Indian to be elected to the Board of Directors of the AAA, and served as President of the New Mexico Speech-Hearing Association and on the Senate of the University of New Mexico.
After seven more years of teaching at the University of New Mexico, I gave up a guaranteed job to venture into yet another phase in my life — clinical practice. With the help of my wife, who is a Chartered Accountant and entrepreneur, I opened my first clinic in July of 2003 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The first year was a challenge, but after that, by God’s grace, I’ve never had to look back. Another seven years later I had the opportunity to purchase a group of clinics in Arizona and Texas. My wife says seven is my magic number. I had 16 clinics in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. My wife and I owned and ran the clinics together.
SOM: Tell us about your family and do you feel you achieved your American dream?
Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda: I have a wonderful son and a daughter, Tanek Ballachanda and Jyothi Ballachanda. Tanek is a mechanical engineer working for a space programme in Seattle, Washington State while Jyothi is studying to become a pastry chef.
Have I achieved my American dream? Life is a journey of fascinating dreams that evolve, I don’t think I’m even halfway there. It’s been a lot of hard work, and it was never about the money, but about pushing myself beyond. In that sense, I think I have a sense of fulfilment.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles> Top Stories / June 09th, 2022
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