Padma awards 2013 Andhra Pradesh

Padma award in science and engineering category-CDFD Director Dr Jayaraman Gowrishankar

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics director and renowned scientist Dr 

Jayaraman Gowrishankar won the Padma award as he was instrumental for ground breaking 

research work in Microbiology and Genetics.

Dr Gowrishankar told this newspaper,”‘I am really happy to get Padma as it is a national 

award. I must credit this also to the research group of my institute who have contributed 

in all my work. I hope this award will not change my research and I will continue to work 

hard with the responsibilities,”

The research group lead by Gowrishankar has got first patenting from India on genetically 

engineered bacteria.  “While in CCMB we are able to obtain royalty by licensing the 

patent to a company. The institute could get 400 thousand dollars for ten years as 

royalty,”

He added,” I have done a medical degree but decided to get into research. We have worked 

on fundamental process by which bacteria grow and divide and to understand this bacterial 

growth to control infectious diseases and helping to know beneficial bacteria,”

Gowrishankar born in  Mysore in a military family hailing originally from Tamilnadu. In 

1983 January he joined CCMB and in 2000 he joined CDFD. For the past seven years he is 

working as CDFD director. His wife Dr Swarna Lata is a pathologist in Apollo Hospitals. 

One of his two sons Srinivasan holding law degree from National law School in Bengaluru 

is teaching for ‘Teacher for India’ Ngo. His younger son is doing final year Btech with 

IIT Mumbai.

GAJAM ANJAIAH

Gajam Anjaiah a renowned craftsman of Puttapaka Tie and dye silks was awarded Padmasri. 

He hails from Puttapaka village in Narayapuram mandal in Nalgolda Dist and ruled the 

world of weaving for more than three decades. Anjaiah’s father Narasimha was the first 

person to bring Telia Rumal technique to Puttapaka area from Chirala Area of Andhra 

Pradesh which had become extinct there now. Telia Rumals are produced with Traditional, 

Eco friendly Vegetable Dyes and switched over to Chemical Dyes.

Gajam Anjaiah told this newspaper ,”I am lucky enough to get award. The weaving skills 

have come to me hereditarily. I fondly remember by parents now. Padmasri has increased my 

self confidence. It is an award to all weavers. There is a general impression that 

weaving has no future. But there is a good future for this. The award increased my 

responsibility and I will work towards making more new designs,”

Gajam Anjaiah recently produced a  Silk saree with 16 Lucky Symbols depicted in the 

Literature of Jainism. Each symbol in the design carries special effect which brings 

religions significance to the saree which can be worn during important Festivals and 

Religious occasions. Another innovation is making of  Tie and Dye silk sarees with 108 

Astrological Symbols which has much more intricate designs. Each Astrological Symbol is 

depicted in a size of 2.25 inch space with all minute details. The process of 

transforming the paper design to fabric is much laborious and requires high degree of 

skill.

He was instrumental in innovating new designs and around 500 weaver’s families depend on 

him in Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar. He had participated in worlds crafts council meeting in 

Dauge South Korea. He earlier won National award for Master crafts persona and weavers in 

1987 and Sant Kabir award I 2010.

Dr Radhika Herzberger Director of Rishi Valley School was awarded Padmasri in Literature 

& Education. Mr M S Sailendran the administrative officer of Rishi Vally school says,”we 
are very honoured about it. She was in Chennai and travelling now. We couldn’t reach her. 
She is an educationalist directing the Rishi Valley school for several years. Dr Radhika 
is daughter of Ms Pupul Jayakar. Dr Radhika had written many books and she is on the 
educational boards of government,” Ms. Pupul Jayakar was an Indian cultural activist and 
writer.
Dr Radhika is also member of INTACH Hyderabad based heritage conserving society.
Rishi Valley School, started in a valley in Madanapalle in Chittoor district with the aim 
of providing holistic education to children and it has completed 81 years. The school was 
found by Jiddu Krishna murti which focuses on rural education, healthcare and 
environmental conservation.

Snakes in apartment raises false alarm in Hyderabad

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Fearing a situation like a horror movie ‘snakes on a plan’ locals at 

Kundanbagh raised a false alarm. After they complained to anti poaching squad of state forest department the sleuths took a search order from higher officials and searched the house thinking it as poachers den on Monday.Forester find nothing and the flat at Kundnabagh turned out to be that of one Mr. Varun a techie and a volunteer of Friends of Snakes Society. Wild life officials has cautioned the member not to keep the rescued snakes in residential locality and shift them immediately to rescue shelter.Mr Avinash Viswanathan Joint Secretary of Friends of Snakes Society says ,”Apartment residents or neighbours have seen Varun carrying the rescued snakes during nights. They complained to the forest officials telling that he is selling venom. The fact is that he is not involved in any such act. As it was late night as it is difficult to shift the snake to Sainikpuri shelter he kept them at his flat for one or two times previously. It was a false alarm. We also advised our member to shift the rescued snakes immediately to our shelter at Sainikpuri,”Chief Wild Life Warden Mr A V Joseph told Friends of Snakes Society not to take keep in residential localities. “When we went on some work to Aranya Bhavan we were informed about this precautionary measure. Our rescue home at a time can host ten different species of snakes and we observe them and release them into wild,”The society was also asked to submit regular reports on rescued snakes to the wild life wing. The government is yet to act on the application of the society to give some land for setting up a big shelter for snakes.There are several volunteers who are engineers, students and techies working in IT companies i the society. The calls that wild life control room receive are diverted to the society which attends them promptly. The society was formed by Mr RajKumar who died of cerebral malaria.

Mumbai terror victim families in Hyderabad say Kasab hanging delayed

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

:Terrorist Ajmal Kasab's hanging brought joy to the
family members of Mumbai terror attack victims in the city. Out of
three from the State fallen to bullets and blasts in Mumbai in 2008
two are from Hyderabad and their much awaited agony seeking justice
ended on Wednesday morning when they heard ‘Kasab hanged’.
Ms Saroja Rao of Neredmet the mother of Taj Executive Chef Vijay Rao
Banja who was shot dead in the hotel on ill fated night says
,”"Justice is done at last but it would have been done much earlier,”
With tears in her eyes Saroja said ,”I still recall the day my son
died. Four years passed away. My grandson Rohan who is at Mumbai under
the care of Taj group has come here recently to see us. He wants to
help aged and widows,”
Vijay’s wife Fareeda died six months after Mumbai attack with cardiac
arrest in a state. It was a double tragedy for the family. Vijay was
47 when he died and served with Taj for more than two decades.
  Vijay's brother Vinod Rao Banja a property manager of a church
says,"I hope the hanging of Kasab will be a deterrence to other
terrorists. We feel sorry for all the innocent people who died. We
hope centre will here after take steps to act tough against
terrorists. Kasab’s hanging was a long due. Today morning my another
brother Vimal Bhanja a retired group captain from Bengaluru called me
and informed about the hanging of Kasab,”
Recalling the past he said ,’We were in touch with my brother on ill
fated night till 2.30 am. During the last call he made he said he will
not be able to talk to us as the situation is become serious. In the
morning we were told he was shot dead,”  Vijay’s family was given a
compensation of Rs 3 lakh by the State government and Rs 7 lakh by the
centre. “What is money for his family the only surviving member Rohan
when he lost both his parents,”
Another family member Shalini  a retired teacher of Stanley school
sister in law of Vijay says ,”We are happy with the hanging. It’s a
big lesson for such elements,” She said ,”we never thought Vijay would
die in the terror attack. Terrorism has to be eradicated totally from
the country so that no citizensuffer,”.
Another family of advocate and tax consultant Lakshmi Narayan Goyal 55
who died in car blast at Mumbai shifted their residence from
Bahadurpura to Banjara Hills MLA colony and maintaining low profile.
Mr N Sanjay a former employee with Goyal says "Several crores are
spent on Kasab unnecessarily. He would have been hanged long back. Any
how it is done at last. Goyal is survived by wife and four daughters.
He is an advocate dealing with Central Excise and Customs cases and
used to travel regularly to Mumbai and Bengaluru. His wife Meena Devi
is in Mumbai now. His daughters are in Gujarat and United States,”
Lakshmi Narayana’s youngest daughter, Shrushti Goel, was an employee
of Google, Hyderabad.
Lakshmi Narayana on the evening of November 26 informed the family
members that he missed Hussainsagar Express from CST and he would come
again on the next day. He was killed when he boarded a taxi to go to
his sister in law’s home when the car exploded in the blast near Vile
Parle. Ameena Begum, 20, of Nizamabad too had fallen prey to the
terrorists' bullets at the Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus (CST) while
trying to protect her niece. Her father, Mr Abdul Rasheed, who also
sustained bullet injuries died later of sickness.

No hangman in AP Jails : Kasab hanged

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy The central jails in the State have no hangman. The hanging execution apparatus is available only at Rajhmundry central jail. Officials said that there are no pardon applications of convicts to be executed pending from the state with the President of India. However there are a few cases of those who are convicted for capital punishment including one in central jail where the appeals are pending in higher courts. Jails Additional Inspector General Mr B Sunil Kumar said ,”we do not have a hangman post. As there no cases for pending execution after the clearance of higher courts we did not have any talari. Rajahmundry jail has hanging execution apparatus. In Cherlapally we didn’t opt for that as it costs Rs 50 lakh around,” Charlapally jail superintendent Mr K L Srinivas said ,”we have one prisoner facing capital punishment. He is from Bodhan in Nizamabad in connection with a  murder case. His case is pending appeal in AP High Court,” He added ,”there are only few cases one or two in each central jail convicted for capital punishment,”

Corruption in Hyderabad: CMS Study

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Municipal and police departments top in corruption perception index 
in the survey conducted in the city by Centre for Media Studies.

 The index says that 86 per cent of them had a perception that corruption increased in 
Municipal department  and 65 per cent experienced it where it is 84 perception in police 
department and 78 per cent experienced. CMS General Manager Ms Anita Medasani 
says,”CMS-India corruption study 2012 is the eighth round of study on corruption in 
public services which is one in nine cities along with Hyderabad. We have focussed more 
on lower level corruption where common man including those living in urban slums which 
lack basic amenities like drinking water, sewerage, sanitation and hygiene facilities. 
Hyderabad is the India’s sixth most populous urban area,”  Water supply, electricity, 
Public Distribution System, Health, Housing, Police and Municipal departments are 
considered for the survey.
She added 12 per cent of city’s area is covered by slums and 26 per cent of city’s 
population lives in these slum areas. “Hyderabad is put next to Goa and Bhubaneswar as 
far as perception of about corruption in public services during the last one year among 
the nine cities. Compared to 2008 the first hand experience of corruption in 2012 among 
slum dwellers in Hyderabad has gone up from 39 per cent to 58 per cent. Every second 
household in city interacted with seven public services were asked to pay bribe at least 
once during the year,” Anita said.
She added 22 per cent of them who couldn’t pay bribe were deprived of public services and 
almost three out of four ended up paying bribe to avail the services. “The minimum bribe 
amount is Rs 100 for a work in any department. With the police the experience of 
corruption is higher than the perception that ‘corruption has increased’.