Latest news with #GITAMUniversity
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Mini World opens in Visakhapatnam with 12 global landmark replicas
A trip around the globe may be an expensive dream, but at the newly-launched Mini World at Vishwanadh Sports Club, Port Stadium, visitors can step into the heart of Italy, experience the grandeur of ancient Rome, or marvel at the fantasy of Singapore's Far Far Away Castle, by simply taking a walk. Spread across a separate section of the Port Stadium, Mini World is a permanent display of 12 human-scale models of world-famous monuments. The experience features iconic structures such as the Florence Cathedral (Duomo), the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rome's Colosseum, London's Tower Bridge, and the whimsical Far Far Away Castle from Universal Studios Singapore. Each model is built to near-accurate proportions, providing visitors with an opportunity to engage closely with global architectural marvels. Crafted from fibre, the project took nine months to complete, with a dedicated team of 55 skilled artists from Kolkata who created the structures. The entire installation came at a cost of ₹1.8 crore, with each structure priced at around ₹8 lakh. The priced jewel, however, is the Florence Cathedral, one of the greatest masterpieces of Gothic art and the first Italian Renaissance. 'This intricate piece alone cost approximately ₹15 lakh due to its elaborate design and detailing,' says Narendra Kumar of Vishwanadh Sports Club. Presently, the finishing touches are being fine-tuned by a team of architecture students from GITAM University. 'We have worked on it for two weeks, tried different textures and mixtures of colour combinations to bring out the intricate ornamentation details of Florence Cathedral,' says AR Jyothi Marri, assistant professor at GITAM University. 'It was challenging to get matching colours and surface finishing. We ran multiple tests and used different layering techniques. Photographic references helped us understand the facade, dome and the symmetrical patterns that make the Duomo so iconic.' Each structure at Mini World is brightly illuminated in the evenings. Accompanying each monument is an information board that offers historical context and interesting trivia. A new package deal is also in the works, one that includes personalised photo prints for families of four, to capture memories amid these global replicas. The Mini World is open from 10am to 9pm, with an entry fee of ₹199 per person.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Why Gen Z is turning to wisdom on Instagram
Philosophy — the greatest form of liberal art. It is difficult to understand, and as they say, 'One who chases philosophy ends up losing everything.' In a world where almost everyone, right from children to the elderly, is glued to 15-20 second reels, a quiet but curious shift is unfolding on Instagram. Between beach photos and dance challenges, there's a new genre flourishing — the one of philosophy quotes, existential musings, and reflections on Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, and Marcus Aurelius. For many young people, especially Gen Z, philosophy is no longer confined to the university classroom. It's become a way to make sense of a world full of questions. 'Philosophy has become a necessary refuge for this generation,' says Debadrita Chakraborty, assistant professor in the Department of English and Other Languages at GITAM University, Hyderabad. 'We are living in a time where political and regional fundamentalism is peaking, yet young people are choosing to question it. They are thinkers, asking the right questions,' she notes. This isn't the dusty, academic philosophy in heavy old textbooks. Instead, it's bite-sized and beautifully designed, and shared by influencers on Instagram and Threads, where Nietzsche's 'God is dead' meets pastel sunsets and serif fonts. But does that make the content superficial? 'On the surface, it might seem aesthetic-driven,' Debadrita says. 'But it works because there's an audience genuinely engaging with it. People don't just stop at the visuals; many go deeper. They resonate with the thought behind the quote, and that opens the door for more reading, more questioning,' she adds. She points out that forums — digital or otherwise — that make philosophy accessible are crucial to note. 'These platforms simplify philosophy, making it less intimidating for beginners,' she states. At the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, professor Jibu Mathew George sees this shift as part of a broader cultural moment. He says, 'Philosophy today includes more than traditional academic discourse. The semantic field has expanded. What we once thought of as mere 'life thoughts or reflections' are now often included under the umbrella of philosophy.' According to him, this expansion has been shaped by two academic tendencies: analytic philosophy, which leans toward logic and precision, and continental philosophy, which engages with existential questions like class, ideology, identity. 'Today's readers are co-creators of meaning. They read Nietzsche and Camus in new ways, shaped by 21st-century contexts,' he explains. The democratisation of knowledge, particularly through the internet, has played a key role. 'Social media has created platforms where philosophy is no longer locked in academia,' he notes, adding, 'Students now access lectures, documentaries, and conversations that were previously unavailable. This is a positive shift, but with a caveat.' That caveat is interpretation. 'When you quote Karl Marx or Freud on Instagram, there's a real risk of misinterpretation. Freud never even used the word 'subconscious', but it gets thrown around all the time. These thinkers are often misunderstood when reduced to hashtags,' Jibu states. Still, both professors agree that platforms like Bookstagram are helping build a culture of reading, even if it starts with snippets. 'Social media is reshaping what it means to be 'well-read',' says Debadrita, adding, 'But the real question is: will people go beyond the quote and read the whole book?' She points out that the line between philosophy and self-reflection is becoming fluid, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. 'Gen Z can't keep a supercilious mask for long. Whatever they pick up, even unintentionally, often leads to introspection. There's a deeper need at play here,' notes Debadrita. Jibu, too, acknowledges this, saying, 'The academic and experiential are starting to cross-fertilise. What we once thought of as 'high-funda' theory is becoming part of everyday experience. But we have to ask: are these simplified versions reductive? Or are they gateways?' In a world of overstimulation and broken attention, it may just be that philosophy offers something different: stillness, structure, and a space to wonder. And for a generation trying to make meaning out of chaos, that might be exactly what they need.
India.com
26-04-2025
- Business
- India.com
Innovative Excellence in Software Engineering By Pratyosh Desaraju
Innovative Excellence in Software Engineering By Pratyosh Desaraju Pratyosh Desaraju is a Senior Software Engineer with over a decade of experience in full-stack development, based in Leander, Texas. With a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Central Missouri and a Bachelor's in Information Technology from GITAM University, India, he brings academic rigor to real-world engineering challenges. His expertise encompasses building resilient, high-performance software systems using state-of-the-art development practices and methodologies. Throughout his career at prominent Fortune 100 companies in the insurance and retail sectors, Pratyosh has consistently demonstrated excellence in delivering scalable, secure solutions while championing quality engineering practices and fostering strong team collaboration. Q1. What dragged you into the field of software engineering, and how did your experiences in early years play a role in shaping your career? I will take you back to Jabalpur, India, which did not have computers at that time, but I would spend my summer vacation surrounded by my grandfather's computers. As a child, I was made to geek out, mostly in terms of gaming, I confess. But one summer, I suddenly got the itch to know how they worked, and that flipped a switch in my head. All of a sudden, computers were no longer fun-they turned into a puzzle, and I would solve that puzzle. That's what stuck with me and pushed me into software engineering. It was all about building things that matter since then and creating a career in which I deal with real problems and see their effect unfold. Q2. How do you envision technology changing the operational efficiency of industries today? It does take a very big turn in the game because you have data tools that do risk analysis sharper and do quick, speedy claims in insurance, and in retail that do end-to-end tracking when a product hits some particular time and even appears to be able to predict things before the customers think of them. All this newly created, beautiful smashed data can be actionized very quickly. So, today, a business is not only wasting time on it; it is also getting ahead of its competitors anywhere in the world. It all looks really exciting, honestly, it's not about minor tweaks. It's a whole new playbook. Q3. Would you share an amazing project in which your leadership transformed complication into success? One that I worked on in the real-time space that is an inventory system for a big retailer is a monster project, really. Data were coming in from all over in crazy amounts, and it had to sync so that there were no hiccups, even under crazy pressure. The old one was a wreck-delays, errors, the whole works. I was one of the key members of the team jumping into building a microservices with Kafka controlling the data flow, Docker keeping it agile, and Kubernetes holding it all together. Finding a pathway through that chaos was all teamwork; mine was making sure the tech sangcutting the latency, boosting accuracy, and locking it down solid. Just the kind of win that reminds you why you love this gig. Q4. What is your strategy regarding software security in the cold shower of growing threats in cyberspace? Security is everything to me; it's not something you tack on later. I begin with the designs, applying Checkmarx or others to catch weak spots early. APIs? Jammed tightly with OAuth2 and rate limiting-no one's sneaking their way in. At the same time, my team keeps sharp with regular training, and we run vulnerability scans and pen tests before anything goes live. After that, it's AppDynamics that watches it like a hawk. It's all about staying one step ahead, because these days, one slip-up can lead to enormous costs. One should be relentless about it. Q5. How do you balance speed and quality in delivering software solutions with high stakes? It is a tightrope, isn't it? Speed can be wasted if it is sloppy, but quality should not drag its feet, either. I rely on Test-Driven Development—writing tests first keeps me honest and spots trouble early. Small stuff nailed by JUnit and Mockito, and contract tests make sure the pieces fit. Jenkins does automated checks on every push, so we are quick but careless. I also push for modular designs-think microservices or clean APIs-so that we can fly fast without jeopardizing the core. It translates to striking that sweet spot: deliver on time, and it still holds. Q6. What tools do you rely on to keep systems running smoothly under pressure? When the heat is on, think Thanksgiving sales-you need eyes everywhere. It is Prometheus and Grafana that we use for monitoring the 'vital signs'-CPU, response times, all that, really-in real time. Splunk is for when I need to dig through logs to figure out what is being funky, and AppDynamics glues it all together, looking at the way the app behaves. It's very like a control tower; you see the storm coming and fix it before it hits. That combo has kept me sane during some wild peak loads-keeping things humming when it matters. Q7. How do you instill a collaborative culture in technical teams? I like teamwork-it's where magic happens. We do code reviews and pair programming a lot-grabbing bugs and letting know about tricks. I like informal tech chats, too-just kicking around ideas or tricks we've picked up. Documentation is always clear and open; this, of course, keeps everyone out of confusion. We carve it out on time meant for messing around with new ideas. Slack keeps the dialogue going-quick questions, fast answers. It's about nice vibes where everybody has a voice and we all, in the end, get better by that. Q 8: What advice would you give to engineers breaking into the field today? Get the basics-Java, Python-whatever that resonates with you: and get that going, not just sit around. Make things, break things, solve things-that is the way one learns. Don't sit trying to perfect one language or framework before getting onto the next-it's going to take decades, and tech won't wait. Get in on code reviews, ask the dumb questions. Q9. How do you stay ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving tech landscape? I do not sit still-that's the trick. Block off every week time for courses, tutorials, what else are new out there. I really love getting dirty hands with side projects or open-source stuff-it's the best way to really get the tool. Talking with other devs-at meetups or just on the fly-keeps me grounded, too; you pick up stuff you would never find online. It's the mix of digging in plus staying connected that keeps me not so far behind. Q10. Where do you envision your career heading in the next decade? I want to be the go-to guy when it comes to forming solutions that are definitely game-changing- data-driven systems with an AI boost in some cases that transform completely how industries run. Leading teams to build that kind of tech which last and make a dent is where I'm directed. Learning- courses, certifications- is in progress always, and I am on the run looking for mentors at every turn who can push me forward. At the end of the day, it's about impact: getting the building blocks of software to work smarter and even AI that optimizes on the go), and igniting a fire in the next wave of engineers to do the same. About Pratyosh Desaraju Pratyosh Desaraju is a pioneering Senior Software Engineer in Leander, TX, with over a decade of full-stack development and advanced technology integration. He has a rich educational background with a Master's in Computer Science, Under University of Central Missouri (2015) and a Bachelor's in Information Technology from GITAM University, India (2013), which forms the edifice for pushing new pillars of excellence into the industry at Fortune 100 companies, such as Liberty Mutual and Home Depot. His revolutionary technology advancement in insurance and retail inventory is legendary, set by his practices in development, innovatively creating scalable, secure, and high-performing systems, maneuvering his way as one of the finest thought leaders in today's fluid software landscape.
