DASNR
International
Student of the Week
Home Country:
India
Bangalore, India:
Bangalore , also known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.
Though historical references to the city predate 900 CE, a modern written history of continuous settlement exists only from 1537, when Kempe Gowda I, who many regard as the architect of modern Bangalore, built a mud-brick fort at the site and established it as a province of the imperial Vijayanagara Empire. During the British Raj, it became a centre of colonial rule in South India. The establishment of the Bangalore Cantonment brought in large numbers of migrants from other parts of the country.
Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its preeminent position as the nation's leading IT employer and exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India.
Bangalore is the fastest growing major metropolis in India. Additionally, Bangalore is India's fourth largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. The city is the third largest hub for high net worth individuals and is home to over 10,000 dollar millionaires and about 60,000 super-rich people who have an investable surplus of Rs. 4.5 crore (US$ 1 million) and Rs. 50 lakh (US$ 106,500) respectively. As of 2001, Bangalore's share of Rs. 1,660 crore (US$ 400 million) in Foreign Direct Investment was the fourth highest for an Indian city.
Bangalore is known as the "Garden City of India" because of its greenery and the presence of many public parks. Bangalore is home to the Kannada film industry, which churns out about 80 Kannada movies each year. One of the most notable contributors to Sandalwood, as the Kannada Movie Industry is referred to, was the late Dr. Rajkumar.
The diversity of cuisine is reflective of the social and economic diversity of Bangalore. Roadside vendors, tea stalls, and South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Western fast food are all very popular in the city. Udupi restaurants are very popular and serve predominantly vegetarian, regional cuisine.
Bangalore is also a major center of Indian classical music and dance. Classical music and dance recitals are widely held throughout the year and particularly during the Ramanavami and Ganesha Chaturthi festivals. The Bengaluru Gayana Samaja has been at the forefront of promoting classical music and dance in the city. The city also has a vibrant Kannada theater scene with organisations like Ranga Shankara leading the way. Bangalore is also sometimes called as the "Pub Capital of India" and is one of the premier places to hold international rock. Source: Wikipedia
Nandi Bull on Chamundi Hills, Mysore. Nandi, the Bull God, is the vehicle of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology.
Mysore Palace.
Kalpana Kushwaha
June 23, 2009
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From the Department of Food Science
This week’s international student of the week is Kalpana Kushwaha. She is a PhD candidate in Food Microbiology. Kalpana is from Bangalore, India; she speaks Hindi, English and Kannada. Above Kalpana, Aarush, and Dinesh after a Conference Kalpana is member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a member of the International Association of Food Protection, the Animal Science Graduate Student Association and the Food Science Club. Kalpana has had an outstanding career; she has been awarded with several scholarships and she also has been first and second place in professional conferences and meetings; among her accomplishments are:
Above is Kalpana's family in India: From left to right, Shalini (sister-in-law), her mother, kalpana and her father. Bottom row from left, Praveen holding Aarush, Dinesh and Pankaj. Kalpana spends most of her free time with her son Aarush who is 4 years old; she likes to do household tasks, watch television and browse the internet. She came to the USA to pursue a desire of doing a PhD here. In Kalpana’s words she “chose OSU because of its excellence in research and diverse nature of academic degrees offered. It is a very friendly university with people coming to study from all over the world and a great place to study and live.”
Kalpana comes from a family of four children, her father is retired from the Indian Air Force and her mother is a housewife. Kalpana has three brothers, Prashant who is a software engineer settled in London; Praveen who is also a software engineer working for HP in Boston, and Pankaj who is an officer in India Army. Kalpana is married to Dinesh who is an OSU Ph.D. student in food microbiology.
Above: Sumita (sister-in-law), Tanisha and Prashant (brother)
Above: Kalpana's Mother Pushpalatha; Pankaj (brother); Poonam (sister-in-law); father (Y.P. Kushwaha) Kalpanas’ future plans are to continue in the academics and she dreams to do the research of her own interest. Advisor: Dr. Peter Muriana Kalpana’s advice to International Students: “Graduate study away from your home country can sometimes be strenuous and time consuming. It does not matter how much time you spend to earn a degree, but it matters what you accomplish apart from the degree during your stay. So work hard in everything you do.” Good luck to Kalpana who is defending her dissertation the the first week of July 2009.
Above: Kalpana and her source of inspiration (her mother) having a hearty laugh.
Interview by; Sandra Rodriguez
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