ఏపీ ఆన్‌లైన్‌లో ఉచితంగా తెలుగు సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్‌

http://www.aponline.gov.in/Apportal/TeluguSoftware/index1.html

ప్రభుత్వ వెబ్‌సైట్‌ 'ఏపీఆన్‌లైన్‌' (www.aponline.gov.in) లో తెలుగు సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్‌ను ఉంచామని అధికార భాషా సంఘం అధ్యక్షుడు ఏబీకే ప్రసాద్‌ ఒక ప్రకటనలో తెలిపారు. కంప్యూటర్‌ సాయంతో నిర్వహించే పాలన వ్యవహారాల్లోనూ తెలుగు వాడకాన్ని పెంచే ఉద్దేశంతో ఈ సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్‌ను ఉంచినట్లు తెలిపారు. దీన్ని ఉచితంగా డౌన్‌లోడ్‌ చేసుకోవచ్చన్పారు. వెబ్‌సైట్‌లోని 'గవర్నమెంట్‌ ఇన్ఫర్మేషన్‌' సూచికలో 'డౌన్‌లోడ్‌ తెలుగు సాఫ్ట్‌వేర్‌' ఉంటుందని తెలిపారు. విన్డోస్‌ ఎక్స్‌పీ ఉన్న కంప్యూటర్ల ద్వారానే డౌన్‌లోడ్‌ అవుతుందని తెలిపారు.

Courtesy: ఈనాడు

AP launches 'Customer (E2C) Service'

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Energy Coal and Minorities Welfare, Shabbir Ali Mohammed, today launched the 'Geneva Software Enterprise to Customer (E2C) Service', to send power alerts on billing status, power cuts, bill receipts and other information to the public in Telugu language through SMS.

Talking to newspersons here, the minister said the state government would look into the prospects of introducing the system in other departments like police to provide information in local language through SMS. The facility would be soon available in Urdu language also, he added.

Andhra Pradesh Official Language Chairman, A.B.K. Prasad, said Geneva Software Technologies was the first software company which introduced SMS in Telugu.

He urged the government to utilise the facility in other departments too as rural people need to get information in Telugu only.

Geneva Software Technologies' Managing Director, T. Muralai Krishna Reddy, said 'Geneva E2C', the latest innovation, which helps connect enterprise and customers in their preferred language, had tied up with Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) to provide information through SMS.

He said the aim of introducing this innovation in India was to reach out to the multi-cultural populace, especially in the rural region.

Courtesy: Sify

Telugu film Vanaja bags two Independent Spirit Award nominations

Critically acclaimed Telugu film వనజ (Vanaja), directed by Indian filmmaker Rajnesh Domalpalli, has continued its winning streak by picking up two major Independent Spirit Award nominations.

One of this year's best reviewed foreign language films, Vanaja has been nominated for Best First Feature along with such high-profile entries as Julie Delpy's Two Days In Paris and Scott Frank's The Lookout.

It has also been nominated for Best Cinematography where director of photography Milton Kam faces fierce competition from Rodrigo Prieto of Lust, Caution and Janusz Kaminski of The Diving Bell and The Butterfly.

The Independent Spirit Awards ceremony, the premier event for the independent filmmakers, will take place on Feb 23, 2008, one day before the Academy Awards.

An official selection in 93 film festivals in at least 41 countries and a winner of 20 international film awards, Vanaja is set in rural south India, where social barriers are built stronger than fort walls. The film explores the chasm that divides classes, as a young girl struggles to come of age while pursuing her dreams of becoming a dancer.

Winner of the Jury Prize for Best First Feature at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, Vanaja has been hailed by major film critics across the US. The New York Times praised it as "an absolutely timeless film" while highly-regarded film critic Roger Ebert gave it four stars, saying "Vanaja is a beautiful and very special film."

Vanaja has played in all major US cities, including New York City (where it played 8 weeks), and in Los Angeles and San Francisco (where it played for a month). The film continues to draw crowds in other cities including Denver where it is now in its third week, and Pittsburgh where it is in its second week.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Anne McDonnell of Boston has been adjudged, the winner of an essay writing contest Why I Dream of Going To India organised by the filmmaker. The winner receives a free round-trip for two to India, along with a $1,000 cash prize. Nine semi-finalists were also picked and will each receive a $100 consolation prize.

Dedicating the essay and the dream trip to her mother, McDonnell wrote poignantly about "her desire that all children have of being able to give their parents even a fraction of what's been bestowed upon them through the years."

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Telugu comedian Brahmanandam finds place in Guinness book

Hyderabad (PTI): Telugu film comedian బ్రహ్మానందం (Brahmanandam) has found place in the Guinness Book of World Records for acting in the largest number of films -- 754 -- in a single language.

"I have achieved this record in 20 years. I am thrilled. I have got an official confirmation in this regard. It is all because of the love and affection showered by the Telugu people," he said.

A lecturer before he entered the filmdom, Brahmanandam began his career with అహ నా పెళ్ళంట (Ahana Pellanta) directed by late Jandhyala who used to be hailed as హాస్య బ్రహ్మ (Hasya Brahma).

With 'Ahana Pellanta' achieving stupendous success, Brahmanandam never looked back.

With his unique style of acting, inimitabe dialogue delivery and body language, he went on to become a household name in Andhra Pradesh in a short span of time.

It is no exaggeration to say that no Telugu film was released in the 1990s without the actor. There were a number of movies which had a separate comedy track featuring Brahmanandam and other leading comedy actors like Kota Srinivasa Rao and Babu Mohan.

According to rough estimates, he has been acting in a minimum of 35 films every year for the past 22 years.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Telugu studies in foreign universities

Telugu varsity keen to start academic activity leading to research in US and Germany

---

PSTU will bear expenses for first five years

Projects to be submitted to the State for aid

---

HYDERABAD: పొట్టి శ్రీరాములు తెలుగు విశ్వవిద్యాలయం (Potti Sriramulu Telugu University) is keen on taking up academic activity in Telugu leading to research at Emory University of Atlanta in US and Heidelberg University in Germany.

The university would have to bear the expenditure for the first five years and thereafter the local universities would foot the bill.

The projects would be posed to the State government for assistance, university Vice-Chancellor A. Manjulatha told a press conference here on Sunday.

Romanian students

She said the university had recently offered help to set up a chair at Hebrew University in Israel. Velcheru Narayana Rao, a Telugu professor, coordinated with David Schulman, a researcher, in creating academic infrastructure at Hebrew. Similarly, the university was also willing to host five Romanian students who evinced interest in learning Telugu, she added.

Kakatiya Cements offered financial support to students of a two-year diploma course in Harikatha from this year. Since the students were from rural areas who could not afford to stay in Hyderabad at their own cost, the cement company would pay them a monthly stipend of Rs. 750 and also the rent for their accommodation.

Ms. Manjulatha also said the second all-India Kuchipudi dance festival will be organised by Potti Sriramulu Telugu University at its art centre at Kuchipudi in Krishna district from December 28 to 30.

Sidhendra award

Noted Kuchipudi exponent Yamini Krishnamurthy will receive the Sidhendra award, instituted to coincide with the festival. It was presented jointly to Vempati Chinasatyam and Vedanta Satyanarayana Sarma last year.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and a memento with the photograph of Sidhendra.

She said the three-day festival will comprise seminars and demonstration-cum-lectures on Kuchipudi during the day and dance performances in the evenings.

Besides Kuchipudi, there will be Odissi and Kathak dance performances.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Kotalingala village faces threat from Yellampally

The site excavation holds key to pre-Sathavahana history

---

There is no recorded history of early Andhra kings

Kotalingala coins prove antiquity of Telugu language

Hyderabad, December 12: Are we on the verge of losing a treasure trove of archaeological evidence to the early history of Andhra Kings whose territory extended up to Central India much before the well-documented Sathavahana period?

The answer could be an unfortunate ‘yes’ if Kotalingala village in Karimnagar district, with tell-tale evidences of archaeological proof that can throw more light about the pre-Sathavahana period, is submerged by Yellampally project. This, even before a proposed thorough investigation of site is taken up by the government.

Time is running out as the project is progressing well and the villagers are to be shifted to pave way for the work. Though the Archaeology Department carried out excavations in a haphazard manner during 1978 -83 which resulted in finding of 450 coins, gold beads, pottery, decorative art of pre-Sathavahana period, a report was published only last year.

But the much-needed resurvey and systematic excavation of the 120-acre site at Kotalingala with remnants of fort, stupa, ancient Siva temple, open wells and connecting channels to know more about pre-Sathavahana period, not documented anywhere, is still hanging fire.

Significant discovery

The discovery of the coins of pre-Sathavahana and Sathavahana period in 1978 is considered significant in the numismatics history of South India as for the first time it showed that the inscribed coins belonged to Gobada, first Andhra King who ruled from Kotalingala and others followed by Satavahana kings.

Gobada is acknowledged as the first king who issued inscribed coins in the Andhra region, says numismatist D.Raja Reddy who did extensive research and brought out several publications along with P.Suryanarayana Reddy giving a clear description of these coins.

There is no recorded history of early Andhra kings and the Puranas only talk about Sathavahanas, referred to as Andhra Bhruthyas, who actually succeeded Andhra Kings but it was never conclusively proved till the discovery of Kotilingala coins, Dr. Reddy explained.

Just as Nagarjuna Konda and Amaravathi were preserved for posterity as a mark of contribution of Ikshvakus, who ruled a small territory in Krishna delta only for 100 years, Kotilingala fort site, the place from where Sathavahanas ruled up to Gwalior, comprising half of India at one time, should be preserved and protected.

The excavation could throw up valuable inputs just like Harappan excavations, Dr. Reddy says. Kotalingala coins also came handy in proving the antiquity of Telugu in comparison to other Dravidian languages and the government has also published a book on it written by Dr. Reddy.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Incentives proposed for the use of Telugu

HYDERABAD: The State Official Languages Commission has decided to give cash awards as an incentive from 2008 to the staff in Secretariat for using at least 70 per cent Telugu in files.

The proposals to this effect were submitted to the Chief Secretary by the commission on Wednesday.

The exercise to select the employees for this incentive would, however, be announced later, it said.

The commission proposed that use of Telugu in files should be made criterion for release/sanction of the annual increment to an employee. In a statement here later, commission chairman A. B. K. Prasad said the memo would not harm the employee, but serve as a warning.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Tirupati: Lepakshi festival begins

TIRUPATI: The Lapakshi Handicrafts Emporium, a State Government undertaking has on Thursday set up its Exhibition cum Sales Expo in the premises of Sri Thyagaraja Trust here. Of the 50-odd stalls expected to be put up at the expo by the public and private handicrafts units drawn from different parts of the state, 45 have already become functional while the rest also would go on stream in the next one or two days.

The 13-day expo is being organised by the Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium, the apex body of the State handicrafts units not only to provide a marketing outlet for an assortment of merchandise produced by the rural artisans with their deft hands but also to develop a taste especially among the younger generation for our desi items.

Materials displayed
Some of the materials on display at the expo are Nirmal paintings, black-metal and Brass items, Banjara embroidery, Hyderabad pearls and jewellery, gold-covering ornaments, leather goods, Kondapalle and Yetikoppaka wood-carved toys, jute items and more importantly the, Rudrakshas the use of which is of late catching up among the religious-minded public.

Also on display are a range of handloom saris of all popular varieties such as Pochampalli, Venkatagiri, Bengali Cotton, Madurai, Chirala, Mangalagiri, Narayanapeta besides attractive dress materials and blankets. While a 10% rebate is allowed on the handicrafts items, it is 20% on the handloom saris, dress materials, blankets etc.

Formally declaring open the mela, the TTD’s Executive Officer, K.V. Ramanachary said that handicrafts and handloom items which are symbols of the Indian traditional crafts deserved all patronage on par with fine arts and literature. He said buying handicrafts goods would mean indirectly helping the family of a rural artisan whose tribe fast on the wane for want of the much-needed patronage.

K. Venkateswara Rao, Manager of the Tirumala Emporium has said that the Lepakshi Handicrafts which achieved an over all sales turn-over of Rs. 46 crore last fiscal has set for itself a higher target of Rs.60 crore of which Rs.32 crore was already achieved.

Courtesy: The Hindu