Monday, March 4, 2024


TENT REP PICTURE

Tent Story & NCC of 1966-67


Dwarkanath K  Murthy


This reminds ME, of pegging the tent, digging the trench around, making the floor, create open toilets, sleep on rough floor on a carpet, use multipurpose porcelain mug and plate for day and night, enjoy the night sky, probably clear and unpolluted, stillness of dark making the stars visible, in the sky of December-January, 66-67, at the sprawling landscape of Chandrayanagutta, with twenty tents in an order, making a pleasant scene. Guided by a military major and trained by BGEdwards (late) as the NCC commanding officer, enjoyed the TENT STAY

It was wonderful experience to stay in a tent, ten cadets in each, for 15 continuous days, (no bunking in between), with majority smoking at that young age and being non vegetarians, was a tough time to get accommodated. Our NCC officer of College was one of the Director of physical education, Mr.BG Edwards , a 6 footer, ace basket player and national coach, also at YMCA in early sixties, known for cutting lots of humour.  

Unforgettable person is one Mr Majeed a senior under officer, senior fellow student, who was rough and tough supervising us with a wand in hand. At that point he was a terror. 

Till this day I have not been able to get standard adult shoes in BATA, so NCC shoes never came in my size. This became humorous for BGE saying "what your shoes are bigger than you". Invariably the 302 rifle was probably as long and as heavy as me, was the other bit of comedy.  The bi-weekly parade, attracted by the refreshments, though never satisfactory quantum vice, were enjoyable. At the end of the parade ordeal, way back home,  if small change like 5 or 10 or 25 paise available in the pocket, by two bananas or a nankatai biscuits in the military canteen opposite to the College, a subsidised one for 10 or 25 paise (3.5" in size) a feast, and peddle back happily a 10 Km cycle ride back home. 

On 19th of July 2016, our 50th reunion day, myself along with Narasimha Murthy*, went to drop our school drill teacher of ours, Mr. Augustine, now settled in Chicago for last 25 years, at BGEs place at Chappal Bazar, as he was ailing, Courtesy demanded that I should see my officer, but paucity of time did not allow. Unfortunately BGE passed away while we're at US last, in 2016 and I just sent condolence message to the department. 

Had the privilege of giving admission to BGEs daughter at Nizam College in 1996, by then he had retired, subsequently he moved to US worked on all jobs, being a catholic he had his own ways. Had met him just once later. As a school boy used to watchhim play basket ball at YMCA prior to 1965.

Question arises was it necessary to join, yes it was mandatory following the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The Jai Jahan Jai Kisan had the resounding effect with a bigul.

A good experience with the National Cadet Corps..

*he was also a NCC cadet under BGEs guidance in the same College, but a year later to me.

"The world is so small"

Monday, February 19, 2024

                                                                  Smt. Shanta Bai

Arts & Crafts Teacher


by

Dr Dwarkanath K. Murthy








Probably very few of us recollect Smt. Shanta Bai, our Middle School arts and crafts teacher who established a unique art-oriented culture in the school. Her classes were very enjoyable as they did not involve the use of books or even pencils/pens, and avoided the monotony of her teaching as well as the requirement of our attention. By nature Mrs. Shanta Bai was a motherly figure, very soft and compassionate, with typical Kannadiga/ Maharashtrian attire. 



It was in class VII that I prepared an Agarbatti stand using wire ,andvelveteen threads, all under the able guidance of Smt Shanta Bai. The stand was well secured, and for few years became an annual exhibit during the Dassera doll festival at home. 



Definitely my learning from this rudimentary artwork helped in its own way much later. While standardising the air drying technique for preparation of chromosomes in 1973, which took over 3 months, first to standardise in our country, even before BARC, I had always argued that preparation of the crystal clear chromosomal pictures on a slide was more of an art, and its study from genetic standpoint is science

Let me now pay due respects to our teacher. I spend some time on iPhone, photographing, creating pictures and editing them to develop anunique presentation for self-satisfaction. Here is a collage of pictures shot, cropped and edited on iPhone

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Global Alumni Meet 2023 OU




An edited clip of Global Alumni Meet 2023 of OSMANIA UNIVERSITY on 3rd Jan. at Tagore Auditorium OU campus. 

Dr.Raghu Kalluri, was *Guest of Honour* at the Vice Chancellors Award function. Dr Kalluri studied at Nizam College (Constituent of OU), belonging to 1988 batch. 

On the dias are OSD to VC, OU; Registrar, OU;   Vice Chancellor, OU, Prof D Ravinder, ; Chief Guest Dr.Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor to Defense Minister GOI; Chief Guest Prof B Jageeshwar Rao, VC of Hyderabad Central University and Guest of Honour, Prof R Limbadri, Chairman Telangana State Council of Higher Education.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Reminiscence Sri Udapachar Esq




Reminiscence Sri Udapachar Esq.

(H K Dwarkanath alias Dwarkanath K Murthy)

It would be long story to recollect the experiences, having spent the most fruitful
years of my career from 1959 to 1966. Several teachers come into my mind, definitely every one has made an impact on us in our upbringing.

Having studied for 2 years at St Aloysius School Bhusawal, under the care of my maternal grand parents, I was back to my parents place in 1959. Here I started my journey with the  Nrupathunga. The big gift from our HM was an admission to class VI directly from IV, after a formal test. Interstate disparities helped me in a way for this double promotion. It was a big saving of an academic year. 

The second blessing was free education. The school had a scheme of awarding free ship to one among three siblings studying at the same time. Though not student of rank, my father suggested my name. In the process I had a free education throughout schooling, steady performance was the criterion. Later, girls education became free, and my sister Sreemathi also enjoyed free education. Courtesy Sri SU, both of us enjoyed the privilege.

Relocated from Bhusawal, I was compelled to learn Kannada in place of Marathi, so that my parents could tutor me at home. In the process of learning kannada and speaking knowledge of Telugu, my rudimentary knowledge in Marathi was given for a toss. Being a stranger to the working languages in the school, but for Kamalakar, with whom I would converse in English, I wasn't able communicate with majority. Moving to class IX, I preferred to sit beside Ravi, during the kannada tests with a hope that he would help me out. This was in vain as I could never cope up with his speed. Hope Ravi remembers it.

The third blessing is the most important one, but for it I wouldn't have got through the matriculation (MP) courtesy again our mentor the great. As envisaged above the draculean vernacular would have pulled me down, but for high internal marks, that too the first language carried 200 marks. I realised all these jugglery  only when we got our blue book, the school record. Any amount of gratitude to our HM  is insufficient. 


Coming to a specific event, while Udapachar Sir was describing the Pandora's Box, he mentioned shine and sheen of it with great emphasis, spontaneously I looked at our desk. On observing this he quoted "yes these tables will have the same shine". 

The other incident was me and Murthy getting a thrash on 30th January, Gandhiji's punyathithi . In the milee when Sir was busy started muttering "TC deeyato Vivek Vardhini chalajayange".  The reason was we were caught giggling during the 2 min silence period. Though whole class had giggled, ignited by Srinath only we two became the visible targets for our Guru. Luckily the third person on the bench Vaidya got covered.

As Murthy mentioned, we life science students were given special coaching in Math at his home and it was gratis. I don't think I was mature enough to understand his generosity.  No one can imagine such an act in the present day.

Going through the above one can gauge how much I have benefitted by this great personality. I was also fortunate to hear him shout at our door step, (residing beside Reddy college) early in the mornings, keeping the vigil on us during XII. Today's generation do not believe such a person ever existed. Having been in the teaching profession I have tried my best in emulating him in a very small and humble way during my 35 years carrier. Specially during my administrative stints never applied for leave. 

My Sincere salutations to the Guru.

A Short Story


A Short Story


GLORY OF THE CONDEMNED PLATE


One may not may believe how an in inanimate object could find its way to adore the almighty' decorative environment. A glittering plastic plate was to be trashed as usual At Natick MA following its purpose, it was to be trashed in the dry trash bin and would start it's unknown journey along with scores of dry trash and probably in no time would have been converted to an unknown article following recycling. IT'S destiny was  elsewhere, couple of days later it flew as part of luggage all the way from Boston to Dubai and to Hyderabad. Got itself relocated at Hyderabad with due respect with un diminished shine and sheen. Never to understand it's own journey and role to play. Plate was destined to be a decorative item adoring LORD KRISHNA on his JAYANTHI on third of September 2018, seated in front of the crawling AMBEGAL KRISHNA carrying the beautiful CHRYSANTHEMUM flowers intermixed with JASMINE and the sacred Basel  - THE TULASI. The flowers being offered to  THE LORD a 1000 times by way of individual flowers plucked from a composite, coinciding with SAHASRA nama of the GREAT ORGANISER LORD VISHNU and also served the LORD the NIVEDYAM. A YEOMAN service offered by the condemned plate UNRAVELS unimaginable ACT of finding a way in the service of the LORD. 


The whole episode reminds another story, travails of "TATTERED wiping cloth ordained to be A WICK". A devotee, who could not afford either a lamp or oil to serve the almighty,  as desired, was on his errands begging people for offer and none had responded. The only thing he got was was tattered a wiping cloth thrown  on his face in a fit of anger and hate, by one doing his domestic chore. THE CLOTH In its state never knew its destiny. All that devotee could do was collect it, wash the linen clean and dry it and untangle the strands for its new role. The WASTE cloth never ever knew that it would be a part  illuminating LORDS chamber spreading light to DRIVE AWAY THE DARKNESS 🙏🙏🙏 




One may not may believe how an in inanimate decorative 🙏🙏🙏 


2018




Sent from my iPad

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Osmania University Centenary Celebration honouring of Retired Teachers 2017

 



Osmania University honors retired teachers on the occasion of Centenary of Osmania University (1917-2017)

Left to Right: Prof Gopal Reddy Registrar, Prod D Manohar Rao, President, Retired Teacher's Association, Prof Ramana Dean Faculty of Science, Prof D Ramachandran VC, OU, Prof B Satyanarayana, President OUTA

At Assembly Hall, University College of Science OU

Studies on genetic effects of Total Solar Eclipse (1980) by CS Reddy, Dwarkanath K Murthy and NGP Rao, REPORTED IN THE HINDU 1981 Jan 28

 


This news item in the National Daily THE HINDU in 1981, pertains to the work carried out by Dr. C S REDDY, APAU FACULTY, at Japal Rangapur Obervatory, 60 km from Hyderabad on 16th February 1980, following the rare TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, part of the work related to Cytogenetics was done by Dr.Dwarkanath K Murthy, OU Faculty, under the guidance of Dr. NGP RAO, Vice Chancellor Agricultural University, Pantanagar, Gujarat.


First author lacked permission to attend the International Conference at Delhi in 1981, second author was attending a conference at Calcutta on the days of the conference and third senior author preoccupied as VC could not make it. Surprisingly the news item appeared, probably because of the chairman of the session reading it out or from published in proceedings.

The news item generated lot of interest at Department of Genetics Osmania University and became widely discussed and acclaimed. Those days coverage was rare.


TODAY ONE MAY CALL IT FAKE NEWS
BUT EVERYONE THOUGHT THEN *SOMEONE HAS PRESENTED IT*