Karnataka First

The biodiversity of the Western Ghats has received a significant addition with the discovery of a new balsam (Impatiens) species in Kudremukh National Park.

Researchers from Madurai College, Tamil Nadu, have identified what is believed to be the smallest-flowered species of Impatiens ever recorded in the region. The newly discovered plant has been scientifically named Impatiens selvasinghii.

The species was found in the shola grassland zone near the trekking trail atop the Botanists said it is an entirely new species that does not match any previously recorded variant. A detailed scientific paper on the discovery has been published in the Taiwania International Journal of Biodiversity.

The plant has been named selvasinghii in honour of Dr P Selvasingh Richard of Madras Christian College, Chennai, for his notable contributions to the study of Western Ghats flora.

Researchers warned that the species is vulnerable to damage as it was found close to a trekking route. Increased tourist movement could pose a threat to its survival, and they stressed the need for immediate conservation measures.

Due to insufficient scientific data, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed the species under the “Data Deficient (DD)” category on the Red List — meaning there is not enough information to assess whether the plant is threatened or secure. range, at an elevation of around 1,630 metres above sea level.

Botanists said it is an entirely new species that does not match any previously recorded variant. A detailed scientific paper on the discovery has been published in the Taiwania International Journal of Biodiversity.

The plant has been named selvasinghii in honour of Dr P Selvasingh Richard of Madras Christian College, Chennai, for his notable contributions to the study of Western Ghats flora.

Researchers warned that the species is vulnerable to damage as it was found close to a trekking route. Increased tourist movement could pose a threat to its survival, and they stressed the need for immediate conservation measures.

Due to insufficient scientific data, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed the species under the “Data Deficient (DD)” category on the Red List — meaning there is not enough information to assess whether the plant is threatened or secure.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Scholars from across India discussed the relevance of traditional knowledge in modern education and society.

A two-day national seminar on “The Importance of Indian Knowledge Systems in the Contemporary Context” was held at St. Paul’s College in Bengaluru. The event was inaugurated by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on November 17.  

The Central Hindi Directorate and the Karnataka Hindi Professors’ Association jointly organized the event, which was attended by Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jayakar Shetty, and other dignitaries. 

Scholars from across India discussed the relevance of traditional knowledge in modern education and society.

The new college logo, marking St. Paul’s College’s 10-year milestone, was unveiled during the event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Arun Kumar, a second-year commerce student of Kombettu Government Pre-University College in Puttur, has received the Chief Minister’s special award for inventing a new technology that records student attendance through facial recognition.

The award was presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the state-level Children’s Day programme organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy in Bengaluru. He congratulated Arun for his innovation. During the programme held at Vidhana Soudha, the chief minister presented Arun with a cash prize of Rs 15,000.

Education minister Madhu Bangarappa, chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary of the education department Rashmi, and directors of the pre-university education department were present.

How it works

• The college has set the entry time between 9 am and 10 am. During this period, the device records attendance by recognising the faces of students as they arrive.
• When a student stands before the device, it displays the student’s details along with parent information, and sends a Telegram message to the parents confirming that their ward has reached the college.
• If a student arrives late or is absent, a notification is sent as well. Similarly, when students leave between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm, exit information is recorded and notified to their homes.
• This system also helps the school determine the exact number of students present each day, aiding in mid-day meal preparation.

Arun’s face-recognition attendance device has already drawn statewide attention. The pre-university education department has implemented the technology on a trial basis in selected districts.

Principal secretary Rashmi, impressed by Arun’s innovation, invited him to Bengaluru for a demonstration and personally congratulated him.

The project was guided by lecturer Ashlesh Kumar. Arun is the son of Vinod Kumar and Rajeshwari of Boluwara.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Anika C. Jayade of Sanskaar English Medium School, Hubballi emerged as the winner of The Hindu In School (THIS) Speed Reading Contest 2025 organised in association with Swarnaa Group in Hubballi on Friday.

In the contest held at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Ameera Mulla of Chetan Public School, Hubballi, and Arjun Gali of Chinmaya Vidyalaya bagged the second and third prizes respectively.

Akshara Homkar of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Jayden Nathan Robert of Sanskaar English Medium School and Amna Halwoor of Convent School, Hubballi were awarded consolation prizes in the annual event organised by The Hindu Group of Publications.

In an event held at The Hindu office in Hubballi on Saturday, V.S.V. Prasad, managing director of Swarnaa Group of Companies and philanthropist, honoured the prize-winning students. Congratulating the winners, he said participating in such competitions would help the students in understanding their strengths and weaknesses thereby enabling them to further hone their skills.

On Friday, senior journalist Arunkumar Habbu, lecturer Savitha Hiremath, and teacher Kamaljeet Suraj, who were the judges of the competition, had a difficult time finalising as the competition was intense.

Addressing the students, Arunkumar Habbu emphasised the need for the students to develop the skills of listening, reading, and speaking. He briefed about the important aspects one should keep in mind while participating in competitions and also while speaking in public.

Savitha Hiremath spoke on the importance of pronunciation, clarity and intonation while participating in a speed reading competition.

62 students from twelve different schools of Hubballi Dharwad participated in the event. While the winners received tropies and merit certificates, all the participants received participation certificates.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Elected unopposed, Ms Varalakshmi is the first woman general secretary of CITU.

Senior trade union leaders Meenakshi Sundaram and S. Varalakshmi have been elected as president and general secretary of the Karnataka State committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), one of the largest trade unions in the country associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Elected unopposed, Ms Varalakshmi is the first woman general secretary of CITU. She is also the national vice-president of the CITU.

A new 39-member state committee was elected at the three-day CITU State conference held at Ambedkar Bhavan in Hassan on November 13, 14 and 15. P.K. Parameshwar was elected treasurer. The committee comprises 14 vice-chairpersons and 20 secretaries, with two positions remaining vacant. Seven women are part of the committee.

The conference saw demands such as a minimum wage of ₹36,000, scientific support for farmers, proper implementation of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and withdrawal of the new labour codes.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Shreya Srinivasan, aged 10, a resident of Milpitas in California, USA, has been selected for U-11 USA Table Tennis National Team.

She is the daughter of former Mysuru residents Madhuri Kantur Shekar and Srinivasan Ramkumar. Madhuri was a former TT champion, who represented India at the Asian School Games and was ranked No. 2 in Karnataka for eight consecutive years.

Shreya is currently the youngest member of the 2025 USA U-11 Girls National Team. Recently, she became U-11 Girls Champion at the WTT Youth Contender San Francisco III following her third-place finish at the WTT Youth Contender San Francisco II early this year.

She has been training at the India Community Centre (ICC) Table Tennis Club in Milpitas which has produced Olympians such as Lily Zang, Kanak Jha, Amy Wang and Timothy Wang.

Shreya is coached by Kiranjoy Pushilal, a former Indian National Player. Her achievements include WTT Youth Contender San Francisco III U-11 Girls Champion; Youth Member of U-11 USA Girls National Team; Semi-finalist  in WTT Youth Contender San Francisco II U-11 Girls tournament; Runner Up in US Nationals U-11 Girls Doubles — Omnipong; Quarter-finalist in 2025 US Nationals U-11 Mixed Doubles; 3rd Place in Westchester Northeast USA TT Regionals U-11 Girls.

Shreya Srinivasan is the grand-daughter K.N. Shekar and Usha Shekar, residents of Vidyaranyapuram in Mysuru.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

The New York Academy of Sciences and Tata Sons announced the names and awarded them in three different categories- food security, sustainability and healthcare.

The 2025 Tata Transformation Prize has been awarded to three research scholars from Bengaluru, one from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and two from the Indian Institute of Science (IIS).

The New York Academy of Sciences and Tata Sons announced the names and awarded them in three different categories- food security, sustainability and healthcare. Each winner will receive Rs 2 crore. These three winners were selected from 212 nominations from 27 states.

N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, “The scientific advancements achieved by this year’s winners are the result of years of sacrifice. The Tata Group is proud to support the winners in their endeavour.”

Nicholas B Dirks, president and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said, “The Tata Transformation Prize celebrates scientific breakthroughs with the power to address pressing societal challenges while fostering economic progress and global impact. The 2025 Winners exemplify the power of Indian science to drive meaningful global change.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Konkan Yuva, the dynamic youth wing of the Konkani community of St Mary’s Catholic Church successfully hosted the first-ever Yuva Olympics 2025 on Sunday, November 9, at Springdales School, Al Quoz, creating a historic milestone for the Konkani Catholic community in the UAE.

This landmark event brought together over 600 athletes from 18 teams, accompanied by more than 2,500 enthusiastic spectators who gathered to witness a day of spirited competition, unity, and cultural pride.

Opening ceremony and flag hoisting
The opening ceremony began with a grand procession led by Ashwin Pinto, president of Konkan Yuva, joined by guests, past presidents, executive members, and the UAE’s only Konkani Brass Band, Konkan Thaaram. Teams marched impressively in a well-coordinated march past which was followed by a heartfelt prayer song delivered by the Konkan Yuva Choir team, before the ceremonial flag hoisting.

The Konkan Yuva flag was raised by Ullas Fernandes, the first president of Konkan Yuva; the Yuva Olympics flag by chief guest Aldrin Lewis, general manager of Globelink West Star Shipping LLC; and the UAE flag by Fr Jerome Monteiro, parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima Church, Pernal.

President Ashwin Pinto welcomed all dignitaries, teams, and spectators, marking the start of a memorable sporting celebration. Fr Victor Fernandes OFM Cap, spiritual director, congratulated Konkan Yuva for pioneering the first athletic meet dedicated to the Konkani community in the UAE.

Olympic torch ceremony honours top athletes
The Olympic torch ceremony showcased five exceptional young athletes, lighting the ceremonial cauldron to officially commence the games:
? Keith Nathan Saldanha: A National-level Incline Roller Skating champion and CBSE cluster basketball U14 player.
? Nathan Mark Gomes: Bronze Medalist at the UAE School Games U15 Badminton 2024 and winner of eight badminton titles.
? Neville Glen Castelino: Gold medalist at the CBSE National Athletic meet (4x100m) and multiple-time UAE cluster champion.
? Shanelle Caillope D’Souza: Ranked first in Middle East Artistic Gymnastics and fifth at the 2025 Junior World Tennis Series.
? Melena Lobo: A multi-year champion with 12 medals in athletics and swimming.

The ceremony continued with the unveiling of the Yuva Olympics Trophy. Chief guest Aldrin Lewis then took the stage to officially declare the games open. With the competitions about to begin, the sports secretary Prajwal Lopes administered the athlete’s oath to all participants, concluding the formal ceremony segment, which was then followed by a vote of thanks from general secretary Sherul Nazareth.

The events carried on for a full day, featuring participants across multiple age categories: 18–28 years, 29–38 years, and 39 years and above. The intense schedule included a full array of track and field sports: 1500m race, 800m race, 400m race, 100m race, 200m race, the fast-paced 4 x 100m relay, long jump, and shot put. Beyond the track, the competition also featured the CrossFit obstacle challenge and the team strength contest, Tug of War.

Dignitaries and support
Several dignitaries and sponsors graced the inaugural function, highlighting wide community support. Guests included  Kevin Fernandes and Elveera Fernandes of Mika Technical Services LLC; Dinesh Correa of Falcon Trackers; James and Sobha Mendonca of Middle East Factory LLC and Reliable Industries LLC; Ronald Martis of Blue Royal Group; Dainy D’Souza of Konkan Tharan Brass Band; Ivan Fernandes of KEL; Manoj Vas and Veena Veigas of Resort Supplies General Trading LLC; Avith Dsouza of GKV Associates; Dayan Dsouza Mukamar of Daiji Dubai; and Johnson Rebeiro of Transformation Exhibition and Events Management.

Konkan Yuva’s executive committee members present included Denzil Moras, Sherul Nazareth, Bryan Lobo, Sunny Fernandes, Prajwal Lopes, Jovita Rebello, Teena D’Souza, Sushmitha Sequeira, Elvita D’Souza, Viyol Crasto, and Gwynfor Pereira.

The day’s ceremonies were hosted by MC Vernon D’Souza and MC Roshan D’Silva, with musical entertainment provided by DJ Norman and DJ Avil.

Competition results and community recognition
Competitions continued throughout the day, culminating in a lively closing ceremony and prize distribution. Twigs Super Strikers emerged as the overall champions, followed by Team Planet Air as first runners up and Team Flyway United as second runners up.

Referees for the track and field events included Amcil Fernandes, Revathy Leena, Adithya Rao, Neethu Abraham, Vijay Herekar, and Ziyad, while CrossFit challenges were conducted under the guidance of coaches Rahul, Raja, Grizel, and Abin.

Special honours were presented to Sobha Mendonca, managing director of Middle East Factory LLC, and Joseph Mathias, managing director of Merit Freight Systems LLC and coordinator of SMMC, in recognition of their dedicated service to the Konkani community.

Konkan Yuva extended heartfelt thanks to all sponsors, donors, and well-wishers for their support, with special appreciation to the Dubai Ambulance Corporation Services for ensuring safety throughout the event.

The celebration concluded with energetic DJ performances and traditional Baila dancing, adding a vibrant cultural finale to the landmark sporting day.

Through the success of the Yuva Olympics 2025, Konkan Yuva reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Konkani culture, unity, and youth empowerment under its enduring message: “Together we play, Together we rise.”

About Konkan Yuva
Konkan Yuva is the dynamic youth wing of the Konkani community of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai, dedicated to preserving and promoting Konkani language, culture, and values through various social and cultural initiatives.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Mangaluru-born tech leader Jayshree Ullal has secured the top position in the list of India’s richest women entrepreneurs with a wealth of Rs 50,170 crore, according to the Hurun Research India Rich List 2025.

Ullal, president and CEO of the US-based computer networking giant Arista Networks since 2008, has achieved the rare distinction of leading the country’s top 10 richest self-made women. Under her leadership, Arista recorded USD 7 billion revenue last year, marking a 20% growth over the previous year.

Ullal also serves on the board of cloud computing company Snowflake, which went public five years ago. She owns nearly 3% of Arista Networks’ shares, part of which are held in the names of her two daughters, daughter-in-law and nephew. She previously worked with Cisco Systems, Advanced Micro Devices and Fairchild Semiconductor.

Belonging to the GSB Smartha Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community of Mangaluru, Ullal continues to be one of the most respected global business leaders of Indian origin.

Radha Vembu ranks second

In second place is Radha Vembu with a net worth of Rs 46,580 crore. Vembu holds a majority stake in Zoho Corp, the privately held global SaaS company co-founded by her brother Sridhar Vembu. She is a graduate of IIT Madras in industrial management.

Falguni Nayar takes the third spot

Falguni Nayar, founder of beauty and lifestyle retail chain Nykaa, stands third with Rs 39,810 crore. After quitting her career as an investment banker, Nayar launched Nykaa in 2012, which today operates nearly 200 stores across the country.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at fourth

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw ranks fourth with Rs 29,330 crore. A pioneer in India’s biotech sector, she began her entrepreneurial journey from a small garage in 1978 and now heads Biocon Ltd and Biocon Biologics.

Other prominent names in the top ten

5. Ruchi Kalra – Rs 9,130 crore
   Co-founder and CEO of OfBusiness, a major B2B commerce and financing platform.
6. Juhi Chawla (and family) – Rs 7,790 crore
   The former Bollywood star has built a strong portfolio in business, real estate and sports investments. Her net worth has grown 69% since last year, placing her among the wealthiest film personalities.
7. Neha Bansal – Rs 5,640 crore
   Co-founder of Lenskart, Bansal heads the business and legal functions of the eyewear giant. She earlier founded DNS Advisors.
8. Indra Nooyi – Rs 5,130 crore
   The former PepsiCo chairperson and CEO spent 24 years with the company, doubling its revenue and steering its global transformation. She continues to serve on global advisory boards, including Amazon and Deutsche Bank.
9. Neha Narkhede (and family) – Rs 4,160 crore
   Co-founder of Confluent and co-creator of Apache Kafka, she also founded cybersecurity platform Oscilar. She was named among America’s richest self-made women by Forbes.
10. Kavita Subramanian – Rs 3,840 crore
    Co-founder of Upstox, one of India’s leading online investment platforms. She previously worked with LeapFrog Investments, Actis and SKS Microfinance.

The annual list highlights the dramatic rise of women leaders in technology, biotech, fintech, retail and entertainment, showcasing India’s growing ecosystem of powerful women entrepreneurs.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The work aims to make India’s transition to solar and wind energy both reliable and practical.

Researchers at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) are using machine learning and mathematics to tackle one of renewable energy’s toughest problems – how to generate enough clean power without driving up costs or risking grid instability.

By developing optimisation models that balance carbon reduction with affordability, their work aims to make India’s transition to solar and wind energy both reliable and practical. Their models not only forecast solar or wind power generation, but they also balance multiple objectives at once such as accuracy, cost, and reliability, helping grid operators make fairer, more transparent decisions in real time. 

Datasets from Germany

Aswin Kannan, assistant professor, IIIT-B, who led the research, along with his students, have worked on datasets from Germany (Netztransparenz, SMARD), the United States of America (NREL), and India, linking weather variables such as irradiance, temperature, and pressure to real power-output data. 

From multiple research papers, the team found that accuracy alone is not enough.

“In energy markets, over-predicting reduces reliability, while under-predicting increases operational costs. We also found that bias in data can quietly distort results. By combining optimisation with learning, we can detect these biases and build forecasts that balance cost, reliability, and fairness for real-time grid operations,” Prof. Kannan explained.

While much of his early work was in Europe, Prof. Kannan says India presents a far more dynamic challenge. “India’s renewable data quality is actually very good, sometimes better than Europe, but its variability is much higher,” he said, pointing out that unlike Germany’s uniform weather, India’s solar and wind conditions vary drastically across States and seasons.  

He also noted that in India, publicly managed transmission systems are better suited to handle such vast and diverse networks compared to Europe’s privatised model.

A transition of scale

Higher solar radiation doesn’t automatically mean higher output here. Humidity, dust, and terrain play a much bigger role. In fact, India already generates a larger share of power from renewables than many realise, he added.

According to Prof. Kannan, India’s energy transition is not difficult because of policy or unpredictable supply, but because of scale. “In Europe, the transition meant retrofitting existing pipelines for hydrogen. In India, the challenge is creating new microgrids, battery systems, and transmission lines for variable renewable power,” he said.

Prof. Kannan’s ongoing research now focuses on solar, wind, and hydro systems, and how they can work together within a joint hydrogen–electricity network. While industry tools typically aim only for accuracy, in this framework, the models weigh trade-offs between cost, bias, and risk of error. They also switch algorithms based on data quality or changing weather, an approach that makes them more resilient to sudden shifts or uncertainty. 

The research has clear implications for grid operators, policymakers, and renewable developers. Better forecasts, as per the team, can prevent costly imbalances in power markets, reduce wastage, and allow for more flexible energy pricing.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)