Category Archives: Amazing Feats

NATIONAL: GREEN ENERGY : IIT-Madras Generates Hydrogen from Seawater using Solar Energy

The researchers have optimised all the parameters so that water electrolyte can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage and current density to split water and generate hydrogen.

Researchers from the Department of Physics at IIT-Madras have developed critical components for a highly efficient, cost-effective way to electrolyze seawater to generate hydrogen. The results were published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials.

State-of-the-art alkaline water electrolyser technology is energy-intensive, requires an expensive oxide-polymer separator, and uses fresh water for electrolysis. The IIT-Madras team led by Dr. Ramaprabhu Sundara has addressed each of these challenges by developing simple, scalable and cost-effective alternatives that are highly efficient in splitting seawater and generating hydrogen. 

In place of pure or fresh water, the team has developed an electrolyser using alkaline seawater. They used a carbon-based support material for the electrodes instead of metals to almost eliminate the possibility of corrosion. They also designed and developed transition metal-based catalysts that can catalyse both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. The catalyst enhances the production of both hydrogen and oxygen even when impurities and chemical deposition on one of the electrodes takes place. Also, the researchers have developed a cellulose-based separator that is very economical and serves the purpose of allowing hydroxide ions to pass through but prevents oxygen and hydrogen that are generated from crossing-over. Finally, the researchers have optimised all the parameters such that the water electrolyser can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage to split seawater and generate green hydrogen and oxygen, oxygen can be used elsewhere.

The reactions

Alkaline water electrolyser consists of two half-reactions occurring at the anode and cathode. At the cathode, water dissociates into H+ and hydroxide ions, and the H+ ions get converted into hydrogen. The hydroxide ions produced at the cathode permeate through the separator and oxygen is generated at the anode.

When seawater is used for electrolysis, hypochlorite formation occurs at the anode. Hypochlorite is responsible for corrosion of the electrode support material, and competes with the oxygen evolution reaction thus reducing the amount of oxygen produced. At the cathode, the hydrogen evolution reaction is slowed down when several impurities get adsorbed on the electrode surface.

The electrodes have a support material that is coated with a catalyst. “Since conventional metal support materials get easily corroded when seawater is used, we developed a carbon-based support material,” says Prof. Sundara. “The support material is used in both the anode and cathode, and is coated with the catalyst. The catalyst allows enhanced and simultaneous production of hydrogen at the cathode and oxygen at the anode.”

According to Prof. Sundara, the transition bimetals present in the catalyst are more selective towards oxygen evolution reaction than hypochlorite formation. Thus the challenge of hypochlorite formation reducing oxygen production is taken care of. Similarly, even while the cathode continues to adsorb impurities, the catalyst promotes the hydrogen evolution reaction, which helps in the increased production of hydrogen. 

The separator

Another unique feature is the novel separator that has been developed by the team. When alkaline electrolyte is used, the anode and cathode are separated with a separator. Since zirconium oxide-based material that is routinely used is expensive, they came up with a cellulose-based separator which allows the hydroxide ions to pass through from the cathode to the anode. But it minimises the crossover of hydrogen and oxygen that is generated.

“We found our separator is highly resistant to seawater degradation,” says Sana Fathima, one of the co-authors of the paper.

“Using the assembled electrolyser, we have demonstrated an overall seawater splitting voltage of 1.73 V at 10 mA/sq.cm (a benchmark current density corresponding to about 12% efficient solar-to-fuel conversion device under 1 sun illumination) at 26 degrees C,” says Anamika Ghosh from IIT Madras and the first author of the paper. “We have optimised all the parameters such that the water electrolyser can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage and work at 10mA/sq.cm current density to split seawater for green hydrogen production.” 

The team has developed two prototypes of different dimensions to assess the viability of the catalysts. “In the case of the smaller electrolyser (16 sq.cm dimension) hydrogen is produced at a rate of 250 ml per hour, while in the larger one (391 sq.cm dimension) hydrogen is produced at a rate of about one litre per hour at an applied voltage of 2 V,” Ms. Ghosh says. “We also fabricated a stack consisting of three such cells and hydrogen produced is about four litres per hour at an applied voltage of 2 V per cell.” All the measurements were done at ambient pressure and room temperature. 

“All the cells have shown a shelf-life of more than six months, and the study is continuing,” says Ms. Fathima.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE / NAVY: Navy Showcases Twin-Carrier Operations in a Major Upgrade to Maritime Security

The exercise involved the deployment of the indigenously built INS Vikrant, the Russian-made INS Vikramaditya, and over 35 aircraft; Navy plans to ask government for one more Vikrant-size carrier.

As indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant gears up to become fully operational later this year, the Indian Navy has put on display its multi-carrier operations, with the coordinated deployment of Vikrant, INS Vikramaditya and more than 35 aircraft in the Arabian Sea. This marks a significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s pursuit of enhancing maritime security and the projection of its power in the Indian Ocean and beyond, the navy spokesperson said.

“The exercise involved seamless integration of two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously built INS Vikrant — along with a diverse fleet of ships, submarines and aircraft, showcasing India’s technological expertise in the maritime domain,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This demonstration of naval prowess underscores India’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests, maintaining regional stability, and fostering cooperative partnerships in the maritime domain,” the spokesperson added.

Floating sovereign airfields

INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, the centrepieces of the exercise, serve as “floating sovereign airfields”, providing a launch platform for a wide array of aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets, MH-60R, Kamov, Sea King, Chetak and Dhruv helicopters. “These mobile bases can be positioned anywhere, allowing for increased mission flexibility, timely response to emerging threats and sustained air operations to safeguard our national interests across the globe. In addition, they provide our friends with an assurance that the Indian Navy is capable and ready to support our ‘collective’ security needs in the region,” the spokesperson said.

The construction, operation and maintenance of aircraft carriers is complex and expensive and a niche capability limited to a handful of countries. Arguing that the successful demonstration of twin-carrier battle group operations serves as a powerful testament to the pivotal role of sea-based air power in maintaining maritime superiority, the spokesperson said, “As India continues to strengthen its security apparatus, significance of aircraft carriers will remain paramount in shaping the nation’s defence strategy and promoting regional stability.”

Requesting another carrier

The Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya, with a displacement of 44,500 tonnes, sailed out of the dockyard recently after a long refit.

Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar has said that INS Vikrant, with a displacement of of 42,800 tonnes and commissioned into the navy last September, will be fully operational by year-end, as reported by The Hindu earlier. Adm. Kumar had also said that the navy was finalising plans to approach the government to repeat the order for a Vikrant-sized carrier — Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)-2 — with some modifications. Given the long timelines, it is likely to end up as a replacement for INS Vikramaditya.

As part of the operationalisation, Vikrant will shortly go for scheduled maintenance within the warranty period by the manufacturer Cochin Shipyard Limited.

As part of ongoing air certification and INS Vikrant’s flight integration trials with rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft to reach a combat-ready state, the navy achieved a historic milestone by undertaking the maiden night landing of MiG-29K jets on May 24. Earlier, the maiden day landings of MiG-29K and the indigenous light combat aircraft took place on February 6, followed by day and night landing trials of all helicopters in the naval inventory.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

WORLD: INDIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS – / U.N. PEACEKEEPING: Most Soldiers Killed in Action during UN missions were Indians

The UN Operation in the Congo between 1960 and 1964 was the deadliest for Indian troops.

The United Nations observed the 75th anniversary of its peacekeeping missions last Thursday. During a ceremony to pay tribute to the more than 4,000 peacekeepers who have died on duty, Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, requested hundreds of military officers and diplomats in uniform to observe a moment of silence in their honour. He then awarded medals to ambassadors from the 39 home countries of the 103 peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2022.

The first military observers were sent by the UN Security Council to oversee the Israeli-Arab Armistice Agreement in May 1948. Indian troops and experts have played a significant role in the UN’s peacekeeping missions. Data show that since the inception of UN peacekeeping missions, most of the lives lost during peacekeeping missions due to malicious acts were of Indian troops.

Chart 1 | The chart shows the number of peacekeepers, country-wise, who died due to malicious acts during peacekeeping missions.

In total, 1,115 peacekeepers have died on the field due to malicious acts, of which 69 were from India followed by Chad (64), Ghana (53), Nigeria (44) and Pakistan (44). In total, 4,298 peacekeepers have died — 1,481 due to illness, 1,386 due to accidents, 316 due to other causes, and the rest due to malicious acts.

The United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) between July 1960 and June 1964 proved to be the deadliest for Indian troops and experts, with 15 deaths due to malicious acts. A front-page article published on November 24, 1960, in The Hindu, described the attack of the Congolese soldiers on Indian officers in detail. It spoke of how Indian Army Majors were taken out of their residences at bayonet points and severely injured with rifle butts. A colonel who was in charge of the Indian contingent was stopped by Congolese soldiers who had submachine guns and his car was taken away. By the end of March 1963, most Indian troops returned. The then Deputy Defence Minister, D.R. Chavan, said in the Lok Sabha that 36 Indian armed force personnel were killed during the mission.

Chart 2 | The chart shows the Indian fatalities due to malicious acts across various peacekeeping campaigns

Following the ONUC, the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM) between March 1993 and 1995 resulted in the loss of 12 Indian troops and experts due to malicious acts. Among ongoing missions, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recorded the deaths of seven Indian troops.

Chart 3 | The chart shows the country-wise number of military/police personnel, mission experts and staff officers currently serving in UN peacekeeping missions

With 6,097 such personnel, India stands third after Bangladesh (7,237) and Nepal (6,264). It is followed by Rwanda (5,935) and Pakistan (4,334). Four of the top five contributions come from the Indian subcontinent. Notably, most of the troop and expert contributions have come from poor- or middle-income countries. The 71 operations conducted till date have seen participation from 2 million peacekeepers from 125 nations.

Chart 4 | The chart shows the number of troops (dark blue), experts (red), formed police units (peach), police (light blue) and staff officers (grey) from India who are part of the ongoing peacekeeping missions

Most Indians (2,426) are part of the UNMISS, followed by the UN stabilisation mission in Congo (MONUSCO: 1,971) and United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL: 875).

Mr. Guterres lamented that those striving to guide countries out of conflict are now situated “on the front lines in some of the world’s most dangerous places.”

vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in

Source: Department of Peace Operation, U.N. Peacekeeping, story inputs from AP

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIA IN THE WORLD: 05 Women Peacekeepers from India Received Prestigious UN Medals for Serving For Peace at UNMISS Award Ceremony

In a notable first, an Indian Army women’s officer, Major Jasmine Chattha, led over a platoon of over 1,000 Indian Peacekeepers at the ceremony where they were awarded UN medals.

For their vital work in South Sudan, exactly 1,171 Indian Peacekeepers have been honoured with the prestigious UN Medal on Thursday,” tweets the UN Mission in South Sudan.

However, what grabs more attention are the experiences of the female peacekeepers deployed in Upper Nile, who have also been honored. Of the total 1,171 troops awarded, five were female.

Taking to Twitter, the United Mission in South Sudan elaborated on the details of the award ceremony.

“Take a bow, India! Exactly 1,171 of your finest sons and daughters have received UN medals for their vital UNMISS work in Upper Nile, South Sudan. Major Jasmine Chattha and a couple of her female colleagues tell us more about their experiences.”

Breaking stereotypes, Indian women peacekeepers have bravely served in and around various conflict-torn countries in the past—on medical duties and as military observers. As part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force, the Indian Army recently deployed its largest contingent of women peacekeepers in the United Nations mission at Abyei, UNISFA.

In a press statement released earlier by UNMISS, Major Chattha was quoted as saying, “It has been an honour to represent my regiment on this special day. By positioning women as leaders, we are sending a strong message to the citizens of South Sudan in general and its women in particular. In our work, for example when we repair roads or try to mitigate floods, we are in contact with the local population, and they can see that we, women, are leading a team and we are both respected and listened to.”

The Indian contingent deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan has been assisting in building and repairing critical infrastructure while also ensuring the protection of civilians as part of their mandate.

Captain Karishma Kathayat, an engineer, serving with the mission, said, “It is a great feeling to contribute to a better standard of living of the people we are here to serve. Our engineering work is something we take great pride in.”

Out of the many daunting tasks, the Indian Peacekeepers are also offering health services.

The Indian Medical Peacekeeping Staff deployed in the region since September last year has performed critical emergency surgeries that have saved the lives of many.

Major Amanpreet Kaur, who is also a doctor, shared her experience and said, “We have already learned a lot by providing healthcare to both UNMISS staff and our South Sudanese hosts who come for emergencies or special treatment they cannot find elsewhere. Seeing previous patients coming back in good health is a priceless experience.”

Notably, the Indian contingent is also well known for its frequent mobile veterinary clinics in various parts of Upper Nile State. Notably, thousands of cows, goats, donkeys, sheep, and other animals, including the occasional dog, have been given precious veterinary services rarely available to cattle owners in the country. Vets earlier treated 1,749 animals in Renk, the country’s capital, in just two days.

source/content: newsonair.com (headline edited)

ASIA: SPORT / HOCKEY: Junior Men’s Asia Cup Hockey | India Emerge Champions for the 04th time, beats Pakistan 2-1 in final

This was India’s fourth title, having earlier won the tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2015. Pakistan have won the tournament in 1987, 1992 and 1996.

India’s junior men’s hockey team maintained its continental supremacy as it beat arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 to emerge Asia Cup champions for the fourth time here on Thursday.

Angad Bir Singh (13th minute) and Araijeet Singh Hundal (20th) scored for India while Pakistan managed to pull one back through Abdul Basharat (37th).

This was India’s fourth title, having earlier won the tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2015. Pakistan have won the tournament in 1987, 1992 and 1996.

Recognising the team’s effort and the unbeaten record in the prestigious tournament which saw the country qualify for the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Malaysia, the Hockey India Executive Board announced a cash award of ₹2 lakh each for the players and ₹1 lakh each for support staff.

India went on the offensive from the first minute as they quickly earned a penalty corner through their first move. It was Sudeep Chirmako, who entered from the left wing and found the feet of a Pakistani defender but the subsequent chance went abegging.

India’s failure to convert penalty corner again came to light in the sixth minute when Sunit Lakra’s drag-flick was saved by the Pakistani goalkeeper.

However in the 12th minute of the opening quarter, India drew first blood when Angad Bir Singh tapped one home from close range after Araijeet Singh Hundal’s shot was deflected off the goalmouth melee.

Hundal, one of the brightest talents among Indian hockey’s Gen-Next, increased the lead to 2-0 as he received a delivery at the centre of the striking circle. He controlled and took a turn and smashed the ball home.

India made repeated raids into the Pakistan defensive third but the finish was lacking on most occasions even as they took a healthy 2-0 lead at half-time.

However, Pakistan pressed hard after the breather and it was Abdul Basharat, who pulled one back in the 37th minute when Abdul Shahid set the former up with a perfect assist.

The final quarter saw Pakistan make a flurry of attacks with as they got at least three penalty corners in quick succession.

In the 50th minute, Indian custodian Mohith Shashikumar made a diving save when Arbaz Ayaz tried to deflect a penalty corner from the left side of the Indian goal.

They got another penalty corner but Nadeem Khan’s attempt was off-target. The Indians managed to stave off the waves of attack and then did well enough in the final moments to keep their slender one-goal lead intact.

Congratulating the team, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, “The team has shown great promise over the past few months, particularly after their historic win at the Sultan of Johor Cup they have become a dominant force and I believe this big win will hold them in good stead for the Junior World Cup later this year.

“Hockey India has decided to honour the players for this feat with a befitting cash award. I congratulate the team and the support staff for their efforts.”

Speaking about the tense final, India team captain Uttam Singh, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, said, “After the 1-1 draw in the round robin stage, we were very aware of the areas we had to do well in order to beat Pakistan. It was quite a nervous Final. The team had never played in front of such a big crowd but I think created early goals helped us stay in control of the game.” India coach C.R. Kumar said the win was a good team effort.

“It came down to executing our opportunities. Though I feel we could have scored a few more goals, when you are playing a big opponent like Pakistan there is a lot of pressure. But I am very happy with the way the players controlled their emotions and played to their potential.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ARTS & CRAFTS: 900 Craftsmen behind Carpets for new Parliament building

The intricacies of the workmanship are so grand that as many as 120 knots per square inch were woven to create the carpets — amounting to over 600 million knots approximately in total.

 At least 900 master craftsmen from two villages in Uttar Pradesh — Bhadohi and Mirzapur — worked for about 18 months and hand-knotted carpets to adorn the new Parliament building, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. They crafted 158 carpets for Lok Sabha and 156 for the Upper House before stitching them into a single carpet in the form of a semi-circle to sync with the architecture of both Houses covering an area of 35,000 square feet (sqft). 

The intricacies of the workmanship are so grand that as many as 120 knots per square inch were woven to create the carpets — amounting to over 600 million knots approximately in total. While the carpets in Lok Sabha have the most intricate motifs of the peacock — symbolising India’s national bird, the rugs in Rajya Sabha showcase the exquisite motifs of the national flower — the lotus. Their colour has been primarily inspired by the shade of Kokum Red.

These carpets, adorned with meticulously crafted patterns and embellished with 20-25 shades, stand as a testament to India’s unparalleled artistry. The shade of floor covering in the Lok Sabha is based on Indian agave green, with inspiration from the plumes of the Indian peacock. 

Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman of Obeetee Carpets, the company which had prepared the carpets, said that the mammoth exercise to create the magnificent carpets for Parliament took over a year and a half.  “We began the project in 2020 right in the middle of the pandemic.

The weaving process started by September 2021 and it was over by May 2022, and the installation commenced in November 2022. Crafting each carpet with a high density of 120 knots per square inch took approximately seven months. Being entrusted with the Central Vista project is an incredible honour for us at Obeetee,” he said.  

The workers spent a whopping 10 lakh man-hours, Chatterjee said. The craftsmen hailing from Bhadohi and Mirzapur are carrying on a legacy dating to Mughal Emperor Akbar.  As the legend goes, Akbar had an exceptional fondness for carpets so he decided to bring the finest Persian artists and weavers to India. During that journey, when they reached Gopiganj, a small town in modern Uttar Pradesh, their caravan was attacked by bandits. The weavers who survived that onslaught took shelter in villages around that area, this making Mirzapur famous for carpet weaving. 

“The carpet designs were conceived with great reverence for the halls, exuding intricate artistry, vibrant colours, and subtle elegance. Crafted at Obeetee’s own factory headquarters in Mirzapur, the manufacturing procedure was a tedious process as the weavers had to craft the carpets for halls measuring up to 17,500 square feet each,” Chatterjee added.  Obeetee was founded around 103 years ago by three British entrepreneurs, soon after World War 1 — the name of the company resembles the initials of their three names. 

Carrying on Akbar legacy 
The craftsmen from Bhadohi and Mirzapur are carrying on a legacy dating to Emperor Akbar. As the legend goes, Akbar had fondness for carpets so he decided to bring the finest Persian artists, and weavers to India. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: CAG of India, Girish Chandra Murmu Re-elected as External Auditor of World Health Organization (WHO) for 4-year term 2024-27

“The CAG of India was reelected with an overwhelming majority (114 out of 156 votes) in the first round of voting itself,” the CAG said in a statement.

Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), has been re-elected as the External Auditor of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027.

The CAG is already holding this position in the WHO since 2019 for a four-year term from 2019 to 2023. The re-election was held on Monday at the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where the CAG of India was re-elected with an overwhelming majority (114 out of 156 votes) in the first round of voting itself.

Mr. Murmu was present in the meeting. After the election, in his address to the World Health Assembly, he outlined his vision as External Auditor for the WHO while emphasising the process of improvement for better outcomes, transparency and professional approach.

“This is the second major international audit assignment for the CAG this year following his selection for the post of External Auditor (2024-2027) of International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva earlier this year in March 2023,” said a CAG statement.

Besides the WHO, the CAG of India is currently the External Auditor of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (2020-2025), International Atomic Energy Agency (2022-2027), Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2021-2023) and Inter Parliamentary Union (2020-2022).

The CAG is a Member of the United Nations Panel of External Auditors. He is also a member of the Governing Boards of International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions and ASOSAI. “The CAG chairs the INTOSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee, its Working Group on IT Audit, and the Compliance Audit Sub-Committee,” it said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

ASIA: SPORTS / VOLLEYBALL: India Clinches Gold in Central Asian Volleyball Associations (CAVA) Volleyball Challenge Cup for Women

India defeated Kazakhstan 25-15, 25-22, 25-18 in the final to clinch gold in the Central Asian Volleyball Associations (CAVA) Volleyball Challenge Cup for Women in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Professor Dr. Achyuta Samanta, MP and president, Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), S. Vasudevan, chairman, VFI, and other office-bearers congratulated the players and the coaching staff.

The team was led by Nirmal Tanwar. Pritam Singh Chauhan was the head coach and Vaishali Phadtare the assistant coach.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: VACCINES: India Develops First Local Test to Detect Flu, Covid in Single Swab

The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has developed the kit, known as a multiplex single tube realtime RT-PCR test.

The National Institute of Virology has developed the first indigenous testing kit to detect three infections—Influenza A, B and SARS-CoV-2—through a single kit, and wants interested companies to take it to the mass market.

The kit is what is known as a multiplex single tube realtime RT-PCR test to detect Influenza A, B and Covid-19, said Dr Varsha Potdar, head of NIV Pune’s influenza division.

“This will be an easy, time saving and efficient way of detecting three infections through a single test,” she said. “Single tube essentially means that using a person’s single sample, we will be able to diagnose multiple infections. Technicians will not have to test the sample separately.”

Symptoms of the three infections tend to overlap, making a kit such as this particularly useful during flu seasons.

The institute, a constituent of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on May 15 invited expressions of interest (EoI) from companies to manufacture the kits in bulk, Dr Potdar said.

The test kit will use nasal and throat swabs of a patient, similar to the Covid-19 testing kits, but technicians will be able to use the sample for multiple disease detection, she added.

The institute now wants to hand over the technology to licensees or manufacturers “to enable them to commercialise the technology for societal benefit.”

“The company chosen shall undertake the scale-up as required, manufacturing and commercialiation of the technology and will share the technical data with ICMR,” the EoI document said.

Multiplex testing in molecular tests refers to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that simultaneously detects multiple pathogens in a single reaction with a single sample.

While such technology is in different stages of development in various countries, this is the first indigenously developed kit that India will produce.

“We have set June 14 as the last date for companies to submit their interest,” Dr Potdar said. “Based on the applications we receive, we will evaluate the best candidate.”

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is also working on the Influenza SARS-CoV-2 (Flu SC2) Multiplex Assay, which is a real-time reverse-transcription PCR laboratory test that can simultaneously detect and differentiate between Influenza A, Influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2 in upper or lower respiratory specimens.

The test is a highly accurate, nucleic acid-based diagnostic tool to evaluate specimens from patients who are in the acute phase of infection, the centre said.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / DIPLOMACY: PM Modi releases Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on May 22 released the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language to bring the Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.

Modi arrived here on May 21 on his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the country. He co-hosted with Marape a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties.

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

“Indian diaspora keeping alive connect with the motherland! PM@narendramodi & PM James Marape launched a translation of the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea,” the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

Co-authored by Subha Sasindran and Governor Sasindran Muthuvel of West New Britain Province, the book brings Indian thought and culture closer to the people of Papua New Guinea, it said.

“In Papua New Guinea, PM James Marape and I had the honour of releasing the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin language. Thirukkural is an iconic work, which provides valuable insights across different subjects,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.

“I would like to commend @pngsasi, Governor of the West New Britain Province and Mrs. Subha Sasindran for their effort to translate the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin. Governor Sasindran has done his schooling in Tamil while Mrs. Subha Sasindran is a respected linguist,” he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi has previously released a translation of the book in his mother tongue Gujarati.

He has praised Thirukkural on many occasions.

In one of his speeches, the Prime Minister said, “Thirukkural is not only a literary masterpiece but an extraordinary guide for common living. It shows us the path of righteousness and inspires us to lead a selfless life.” He also stated that Thirukkural “remains relevant even today and can serve as an inspiration for the present generation.” The prime minister has often quoted Thirukkural in his speeches and tweets and even gifted a copy of the book to the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2014.

“Thirukkural is a treasure trove full of inspiring ideas that youngsters all over the world can read and benefit from,” he had said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)