Category Archives: Science & Technology

Azad announces two medical colleges in Himachal

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology

Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) :

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Saturday announced two new medical colleges, two trauma centres and a burn centre in Himachal Pradesh.

The minister was here to lay the foundation stone of the 100-bedded mother-child block at the zonal hospital compound. It will be constructed at a cost of Rs.17 crore.

Azad also inaugurated a super-specialty hospital block set up at a cost of Rs.150 crore at the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda town through video conferencing.

According to official sources, the minister couldn’t fly to Tanda in Kangra district from here owing to bad weather.

Addressing a gathering here, he said the Indian government has doubled the budget allocation in health sector for the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Azad announced to set up two trauma centres and a burn centre at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) in Shimla.

“I want to see Himachal emerging as a model state in every sphere of development, especially in the health sector in the next four years,” he said.

He said six health institutions equivalent to the All-India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have been developed in the country, of which Tanda is one.

A similar super-specialty hospital worth Rs.150 crore would be developed in Shimla.

“This will give relief to the people of the state who otherwise had to rush to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh or AIIMS Delhi for specialised treatment,” he added.

He said two cancer institutes would be set up in Shimla and Mandi, besides a financial aid of Rs.190 crore each would be provided to open two medical colleges in Chamba and Nahan towns.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh thanked Azad for providing liberal assistance to the state for strengthening the health infrastructure.

“I always wanted to see Tanda medical hospital and college to become a prestigious health institute of the country along with the IGMCH in Shimla and I can foresee that my dream project is being transformed into reality,” he said.

The chief minister said with the starting of super-specialty block at Tanda the people of adjoining districts of Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Hamirpur and Una will get better treatment at affordable rates.

State Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said Rs.45 crore each would be spent to establish two cancer hospitals at Mandi and Shimla towns.

Transport Minister G.S. Bali, while interacting with the union minister through video conferencing, requested him to increase the MBBS seats from 100 to 150 at the IGMCH and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

source: http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost. / Home> Fwire / March 02nd, 2014 / Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), IANS – March 01st, 2014

Making light of his lightless days

Science & Technology, Sports, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,
Irfan Bin Hamed Al Hamoomi, the visually-challenged judoka from Hydeabad, who has been selected to represent India in the Junior world games (Paralympic) in Hungary, seen with his coach and mentor M. A. Aziz. PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU / The Hindu
Irfan Bin Hamed Al Hamoomi, the visually-challenged judoka from Hydeabad, who has been selected to represent India in the Junior world games (Paralympic) in Hungary, seen with his coach and mentor M. A. Aziz. PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU / The Hindu

Irfan Bin Hamed Al Hamoomi is the only person from the State to compete at the ongoing Junior European and Junior World Games competitions in Hungary

He cannot see the world like us, but Irfan Bin Hamed Al Hamoomi, 20, is sure to make the world sit up and watch his exploits in judo.

The local boy is the only person from the State (among five from India) to be selected to represent the country at the ongoing Junior European and Junior World Games competitions in Hungary. The 90-per cent visually challenged student of Chanchalguda Junior College says his career took a turn for the good after meeting M. A. Aziz, former national champion, and a jury member in the 2012 London Paralympics.

“Things changed for the good after I met him, as I was facing difficult times,” Irfan says, even as he traces his humble origins. His father Irfan Hamoomi supports the family selling onion and garlic.

The boy’s career took off when he won gold in the 55-kg category in the Lucknow nationals for the visually challenged (Andhra Pradesh won the overall championship for the first time with six gold, three silver and two bronze).

Irfan is confident of doing well in Hungary where judokas from 35 countries are expected to vie for top honours.

“I don’t think of my handicap at all. I am just enjoying the sport,” says the youngster. Irfan trains with 20 others at the Quli Qutub Shah Stadium on a wrestling mat (not a judo mat), showcasing his indefatigable spirit to keep improving despite all odds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – December 05th, 2013

Pharma Fest 2014 begins

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, ,
ESI Scheme Director Dr. (Mrs.) Rahimunnisa inaugurated the programme.
ESI Scheme Director Dr. (Mrs.) Rahimunnisa inaugurated the programme.

Mysore :

0ver 300 pharmacists of ESI hospitals attended day-long Pharma Fest-2014, organised by the pharmacists Association of ESI Hospitals of State, which commenced this morning at Guru Residency on JLB Road here.

ESI Scheme Director Dr. (Mrs.) Rahimunnisa inaugurated the programme.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Karnataka State government Employees’ Association (KSGEA) General Secretary Patel Pandu opined that the role of a pharmacist in dispensing the right medicine prescribed by a doctor was very vital. He said that a pharmacist should always be attentive and cautious is work. He advised the pharmacists to always abide by moral ethics.

Dr. Rahimunnisa and Dr. Subramanya, who are due to retire on Feb. 28, were feted on the occasion.

Children of Pharmacists — Swathi, Navya S. Rai, Deepak and Nihal — who excelled in SSLC and PU were presented prizes.

KSGEA President H.K. Ramu, Pharmacists’ Association President D.B. Mahadevaiah, Secretary M.K. Manjunath, Working President B. Mohan, General Secretary K. Narasegowda and others were present.

The afternoon session featured interaction on pharma sector.

source:http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> General News / February 22nd, 2014

Making a habit of it

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology, ,
Dr AJ Ansari (52) Director, Pristine Medical Services
Dr AJ Ansari (52) Director, Pristine Medical Services

His commitment to running and reading helps this doctor juggle multiple activities.

A man with his finger in many pies, Dr AJ Ansari is also the President of the Classic Road Runner’s Athletic Club and MD-Chairman of Community House and Development (CHAD), an NGO. He even holds membership in various medical associations, and juggles a busy work day with multiple emails and responsibilities at the clinic. It is his exercise routine and spiritual quest that keeps him centred enough to power through his busy days.

“My day starts by 7.30 am and ends late — sometimes by midnight,” he says. But he doesn’t allow that to affect his essential rituals. As a child he would play football and basketball in Dubai, where he grew up. Later when he came to India for studies, he couldn’t join a sports club, but ensured that he was involved in some kind of sporting activity.

His running journey began a few years ago, when he participated in the Human Rights Day run organised by the Classic Road Runner’s Club. “I decided to become part of the club. We promote health through sports by conducting aerobics classes for people and continue to organise the Human Rights Day run.”

While he advocates sports to beat the stress of life, Dr Ansari is also a spiritual man. The divine texts of different religions are an important part of his morning. “I am a strong believer in God. Every morning I look for quotations from the holy writings. I have all of them. Each one has a kind of light which can guide you,” he believes. Late in the evening too, he finds solace in books, which help him “sleep better”.

It is these routines, that Dr Ansari follows without compromise, that streamline his life.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work / by Ayesha Tabassum, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / February 24th, 2014

The lone Indian doctor in Kandahar

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology, World Opinion,
Doctor Shah Nawaz with a patient at a private hospital in Kandahar in Afghanistan.
Doctor Shah Nawaz with a patient at a private hospital in Kandahar in Afghanistan.

Shah Nawaz says he is happy to serve the Afghan people

Set to complete a decade in the former power hub of the Taliban, Dr Shah Nawaz, the ‘lone Indian’ here, is happy to help the war-weary Afghan people with their medical needs.

Nawaz, 45, is a doctor working at a private hospital. Officials said Dr. Nawaz is the only Indian working in the city apart from a handful of staff at the Indian Consulate in Kandahar city.

Recalling his journey to Afghanistan, Dr. Nawaz said an Afghan businessman in the dry fruits trade had contacts with his family in India. The businessman often spoke to Dr. Nawaz of the plight of people in Kandahar and their health requirements.

“I then gave him a proposal to build a hospital. He (the businessman) was ready to invest and I expressed readiness to come to Afghanistan and serve the people,” Dr. Nawaz said.

“People here are very simple, their needs are very limited. Actually even basic treatment is not available,” said Nawaz, who hails from Maharashtra.

“I am here since August 2005. My family is not here. They are in Malaysia. I visit them twice or thrice a year and they come once a year to India,” he said. Dr. Nawaz said he was the only Indian working in the city but a number of his compatriots were employed in a huge U.S. military base in Kandahar. According to sources, Indians working at the U.S. base come through Dubai and are not registered with the Consulate.

India last week helped Afghanistan establish its first agriculture university here as part of a major capacity-building project to help the war-torn country increase farm output and attain economic independence.

The Afghan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU) is coming up in the sprawling Tarnak farm in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News /by PTI / Kandahar, February 24th, 2014

Cipla chairman donates Rs 8 cr to promote chemistry

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , ,

Indian business leader, scientist and philanthropist Dr Yusuf Hamied on Monday announced a major financial donation to the Royal Society of Chemistry, the world’s leading chemistry community, to support an innovative chemistry education programme for school students in India. 

CiplaChairmanMPos11feb2014

Dr Hamied, who is the chairperson of the generic pharmaceuticals company Cipla and has pioneered the model of producing affordable medicines for patients in developing countries, is donating Rs eight crore to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme.

The programme will be managed by the Royal Society of Chemistry in partnership with the UK’s Salters Institute and leading Indian academic institutes to enhance the skills and knowledge of Indian chemistry teachers and inspire students to study chemistry at university.

Over the next five years, the programme aims to equip 8,000 teachers across India with the specialist knowledge and skills to deliver exciting and engaging chemistry lessons, and to pass this knowledge on to their colleagues. It will also provide 1,600 of the brightest chemistry students from all backgrounds with places at chemistry camps to motivate them to reach the necessary standards to study chemistry at university.

Dr Hamied said: “I am very pleased to be working in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry to support the Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme. I believe the programme will make a real difference to the education and experience of students studying chemistry in schools across India.”

Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr Robert Parker, said: “We are delighted to be working with Dr Hamied and grateful for his generous donation to enable us bring together leading organisations from the UK and India to deliver this education programme and make a real impact.” Dr Hamied added: “To inspire the next generation of great Indian scientists we must equip our teachers with the specialist knowledge and practical skills they need to show their students that chemistry is a fascinating.”

Just as teachers pass on their knowledge to their pupils, the programme will support the most talented chemistry teachers in India to train their colleagues to deliver informative and exciting chemistry lessons – a “train the trainer”  approach. I am very pleased to support this sustainable model for teacher training which will allow the programme to reach thousands of teachers across the country.” Dr Hamied said: “An inspiring chemistry education isn’t just about excellent teachers.

We need to encourage and motivate the best students to achieve the knowledge and skills they need to go on to study chemistry at university and eventually, to make a strong contribution to India’s success. This isn’t just about getting the best grades – we also need students to develop problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills. That is why I am also very pleased that this joint initiative will support the best students – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – to take part in chemistry camps at leading academic institutions and experience a true taste of chemistry at university.”

Dr Simon Campbell, former president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and personal friend of Dr Hamied, said: “This unique programme is a significant educational investment with great potential to train the skilled chemists that will be vital for India’s growth and social wellbeing.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / Bangalore – DHNS / February 10th, 2014

J A K Tareen awarded Padma Shri

Education, Science & Technology, , , , , , ,

J A K Tareen, former professor of the University of Mysore, has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri Award, in recognition of his contribution to the field of education and literature.

Professor Tareen is the fourth professor from the Mysore University to have received the national award. He has now joined the elite club of eminent personalities of Mysore such as C D Narasimhaiah, U R Ananthamurthy and Javare Gowda.

He is also the first professor from the science faculty of UoM to receive such an award. Tareen, who has served as the vice-chancellor of the Kashmir University, hails from Mysore where he did his schooling and received master’s and PhD degrees.

source:  http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mysore> Padma Shri / TNN / February 03rd, 2014

Hygiene Comes First on This Butcher’s Block

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology,
BatchaBai’s meat shop in T Nagar | P Jawahar
BatchaBai’s meat shop in T Nagar | P Jawahar

Sparkling white tiles, gleaming metal counters, spotlessly clean knives and the soft humming of refrigerators… This could be the sight that greets you when you walk into a run-of-the-mill meat shop on the streets of Chennai. Not in a few years or even a few months, but right now.

The Meat Sciences Department of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), has been providing meat retailers free designs and consulting services to convert their shops into places where hygiene is the priority – and they have been doing it for the past five years.

“We have been giving out designs and consultation to any entrepreneur who wishes to start up or modernise his business,” says Robinson Abraham, Head of theMeat Services Department. “All they have to do is approach us.” Consulting at a private firm would be prohibitively expensive to the small businesses that most meat shops were, he pointed out.

But when asked about what these five years of free consulting has engendered, he points to just one operating shop in Chennai. The BatchaBai meat shop in Kilpauk stands as a silent testimony to what a few well-thought out improvements in slaughter house design can do.

There are counters made of stainless steel, teflon cutting boards, rounded edges to prevent wiping hands on tables and white tiles to make any spattered blood visible. Compared to the ill-lit, ill-washed rooms that most meat shops offer, the sight is almost unreal in its cleanliness. “These are very small but necessary design elements,” points out R Narendrababu, one of the three professors in the department. “They improve the hygiene of the shop tremendously.”

The reason why hygiene comes in a sad second in the owners’ list of priorities, he adds, is because consumers themselves have been desensitised to the dangers of bad hygiene. “Unless people refuse to buy meat from shops that don’t adhere to basic hygiene norms, retailers will never feel the need to implement these practices,” he says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Jonahan Ananda – Chennai / January 29th, 2014

Kalam inaugurates centenary celebrations of Pamban bridge

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Science & Technology, Travel & Tourism
ENGINEERING MARVEL: The special train carrying former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Pamban railway bridge./ Photo: L. Balachander / The Hindu
ENGINEERING MARVEL: The special train carrying former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Pamban railway bridge./ Photo: L. Balachander / The Hindu

India’s first cantilever bridge connects Rameswaram with mainland

A long-time resident of Rameswaram and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Pamban railway bridge — India’s first cantilever bridge, connecting the pilgrim-island of Rameswaram with the mainland. He turned nostalgic as a two-coach special train took him from Mandapam across the bridge. “Pamban bridge is part of my life,” Mr. Kalam said. As a young boy, he had travelled hundreds of times on the bridge to take newspapers to the island for distribution.

Mr. Kalam unveiled a plaque and released a book Marvels of South Indian Railway, marking the inauguration of the nearly month-long celebrations.

Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Misra said the bridge was an engineering marvel that had withstood corrosion and a violent sea for over a century. The 65.23-metre-long rolling central lift span (the bridge is 2.06 km long), named after Scherzer, German engineer who designed and built the span, has been given a fresh coat of paint and decorated with lights. It opens up like a pair of scissors to allow vessels to pass through under the bridge.

Mr. Kalam had played a vital role in preserving the bridge. After the Railways announced its uni-gauge policy in 2006, and almost gave up gauge conversion at the bridge, he brought in IIT-Madras expertise to thrash out an engineering solution.

The bridge was put to test for the first time in December 1964, when a severe cyclonic storm hit this part of the area. All girders, both RCC and steel, were washed away. Two of the 141 piers were also damaged. But, Scherzer’s span withstood nature’s fury.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Walter Scott / Pamban – January 29th, 2014

A Digital Village

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Science & Technology, , ,
Shahid Ahmad (38) Project Director, Chanderiyaan
Shahid Ahmad (38) Project Director, Chanderiyaan

When you ask a software engineer like Shahid Ahmad about Jacquard weaving, the answer would stump many a fashion designer. “It is actually the world’s oldest binary system,” says Ahmad of Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF). He has even devised a Jacquard card punching machine that eliminates two weeks of manually punching a card with the binary sequence to an hour’s work. And the weavers of Chanderi village in Madhya Pradesh are rejoicing.

Ahmad’s tryst with the age-old traditional weaving business of Chanderi began when it was gasping on its last breath. It started off with a 2008 basic survey of Chanderi village on the instigation of Jyotiraditya Scindia when Ahmad had gone to invite him for a DEF function.

The survey threw up distressing facts: weavers were being treated as labourers and earned a pittance; a few businessmen controlled the market; there wasn’t much demand for the products in the market and the youngsters were migrating to cities. Ahmad decided to give the ancient craft and its craftsmen a shot of digital empowerment. Thus was born Chanderiyan, a programme that has transformed the ancient weaving village of Chanderi.

Ahmad eased the bottleneck in the designing process (which was done manually by a couple of designers on graph paper). “I wanted to speed up designing and other aspects of the business while retaining the traditional looms,” he recalls. He also wanted to increase the earning capacity of the weavers, which was then at Rs 2000 a month.

He customised the CAD CAM software and trained 20 weavers in using the software. Of these, three to four weavers were selected to train a further 100 weavers. Simultaneously, a design library was created with 10,000 traditional designs, some retrieved from old saris.

Digitisation gave the weavers a chance to create designs and replicate the same in the loom quickly. It also allowed them to visualise new colours and create contemporary variations without having to waste precious man hours. The demand for Chanderi saris increased as the market saw newer designs and faster supply. Today, the weavers earn at least Rs 10,000 per month. The business turnover, according to an IIM Calcutta survey is anywhere between Rs 65 crore to 100 crore.

Ahmad has now taken his big idea a step further: he has devised an e-portal (Chanderiyaan.net) wherein weavers can sell their products directly to the customers globally. He also trained the weavers in aspects like taking photographs of their products, sending couriers etc. He also put up Wi-fi in a five kilometer radius. “From raw materials pricings to what exhibitions are on, the youngsters can now take their own decisions,” says Ahmad.

His dream is to make the weavers the future businessmen of Chanderi. Ahmad admits to now being more of a textile engineer than a software engineer; he even trains NID students from Bhopal on the technique of Jacquard weaving. He might not be familiar with colours, warps and weaves, but he sure knows his binary system.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Work / by Jayanthi Madhukar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / January 21st, 2014