Category: Uncategorized

The event will bring together leading specialists and researchers to discuss the latest advancements in the diagnosis and management of ocular surface disorders.

An international conference of the Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Society (DEOSS) will be held in Bengaluru on January 31.

With Dry Eye Disease emerging as a major public health concern — fuelled by increased screen time, modern lifestyle, pollution, and prolonged exposure to air-conditioned environment — the conference aims to address the growing challenges in eye health.

Organised by Narayana Nethralaya, the event will bring together leading specialists and researchers to discuss the latest advancements in the diagnosis and management of ocular surface disorders.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a Schedule ‘A’ CPSE and a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, has once again reinforced its leadership in innovation by winning two major honours at the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) Awards, held on the sidelines of India Energy Week (IEW) 2026.

MRPL was conferred with the FIPI Innovator of the Year (Team) Award 2025, recognising the organisation’s sustained excellence in refining innovation and indigenous technological advancement. In addition, R Karthick of MRPL was honoured with the Young Achiever of the Year in Oil Industry (Male) award, acknowledging his outstanding individual contribution to innovation in the downstream oil and gas sector.

The FIPI Innovator of the Year (Team) Award was received by Mundkur Shyamprasad Kamath, managing director, MRPL, along with Nandakumar Velayudhan Pillai, director (refinery). The award was presented by Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas, government of India, in the presence of Dr Neeraj Mittal, secretary, ministry of petroleum and natural gas.

India Energy Week (IEW) is India’s flagship global energy event, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and technology providers to shape the future of energy security and energy transition. The Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) is the apex industry body representing India’s oil and gas sector, promoting policy advocacy, innovation, and sustainable growth.

With these recognitions, MRPL has achieved a significant milestone—winning innovation awards in refining from the Government of India for the fifth time in the last four years, underscoring its consistent focus on process excellence, operational efficiency, and technology-driven growth.

Commenting on the achievement, MRPL’s top management stated, “These awards are a testament to MRPL’s deep-rooted culture of innovation and teamwork. Our people continue to push boundaries through indigenous solutions, digitalisation, and sustainable refining practices. Recognition at a national platform like FIPI and India Energy Week further strengthens our resolve to support India’s energy security while advancing the transition towards a cleaner and more resilient energy future.”

MRPL continues to play a pivotal role in India’s downstream energy ecosystem, leveraging innovation, scale, and sustainability to deliver world-class fuels and petrochemicals in alignment with national priorities.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The report estimates that by 2030 India’s space economy will touch $40 billion and expects the sector to grow at twice the pace of the global market.

India’s space economy, currently estimated to be at $13 billion, is set to touch $40 billion by 2030, according to the recent India Spacetech-2026 report by early-stage venture capital firm, Arkam Ventures.

Titled ‘India’s Space Odyssey’, the report forecasts the sector to grow at twice the pace of the global market and that structural shifts in India’s spacetech ecosystem will propel it to the world’s third-largest space-tech economy by 2030. The growth will be fuelled by cost-efficient engineering, deep manufacturing capabilities and a new generation of startups building advanced space technologies for customers worldwide, it notes.

Higher capital inflow expected

Over the past five years, more than 300 space-tech startups have emerged in India, in areas such as satellite manufacturing, earth observation, launch vehicles and in-space solutions.

“More than two-thirds of the historical capital flows in the Indian spacetech sector have come in the last 5 years, post the space policy being formulated. We expect $3-$5 Bn of private capital flows in the sector over the next couple of years to fund cutting edge space innovations.” the report reads.

According to the VC, this momentum is built on ISRO’s legacy of low-cost, high-impact missions and its active support for private innovation.

“Its frugal engineering philosophy has shaped how startups design, test, and deliver products. Access to ISRO facilities and technology transfers has helped reduce time and cost to market. A talent flywheel is emerging with companies founded by alumni of ISRO and institutions such as BITS and IIT Madras, supported by more than 25,000 skilled engineering graduates in aerospace and allied sectors, annually. This combination of institutional backing and fresh talent is enabling startups to move from prototypes to market-ready solutions at unprecedented speed,” a statement from the firm said.

Indian companies to be among world’s top

The report also forecasts five Indian companies featuring among the world’s top 10 companies across the space-tech value chain in the coming years.

“India is uniquely positioned to lead the global spacetech sector fuelled by the unique ecosystem development role played by ISRO and the support from the Government. Over the next five years, we expect $3-$3.5 Bn of VC and Private Equity investments in the sector. We foresee 5 Indian startups feature among the world’s top 10 companies in vehicle launch, situational awareness, earth observation satellite manufacturing, and space debris handling,” said Rahul Chandra, Managing Director, Arkam Ventures.

The report also projects that by 2030 Indian private players will conduct 40 to 45 launches each year for global customers, manufacture one-third of the world’s Earth Observation Satellites and emerge as major exporters of avionics, GNSS, SATCOM and ground RF systems.

Aerospace scientist B.N. Suresh, former Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and former chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, unveiled the report at the Arkam Spacetech Meetup held in Bengaluru.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Anke Gowda, S G Susheelamma and Dr Suresh Hanagavadi from Karnataka have been named recipients of the prestigious Padma Shri Awards, announced on the eve of Republic Day.

The Padma Awards, among India’s highest civilian honours, recognise exceptional contributions across diverse fields. This year, Anke Gowda has been selected under the ‘unsung heroes’ category for her selfless service.

Dr Suresh Hanagavadi, professor of pathology at JJM Medical College and founder of the Karnataka Hemophilia Society, has been honoured for his decades-long contribution to improving the lives of hemophilia patients. A severe hemophilic himself, Hanagavadi has travelled extensively across the country to strengthen hemophilia care services and played a key role in ensuring that expensive medicines are made available free of cost at government district hospitals across Karnataka.

He has also established a state-of-the-art Hemophilia Treatment Centre in Davangere, bringing all inherited blood disorder services under one roof by mobilising support from the public, philanthropists and the government. Recognised earlier as a Changemaker in 2021, Hanagavadi said the Padma honour came as a surprise.

“This is the result of nearly four decades of efforts to get national-level recognition for hemophilia. The silent pain of hemophilia patients has been rewarded. I hope this award helps ensure quality healthcare for hemophilics across the country,” he said, recalling that late playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, associated with the Karnataka Hemophilia Society, had often encouraged him to seek national recognition.

S G Susheelamma has also been recognised among this year’s Padma awardees, which celebrate a wide spectrum of unsung heroes from across India. The list includes individuals from marginalised communities, primitive tribes and remote regions, highlighting grassroots contributions that often go unnoticed.

This year’s Padma Shri honours reaffirm the spirit of recognising silent service and transformative social impact from across the length and breadth of the country.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The 15-episode video series titled ‘Indian History, Thali by Thali’ will explore different periods of Indian history through the lens of food. 

The Historically Tempered Collective will launch ‘Indian History, Thali by Thali’, a video series, on January 27 at Sabha BLR.  

History through lens of food

The 15-episode video series will explore different periods of Indian history through the lens of food. The short videos spanning eight to fifteen minutes target youngsters between the ages of 12 and 16 years. 

“We have already released two. One more will be released at the event and the next one in about a week,” said Janaki Nair, senior historian and a member of the collective.   

Engaging format

The videos, produced in an engaging format, feature conversations with professional historians.  

“Given the way a very large number of people are interested in speaking about history lately, even if they’re not necessarily professional historians, we felt we should intervene. We wanted to do it in a popular and accessible format,” Ms. Nair said.  

“While most experts who are speaking in the videos are very senior, they also include a few younger and fresher voices. Therefore, we have been able to communicate in very direct and simple ways,” she added.  

Workshop and panel discussion

Before the launch event, a workshop will also be held for school teachers.  

“The workshop is to look at how to use these videos in creative ways. Without teachers, we feel, this might not be something that youngsters will actually look for. So, we need the intervention of teachers to take it forward,” Ms. Nair said. 

The event will also feature a panel discussion in which, apart from Ms. Nair, Meera Iyer, convenor at INTACH Bengaluru chapter, Saisudha Acharya, nonfiction author and educator, and Ajay Cadambi, educator, would participate.

There is no entry fee for the event and it will be held at Sabha BLR, 6 PM, January 27.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme recorded a significant number on its first day in Bengaluru, with more than 10.77 lakh children vaccinated against a target of 11,34,988, an overall coverage of about 95%.

The campaign, which was launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was being carried out across all five city corporations- Bengaluru Central, West, East, South, and North. On the first day, the performance ranged between 94% and 98% across the corporations, with Bengaluru East recording the highest coverage of approximately 98%.

Vaccination efforts included booth-based immunisation, house-to-house visits, and transit vaccination at public locations. Transit points alone saw over 1.04 lakh children receiving oral polio drops, while a total of 66,798 oral polio vaccines vials were administered across the city. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

A key highlight of the partnership is the joint development of a BTech programme in VLSI Design and Technology at RUAS, aligned with SUNY Albany’s nanoscale engineering standards.

Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (RUAS), Bengaluru, hosted a delegation from the University at Albany — State University of New York (SUNY), led by President Dr. Havidán Rodríguez on January 16.

The visit culminated in the signing of four Memoranda of Agreement, establishing a comprehensive India–US collaboration focused on engineering education, faculty and student exchange, joint capstone projects, curriculum co-design, and translational research in semiconductors, VLSI, nanotechnology, AI, and applied sciences.

A key highlight of the partnership is the joint development of a BTech programme in VLSI Design and Technology at RUAS, aligned with SUNY Albany’s nanoscale engineering standards.

RUAS Chairperson Dr. M. R. Jayaram emphasized that the collaboration aims at ‘co-creation of curricula, talent, and translational capability’ in line with national priorities.

Dr. Rodríguez reaffirmed University of Albany’s commitment to global, mission-driven partnerships. He also inaugurated the Dassault–Ramaiah Innovation Centre, which aims to strengthen industry-integrated learning and research.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Walks away with Rs. 50 lakh cash prize and a luxury car

Popular Kannada comedian Gilli Nata (Malavalli Nataraj) emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12.  The winner was announced by host and actor Kiccha Sudeepa last night.

As soon as the results were announced, his supporters in Malavalli and other towns burst crackers in celebration.

On the penultimate day of finale, Sudeepa had announced that the winner had received a staggering 37 crore votes considered to be an all-time record in the past 12 seasons.

Gilli walked away with a whopping Rs. 50 lakh cash prize and a brand new car.

Meanwhile, Rakshita Shetty, who emerged as the first runner-up, received a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh and second runner-up Ashwini Gowda got Rs. 5 lakh cash prize.

Praying for Gilli’s victory several fans across the State performed special pujas at various temples. Some of the hotels had announced discounts on casting their votes to Gilli Nata.

Huge cut-outs were also placed across Mysuru and Mandya district wishing Gilli Nata to emerge victorious. Special LED screen was set up at Dadadapura, native village of Gilli in Mandya district, for the villagers to watch the telecast of the finale.

As soon as host Kiccha Sudeepa lifted Gilli’s hand as winner, the villagers jumped in joy shouting Gilli’s name and burst crackers.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru South Police had provided tight security outside Jolly Wood Studios in Bidadi as thousands of fans of Gilli and other finale contestants had assembled to cheer for their favourite contestants.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)