Ayyanki birth anniversary celebrated
He was speaking as the chief guest at the 135th birth anniversary celebration of the Father of the Library Movement, Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Library Association at Sarvottama Library here on Friday. He stated that Ayyanki adopted unique and determined approaches to encourage the establishment of libraries across the state and achieved success in all his endeavours. He called upon every library worker and librarian to take inspiration from Ayyanki's life and work.
Rotary Club District Governor Guttikonda Sriram, participating in the event, remarked that a society that does not promote education and libraries cannot progress, and recent national and international events have reminded us that knowledge must be accessible to all. He hailed Ayyanki as a visionary who laid the foundation for the advancement of these fields over a hundred years ago.
Andhra Pradesh Library Association Vice-President Keshava Rao said that the life stories of great personalities inspire entire generations. He noted that the Government of India recognised Ayyanki's services by conferring on him the Padma Shri award six decades ago.
Dr Ravi Sharada, General Secretary of the Association, stated that during the national movement, libraries played a key role in awakening the people and supporting the cause. She also highlighted that the Andhra Pradesh Library Association was founded by Ayyanki.
On this occasion, competitions were conducted for students from various colleges in the city. Out of the 11 participating colleges, Durga Malleswara Siddhartha Women's College secured first place, Maris Stella College came second, and Andhra Loyola College took third place. The guests presented prizes to the winners.
Many librarians, students, and representatives of private libraries from across the city actively participated in the event.
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The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
The tale of the tigers
Where it all began… Did you know that a rough conservative estimate of India's tiger population at the start of the 20the Century was around 40,000? The top end of the estimates even placed the number of tigers in the Indian subcontinent in 1900 at around 1,00,000! That number, however, nosedived to a mere 1,827 in 1972, the estimated population figure the result of a nation-wide tiger census conducted that year. This meant that in just 70 years, only about one in every 25 tigers (or 4 out of every 100) remained, even if we were to start with the conservative estimate. The dismally low number was an urgent call for action. The Government of India set up the Project Tiger in 1973 with the primary objective of protecting the Bengal Tiger, and its natural habitats, while ensuring a viable tiger population for ecological balance. Secondary objectives included controlling poaching and illegal trades, raising awareness about tiger conservation among the public, and developing and incorporating better methods to monitor tiger populations. How was it implemented? A multi-pronged approach has been employed to implement Project Tiger through the last half a century or so. Central to it has been the establishment of tiger reserves, which are managed with a core-buffer strategy. While the core areas enjoy legal protection as national parks or sanctuaries, buffer zones around the core areas allow for sustainable human activities, balancing conservation efforts with local needs. The tiger reserves are designed such that they serve as secure habitats for the tigers, and minimise human-wildlife conflict. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established under the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 and serves as the wildlife conservation agency that provides regulatory oversight and also manages the funding of Project Tiger. Even though the project is an initiative by the Indian government, a number of collaborators from other countries and organisations have also lent their support to aid the efforts of tiger conservation. Data that highlights the project's success 50+ When the project was started, there were nine tiger reserves, including the iconic Jim Corbett National Park – India's first national park, established in 1936. In a little over 50 years, the number of tiger reserves have ballooned to more than 50, meaning that the country has been adding almost one tiger reserve every year. As big as Jharkhand When Project Tiger was launched in 1973, an area of 9,115 sq. km was encompassed by the nine reserves. As of 2025, the area under the 50+ reserves across 18 states in the country has gone past the 75,000 sq. km mark. If all those areas were to be placed together to form a single parcel of land, it would be comparable with the state of Jharkhand, which has an area of 79,714 sq. km. Over 2% of the country India has an overall area of 3.287 million sq. km. If the area demarcated as tiger reserves were compared with the total area of the country, it is a little over one-fiftieth of the total area. This means that over 2% (2.2%, if you wish to be more precise) of India's landmass is now devoted to this project. More than 3,000 tigers The most recent estimate of tiger population in the country ranges from a minimum of 3,167 to a maximum of 3,925, with an average of 3,682 – generally given out as the number of tigers in India. While a jump from 1,827 in 1973 to 3,682 in 2022 represents a commendable annual growth rate of 6.1%, the growth in reality was far from linear. This means that the rate of growth didn't steadily keep on increasing, and there were, in fact, even some dips before the numbers bounced back. The estimate in 2006, for instance, was 1,411 – even lower than the 1972 mark! This decrease from previous estimates actually led to a major overhaul in the way in which things were done, and they have borne fruit as the tiger numbers have more than doubled in the last two decades. Roughly 75% India's tiger population has, in fact, doubled in a decade according to a study whose results were published earlier this year. As a result, India is now home to roughly 75% of the global tiger population. Yes, you read that right. Three out of every four tigers in the world are now in India! A tigress's tale Programmes like Project Tiger do better off with a face. Machhli was the poster child of this conservation effort as she saw the numbers of her species both decline and grow during her lifetime. Meet Machhli Name: Machhli, also spelt Machli or Machali Tiger code: T-16 Gender: Female Species: Bengal tiger First seen: 1997 Died: August 18, 2016 Habitat: Ranthambore National Park Nicknames: Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, The Lady of the Lakes, Crocodile Killer Claims to fame: India's most famous tigress; labelled most photographed tigress in the world. Machhli inherited her name – Hindi word for 'fish' – from her mother and also because of the fish-shaped mark on her left ear. A dominant cub, she started hunting at the age of two and her ferocity was well documented throughout her lifetime. The most famous incident showcasing this is her fight with a 14-foot mugger crocodile, which she killed while losing a couple of canine teeth. She gave birth to five litters and raised 11 cubs, contributing significantly to the park's tiger count. Some of her cubs were even relocated as a couple of female cubs were transferred to Sariska Tiger Reserve to boost the big cats population there as well. She soon became a favourite subject for wildlife photographers and filmmakers, and her photogenic nature even earned her the title of being the most photographed tigress in the world. This had a strong impact on both tourism and conservation, as it brought more footfalls to Ranthambore and more eyeballs to the conservations efforts. As is to be expected, Machhli did split opinion as well. By the time she died in 2016 as a 19-year-old, she had far outlived most 'wild' tigers, who generally live to the age of 10-15. Her fame and the money that she brought in meant that she was tended for as she aged, raising questions of whether she was still 'wild' at all. 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His methods and innovative approach to zoo management earned him recognition as he completely changed how zoos in the country function. The practice of having animals perform for onlookers was stopped, and animals were provided enclosures that were akin to their natural habitats. By 1970, Sankhala had extensively studied tigers. His research on tiger population, their behaviour and population dynamics, paved the way for Project Tiger. He was also the first civil servant to receive the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1969-70 to study tigers. The first director Sankhala realised that the onus was on him to employ his knowledge to educate the public and persuade the government for conservation efforts. His efforts brought the attention of both national and international media to the issue of tiger conservation. Indira Gandhi, who was India's Prime Minister at the time, took notice of Sankhala's work. 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Through this NGO, he tried to further the involvement of the community in the conservation efforts, while also bringing about initiatives and measures to preserve habitats and prevent poaching. He authored several influential books on wildlife and conservation, including 'Tiger! The Story of the Indian Tiger.' He received the Padma Shri award in 1992, a couple of years before his death in 1994, aged 69.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Ayyanki birth anniversary celebrated
Vijayawada: Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah, who resolved to bring education and knowledge to all people at a time when literacy levels were low, and worked tirelessly toward that goal, will remain alive as long as libraries exist, said A Krishnamohan, Director of Public Libraries, Andhra Pradesh. He was speaking as the chief guest at the 135th birth anniversary celebration of the Father of the Library Movement, Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Library Association at Sarvottama Library here on Friday. He stated that Ayyanki adopted unique and determined approaches to encourage the establishment of libraries across the state and achieved success in all his endeavours. He called upon every library worker and librarian to take inspiration from Ayyanki's life and work. Rotary Club District Governor Guttikonda Sriram, participating in the event, remarked that a society that does not promote education and libraries cannot progress, and recent national and international events have reminded us that knowledge must be accessible to all. He hailed Ayyanki as a visionary who laid the foundation for the advancement of these fields over a hundred years ago. Andhra Pradesh Library Association Vice-President Keshava Rao said that the life stories of great personalities inspire entire generations. He noted that the Government of India recognised Ayyanki's services by conferring on him the Padma Shri award six decades ago. Dr Ravi Sharada, General Secretary of the Association, stated that during the national movement, libraries played a key role in awakening the people and supporting the cause. She also highlighted that the Andhra Pradesh Library Association was founded by Ayyanki. On this occasion, competitions were conducted for students from various colleges in the city. Out of the 11 participating colleges, Durga Malleswara Siddhartha Women's College secured first place, Maris Stella College came second, and Andhra Loyola College took third place. The guests presented prizes to the winners. Many librarians, students, and representatives of private libraries from across the city actively participated in the event.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
Camp to raise awareness on benefits of rooftop solar plants in Puducherry today
The Electricity Department, in association with the Renewable Energy Agency, Puducherry, will organise an awareness camp on Thursday to propagate awareness on the benefits of installing rooftop solar photo voltaic plants in residential households. A press note said the camp to explain features of the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the RK Annai Abirami Thirumana Nilayam, Kirumampakkam. According to the department, the Government of India is offering subsidy to the tune of ₹30,000 for 1 KW, ₹60,000 for 2 KW and ₹78,000 for 3 KW to residential consumers. So far, 1,230 consumers have commissioned rooftop solar plants and an estimated ₹3.8 crore has been disbursed as subsidy. Further details are available on 9489080373/9489080374 or can be got by emailing ee2ped@
