Latest news with #Padmapriya
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Breastfeeding week observed with awareness programmes
Public and private healthcare providers in Tiruchi have been observing World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) from August 1 to 7, with a host of awareness programmes. The theme of this year's WBW, an initiative of the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, is 'Prioritise breastfeeding: create sustainable support systems'. 'Mother's milk plays an important role in improving an infant's immunity and developmental milestones. Despite this, a large number of women are reluctant to breastfeed their children due to social pressure. We are counselling young lactating mothers to prefer breast milk over formula for their infants,' S. Padmapriya, paediatrician at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) told The Hindu. Rising awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding have also led to a rise in the number of donors of mother's milk at the MGMGH breast milk bank, she said. 'This year, we have recorded 192 litres of milk from 639 donors that has benefited 634 children up to July. In 2024, the bank received 288 litres of breast milk from 727 donors, that benefited 776 children. With the creation of segregated spaces for feeding mothers in public areas, and the government campaigns, breastfeeding must become a common choice,' said Dr. Padmapriya. MGMGH observed the week with a rally, and special programmes for antenatal mothers. A workshop on breastfeeding and well-baby competition were also organised. 'According to data from the National Family Health Survey 5, only 41.8% of women initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, and approximately 53% of mothers are giving exclusive breastfeeding for six months. We have held several events this week with the aim of improving these rates,' said K. Senthil Kumar, neonatologist, Maa Kauvery Hospital. Besides counselling in-patient antenatal mothers, the hospital organised orientation sessions for anganwadi workers this week. 'Breastfeeding can be beneficial to mothers. It aids in postpartum weight loss, protects against certain cancers, and promotes a special bond with the baby,' said Dr. Senthil Kumar.
Deccan Herald
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Tenacious teen Padmapriya lives in the moment with an eye on a bright future
Bengaluru: A few days ago, just before Padmapriya Ramesh Kumar had to go to Bengaluru for a national tournament, she sounded tired; and certainly was as she had just arrived home from Hyderabad after finishing third in singles and runner-up in doubles in an Asian event. .However, for the 13-year-old, fatigue was not an excuse and certainly not at the cost of losing her ranking points she had earned. .'The one I played in Hyderabad was an Asian tennis ranking event. The one in Bangalore is a national ranking tournament. As I'm playing both, I have to maintain both the rankings. If I don't play the Bangalore tournament, I might lose my ranking at the national level. Even though I'm tired, I have to play,' Padmapriya tells DH. .One thing that has never changed since the time Padmapriya picked up a racket is her attitude. She has never been one for compromise, and that has turned out to be her biggest strength. And the results are there to be seen. .Besides the third-place finish in singles and runner-up in doubles at the Asians Grade A Tennis under-14 tournament in Hyderabad, she won both singles and doubles at the Asian u-14 and junior ranking tournaments in Tripura and Bahrain. She was also picked for India at the ATF U-12 Team Competition..'When I was in first standard, my parents wanted me to join some extracurricular activities. I started with badminton at a sports complex in Ballari. However, I did not like it because there were no coaches. I then picked tennis and liked it.¨.The tennis talent really struck during her first competition and by the end of it, her parents had decided to go all in. .'I had my first competitive event in Bangalore. I didn't expect to perform so well. But then, I went till the final, defeating all of the good players. In the final, I beat a girl who had a national ranking.'.When asked about her training routine, 'I wake up at five and attend fitness sessions before school. After classes (half day during big tournaments), I go for two hours of individual coaching with Raghuveer sir and then attend a hitting session with Gokul sir where I practice what I have learnt..'My aim is to get a better ranking in the International Tennis Federation. The dream is to win a Grand Slam... I like Aryna Sabalenka for her aggressiveness and focus, and then Novak Djokovic because he never gives up.'.Bigger challenges await her as she rises up the ranks. There will be more competitions, a lot less rest days compared to the age group category. However, the journey so far has shown she has the appetite to fight. .For feedback, email to dhsports@
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Glimpse behind the glam: director Anjali Menon on her new short film, Backstage
Often, while watching a dance performance, one may not think beyond the performance of the artistes onstage. What happens beyond and behind the stage is a world known and owned by the artistes and the crew members – filled with memories, stories, efforts, sacrifices, laughter, and tears. Writer and director Anjali Menon's latest work Backstage , a short film in the anthology Yuva Sapno Ka Safar (released on April 11), as the name suggests, takes the viewers on a ride to backstage storytelling. Known for her multi-starrer movie Bangalore Days (2014), Menon's new work dives into the world of Gowri (Padmapriya) and Kanya (Rima Kallingal), two dancers and friends who split up and come back to their alma mater for an event. Shot in six days and edited in about five weeks, the short was released just in time for International Dance Day, today. For Menon, Backstage was all about exploring the nuances of female friendships within the South Indian dance community, a world often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. 'Though classical dance training is com mon among South Indians, we hardly see that world on our screen; this seemed like an exciting opportunity to do so. Friendships between artistes often get wounded when ambition interferes; it becomes a test of the friendship itself,' she explains. Menon puts forward a compelling humanisation of artistes and wants the audience to view the dancers as individuals first. 'I hope the audience sees the very human and vulnerable side of artistes and how their frailties further affect relationships. The idea of seeing them as characters before we see them adorned in makeup and costume is to not mistake the final aura as the person,' she says. According to Menon, the story explores the stages of dressing up for a performance to actually peel away layers from the individuals these dancers are. 'So much of their truest selves emerge when they are completely dressed up. They are inside out,' she explains. Besides the hats of writer and director, Menon is also a dancer. 'I have been fortunate to be trained in Bharatanatyam since I was five and have had exposure to theatre arts at multiple stages. Backstage is a small humble tribute to this world – there is much more to be told, much more to be drawn from that part of my life,' she notes. Padmapriya, actor 'For many, dance communities were the first working space they must have been into. In dance, there is an important ecosystem to explore a universal notion. And, because we knew so much about dance, we didn't have to spend too much time building that world. Somehow, it was there in us,' says Thamassu -actor Padmapriya. Rima Kallingal, actor 'In the two dance sequences we see in the film, dancing together shows bonding and forgiveness in ways that words could never explain. The first time when they dance together as young students, their rhythm and energy flow together. In the end, when Gowri forgives Kanya, she calls her to join her and go back to that time when they flowed together in movement. Dancing together brings out their connection in great detail and depth,' Kallingal says.
