Hyderabad: Dr Mendu Vishnu Vardhana Rao has been appointed officiating Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Public Health Sciences, which recently attained the status of a deemed to be university under the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Dr Rao holds the position of ICMR Chair in Medical Statistics and formerly served as director of the National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS), New Delhi. He is an alumnus of Osmania University and his career spans over three decades.
Dr Rao’s expertise encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary domains, including biomedical informatics, clinical trials, nutrition, artificial intelligence and big data analytics. During his directorship at Nims, he helped in establishing the Clinical Trials Registry – India (CTRI). Dr Rao also served as the head of the artificial intelligence cell at the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), where he led several initiatives of national importance. He also played an instrumental role in formulating the National Guidelines for Data Quality in Surveys and the Ethical Guidelines for AI in Biomedical Research and Healthcare.
Geothermal Research Centre Inaugurated
Hyderabad: The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) campus got a new research facility on Wednesday when Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), inaugurated the Centre for Geothermal Energy Research (CGER). The centre has been established with the aim of harnessing India’s geothermal potential through advanced scientific research and innovation.
The new centre will integrate geological, geochemical and geophysical expertise under one roof. It is expected to help in advancing exploration techniques, developing indigenous technologies for sustainable exploitation and providing scientific support for the efficient utilisation of geothermal reservoirs. At the same time, it will focus on nurturing a skilled workforce.
Surveys to Show Nomadic Tribes’ Plight: Ponnam
Hyderabad: Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced that the government has allocated `400 crore for the development of nomadic tribes, of which Rs.100 crore had been released. He said education and employment would be the main focus, calling for better learning opportunities and skill training to improve livelihoods.
Speaking at the Nomadic Tribes Day celebrations at Ravindra Bharati, he noted the developments to provide 42 per cent reservations to the community, he said more steps were needed for their welfare. He said those who had moved ahead in life must support others from their community.
The minister said 100 unemployed youths from the most backward classes (MBCs) were being trained to help them secure jobs. Plans were also underway to provide housing for nomadic tribes. He said surveys would capture the actual conditions faced by these communities and help tailor welfare schemes.
He requested people to stay united, work hard, and pursue higher education so that nomadic tribes could strengthen their position politically and socially. He also said that the Nomadic Tribes Liberation Day celebrations should be held on a larger scale in the coming years.
Present on the Occasion were legislative country chairman banda prakash, BJP MP Etala Rajendar, BC Commission Chairman Niranjan, Mla Eerlapali Shankar, MBC Corporation Chairman Jaripat Jaripat, BC Welfare Commissioner Balamayadivi, and officials of the BC Welfare Department.
Telangana State to Install SPB Statue at Ravindra Bharathi
Hyderabad: The government has given approval for the installation of a statue of the late playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam at Ravindra Bharathi here. The department of language and culture has been asked to place the statue, made by the Music Group, beside that of the renowned singer Ghantasala Venkateshwara Rao on the premises.
According to the memo, the department will bear the expenses for the pedestal and related construction work. It stated that the director of the department of language and culture should take steps for the installation of Balasubrahmanyam’s statue.
The decision follows earlier correspondence between the department and the government through multiple memos and letters issued between July and November last year. The latest directive now allows the statue to be placed in the space designated within Ravindra Bharathi.
