Chandigarh, Doctors at the PGIMER here have reported a major breakthrough in the treatment of poisoning due to aluminium phosphide, commonly known as Celphos, a lethal pesticide, officials said on Sunday.

The research, conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , is the first clinical study to demonstrate the effectiveness of intravenous lipid emulsion as a novel life-saving therapy in this otherwise highly fatal condition, a PGIMER statement said.

The important findings have been published in the internationally reputed journal European Review of Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, bringing global recognition to the research.

The study was carried out under the guidance of Dr Sanjay Jain, Dean , Professor and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, whose clinical leadership in emergency care played a crucial role in the management of these critically ill patients, according to the statement.

The research was funded by the Medical Education and Research Cell, PGIMER, underlining the institute’s strong institutional support for clinically relevant and socially impactful research.

This randomised clinical study was led by Dr Mandip Singh Bhatia, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, who served as the primary investigator of the project.

Dr Saurabh Chandrabhan Sharda was the co-investigator, along with other authors from the Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

“The results of the study were highly encouraging. Patients who received intravenous lipid emulsion in addition to standard medical treatment showed a marked reduction in mortality, along with faster correction of severe metabolic acidosis, improved hemodynamic stability, and better outcomes in critically ill patients, including those presenting with shock and cardiac complications.

“The findings clearly demonstrate that early administration of this therapy can significantly alter the clinical course of aluminium phosphide poisoning,” the PGIMER statement said.

A major advantage of this novel treatment is its practicality, as intravenous lipid emulsion is inexpensive, widely available, and already stocked in most hospitals across India, including district hospitals and peripheral healthcare facilities.

Because of its low cost and easy availability, this therapy has the potential to save lives even in rural and far-flung areas, where the burden of Celphos poisoning is highest, and access to advanced critical care is often limited, the statement noted.

“Aluminium phosphide poisoning continues to be a serious public-health challenge, particularly in agricultural states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which bear the maximum disease burden due to widespread use of this compound as a grain preservative. The availability of an effective, affordable and evidence-based treatment is therefore of immense importance for these regions,” it said.

The statement added that this important research once again highlights “PGIMER’s strong commitment to research focused on local diseases and local populations”.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday laid out an ambitious roadmap for India’s semiconductor push, with the long-term goal of producing “one AMD” and “one Qualcomm” out of the country.

India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday laid out an ambitious roadmap for India’s semiconductor push, saying the government plans to support at least 50 fabless chip companies in the next phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), also called ISM 2.0, by scaling up the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, with the long-term goal of producing “one AMD” and “one Qualcomm” out of the country.

Fabless chip companies design and sell chips that are produced by specialised foundries.

A ministry of electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) official said on condition of anonymity that ISM 2.0 will be announced in three months after the government finalises its structure , including funding, incentives for fabless startups, a sharper focus on advanced design, and a roadmap to achieve 3-nanometre and 2-nanometre technology nodes.

The first phase of ISM, announced in 2021-end, had an outlay of ₹76,000 crore, which currently has 10 projects under construction, with four expected to begin chip production this year.

India will soon be able to manufacture 180-nanometre chips at SCL Mohali, while more advanced nodes down to 28 nanometres being enabled through the upcoming fabrication facility at Tata-PSMC plant in Dholera, Gujarat. By 2032, India has goals to manufacture 3 nanometer (nm) chips, said Vaishnaw, adding that India is studying the paths taken by Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to help get there. Node refers to a chip generation, with those with lower nm having more transistors in the same or smaller area.

Speaking at a semiconductor chip design startup event in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said ISM was shaped by three broad ideas given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: building the full ecosystem, taking a long-term view, and moving India from a services economy to a product nation.

He said the government expected just five startups under DLI in the first phase of ISM but ended up with 24, adding that many startups have already taped out (finalised the design of) chips, validated products and found markets. All startups selected under the DLI scheme made presentations to the minister on Tuesday, updating him on the progress of their chip design projects. These startups have attracted nearly ₹430 crore in venture capital funding, with 14 of the 24 participating firms having already secured private investment.

Based on his conversations with global industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Vaishnaw said India’s credibility in semiconductors has changed dramatically in just a few years. He recalled that in 2022, when India spoke about manufacturing semiconductors, the idea was met with skepticism, while 2023 saw a more cautious response. By 2024, people had begun to take note, and in 2025, the mood had shifted to recognition that India had done something significant.

This year at Davos, he said, industry leaders were actively asking what they could do to be part of India’s journey, adding that there is now a clear belief that India will become a major semiconductor nation. The minister said that by 2029, India will have the capability to design and manufacture chips required for nearly 70-75% of domestic applications. By 2035, India aims to be among the top semiconductor nations globally, he said.

Six core chip systems

The minister said India will now focus on six major chip system categories to build a complete design ecosystem, and that different permutations of these would account for nearly 80% of the manufacturing that India can do on its own. The six categories are high-performance compute, radio frequency (RF), networking, power management, sensors and memory.

“These six major categories will encourage our startups, academia, and industry to come up with new ideas, thoughts and solutions,” he said, adding that these capabilities would allow the country to design chips for defence, automobiles, railways, space and industrial applications, and eventually manufacture 70-75% of the major electronics it needs domestically.

India had also set a target of training 85,000 semiconductor professionals in 10 years, and has trained 67,000 in four years, said the minister, adding, “I can say with a high level of confidence that in the coming years, practically 50% of all semiconductor design work in the world will be done in India.”

Vaishnaw also announced a new Deep Tech Awards programme starting this year, which will recognise startups and companies working in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space and other deep-tech sectors. He said the first round of the awards will be announced towards the end of the year.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Eight decades after Independence, most roads don’t lead to the Mahatma, but some roads, across India, still bear his name.

On January 30, 2026, it will be 78 years since Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. It works out to 936 months or 28,470 days roughly. The last time the name was invoked Indiawide was in December 2025, in reports about its removal from the social welfare scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Eight decades after Independence, most roads don’t lead to the Mahatma, but some roads, across India, still bear his name. The oldest is in Bengaluru. It used to be called South Parade till 1948. V. Ravichandar, who calls himself an urban evangelist, says, “It was the dividing line between the old city and the cantonment area.”

After Bengaluru, Calcutta renamed a busy stretch after the Father of the Nation, an appellation that seems to have fallen into disuse in recent times. It connects two key railway junctions, Howrah and Sealdah. Earlier it was called Harrison Road. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi’s initial address was — Presidency Boarding House, 66 Harrison Road.

Gujarat has many roads named after Gandhi. Ahmedabad’s Ashram Road leads to the Sabarmati Ashram. In the 1970s, Asaram Bapu built his ashram on the same road. “Now, many people think the road was named after it. My film Kaun Se Bapu? makes a reference to this,” says Mehul Devkala. “In the old city, Richie Road was renamed Gandhi Road during the freedom struggle. It was inaugurated by Jinnah. Parallel to it runs Tilak Road. Across Sabarmati River lies an arterial MG Road, which carries the city’s pulse.”

In Maharashtra, several arterial roads are named after Gandhi. Alpana Chowdhury, a Mumbai-based journalist, says, “Mahatma Gandhi Road in the erstwhile Esplanade area of Mumbai winds its way through the Flora Fountain crossroads, now known as Hutatma Chowk, past what used to be the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited tower, and on to the wide stretch that has the Bombay Gymkhana on one side and Fashion Street on the other, right up to the Art Deco cinema hall Metro.”

At the Flora Fountain end, the road has heritage buildings such as the Bombay High Court, Elphinstone College, the University of Mumbai and Cowasji Jehangir Hall, now known as the National Gallery of Modern Art. At 159-161 MG Road stands what was once known as the Prince of Wales Museum. Close by is Rampart Row where Progressive artists such as M.F. Husain and S.H. Raza held their exhibitions at the Bombay Art Society Salon.

Actor Ashok Kumar lived on Rampart Row and his couturier Stylo had its outlet there. Adds Chowdhury, “Steeped in history and also in sync with the times, Mumbai’s MG Road showcases the best of the city.”

That said, not all MG Roads are named after Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. These would be the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, New Delhi; Moledina Grant Road, Pune; and Munshi Ganj Road, Calcutta. Devkala says, “Pune’s famous MG Road, sometimes confused with the adjacent Moledina Road, is named after a wealthy Gujarati Muslim merchant.”

And then there are those roads that have no MG about them, only a Gandhian connect. There are two such in New Delhi — August Kranti Marg, named after the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai from where Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement and Tees January Marg where the man breathed his last. He was 78.

J&K: Jammu 2.4km;

LADAKH Leh 1.5km;

PUNJAB Ludhiana 3km;

UTTARAKHAND Dehradun 2km;

NEW DELHI 55km;

UTTAR PRADESH Agra 6.8km; Allahabad 4.5km; Bahraich 2.2km; Kanpur 10km; Lucknow 4km;

MADHYA PRADESH Gwalior 2.2km; Indore 8.6km; CHHATTISGARH Raigarh 0.9km; Raipur 11.7km;

MAHARASHTRA Ahmednagar 3km; Akola 4km; Fort Mumbai 1.5km; Kandivali-West 2km; Ghatkopar East 2.5km; Borivali East 5km; Kandivali 3km; Goregaon 1.3km; Nashik 1.5km; Pune 3km; Thane 4km; Wardha 5km;

GOA 0.5km;

TELANGANA Secunderabad 1.21km;

PUDUCHERRY 3km;

ANDHRA PRADESH Guntur 6.34km; Ongole 2 km; Tirupati 2km; Vijayawada 4km; KARNATAKA Bengaluru 2.5km; Mangaluru 2.2km; Mysuru 11.9km; Tumkur 18.9km; Bellary 2.5km; Kolar 2.5km; Hassan 2.7km;

TAMIL NADU Chennai 3km; Coimbatore 2.6km; KERALA Kochi 4.5km; Kottayam 3km; Thiruvananthapuram 6km; Thrissur 2km; GUJARAT Ahmedabad-Vadodara 93.1km; Porbandar 2.1km; Surat 3.1km; Vadodara 1km; Veraval 6.5km;

RAJASTHAN Ajmer 3km;

JHARKHAND Ranchi 2.5km;

ODISHA Bhubaneswar 1.2km;

WEST BENGAL Calcutta 2.7km; Durgapur 6km;

SIKKIM Gangtok 1km;

ASSAM Dispur 4.4km; Uzan Bazaar 2.7km;

MEGHALAYA Shillong 2.5km;

ARUNACHAL PRADESH Namsai 0.5km;

MANIPUR Imphal0.55km;

MIZORAM Aizawl 1km;

TRIPURA Udaipur 1.7km;

DAMAN AND DIU 7.8km;

LAKSHWADEEP Kavaratti Distance not known.

TOTAL: More than 377.3km

(The road lengths have been calculated with the help of a retired road engineer using
Google Earth and Google Maps.)

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor was the outcome of a collaborative study by scientists from Nagaland University and the University of Science and Technology Beijing.

Apple farm waste may soon help protect metal pipes, machinery, and infrastructure from corrosion.

An international research team led by Nagaland University (NU) has found a way to turn discarded apple leaves into a highly effective, eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor, offering up to 96.2% protection for copper in harsh chemical conditions.

The study, carried out in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), shows that tiny carbon particles made from apple leaves can shield metals from corrosion without using toxic chemicals commonly employed in industry.

The authors of the study are Ambrish Singh of the NU’s Department of Chemistry and Yujie Qiang, Ye Zhang, Xinyang Liu, and Ying Jin of the USTB’s National Centre for Materials Service Safety. The former is a visiting professor at the USTB.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds, a leading international scientific journal.

Corrosion is a costly global problem, damaging pipelines, storage tanks, and industrial equipment in oil and gas, chemical processing, power generation, and other sectors. Conventional corrosion inhibitors often contain hazardous substances that pose risks to both the environment and human health.

The researchers found that their apple leaf-based solution, known as carbon quantum dots, performed exceptionally well even at low concentrations. In acidic conditions—where metals corrode faster—the material reduced copper corrosion by 94%, rising to 96.2% over time, levels considered highly promising for industrial use.

Explaining its practical value, Prof. Singh stated that industries operating in acidic environments face high maintenance costs and safety risks due to corrosion. “Biomass-based inhibitors like the apple-leaf material could extend the life of industrial equipment while being safer for workers and the environment,” he said.

Prof. Qiang added that the team used a green processing method to convert apple leaves into nanoscale carbon particles. These particles cling tightly to metal surfaces, forming a stable protective layer that blocks corrosive chemicals.

While the results are currently based on laboratory tests, the team plans to move toward pilot-scale trials and real-world applications, including combining the material with existing protective coatings

Calling the work a major step forward, Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish Kumar Patnaik said the study shows how agricultural waste can be turned into a high-impact green technology. “Such innovations reduce dependence on toxic chemicals while addressing real-world industrial challenges,” he said.

Beyond corrosion protection, the research highlights the potential of waste-to-wealth solutions. By converting farm residue into valuable nanomaterials, the technology could support circular economy models and open up new income opportunities for farming communities.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

“I am the President of the European Council but I am also an overseas Indian citizen… for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me,” Mr. Costa said.

As India and the European Union announce their free trade agreement (FTA), European Council President Antonio Costa remembered his Indian roots, showing his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, and speaking about how the deal has a “special meaning” for him.

He made the remarks during a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 27, 2026).

Mr. Costa spoke about his family’s roots in Goa. “Today is a historic moment. We are opening a new chapter in our relations – on trade, on security, on people to people ties,” he said.

“I am the President of the European Council but I am also an overseas Indian citizen. Then, as you can imagine, for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me.” he added.

“Also because we conclude today our trade negotiations we relaunched at the Leaders’ meeting that I had the pleasure to host, in May 2021, in my previous capacity,” he further said.

In 2017, Mr. Costa was addressing a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event, saying he had his roots in Madgaon in Goa and was proud of his Indian origin. He said then that he still had relatives in Madgaon and said, “Madgoan is the place where my father spent his childhood and had a home. I will visit my relatives.”

Meanwhile, India and the EU on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) sealed a FTA — billed the “mother of all deals” — with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top EU leadership unveiling a grand agenda to leverage trade and defence to shore up ties.

The two sides also inked two crucial pacts — one on security and defence collaboration and another on the mobility of Indian talent to Europe — after Prime Minister Modi hosted EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Mr. Costa for summit talks. The two sides have also agreed on a strategy document titled, ‘Towards 2030- a joint India-European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.’

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Free Trade Agreement gives Indian businesses easier access to Europe while Europe gets its biggest ever market opening.

“We have created a free trade zone of two billion people.” That was how European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summed up Tuesday’s landmark pact between India and the European Union, as the two sides finally clinched a free trade agreement nearly two decades in the making.

Von der Leyen was in New Delhi alongside European Council President Antonio Costa as Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement.

Modi said the accord would strengthen manufacturing in India, expand services and bolster global investor confidence in Asia’s third-largest economy. “People around the world are calling this ‘the mother of all deals’,” he said. “Let’s be a double-engine of growth.”

The agreement links two economies that together account for roughly a quarter of global GDP and creates what Brussels describes as a “strategic alignment between the world’s two largest democracies” amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The EU, which represents a 450-million-strong market, is framing the pact as far more than a trade accord, saying it will strengthen both economic and political ties.

“Europe and India are making history today,” von der Leyen, who was the Republic Day chief guest, said. “This is only the beginning.”

The trade talks gathered pace as both sides began searching for new partners in response to Washington’s punishing tariff policies.

Europe is seeking to reduce its US dependence, while India, facing 50-per-cent American tariffs on key exports, is racing to develop new markets.

“Diversification is absolutely essential,” said Amitendu Palit, research lead on trade and economics at the Institute of South Asian Studies, speaking to Bloomberg.

The scale of the agreement is unprecedented for both sides. The EU says it expects its exports to India to double as tariffs are removed or sharply reduced, saving European exporters up to €4 billion a year in duties.

Under the deal, the EU will eliminate or cut duties on 99.5 per cent of Indian goods over seven years, delivering a major boost to labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, marine products and sports goods.

These industries have been among the hardest hit by US trade barriers.

India is getting “preferential access to one of the world’s richest markets,” the EU said in a statement. For Europe, the pact marks a decisive step towards anchoring itself more firmly in Asia at a time of strained relations with the US.

India, meanwhile, will gradually reduce tariffs on 97 per cent of EU trade by value, opening its tightly guarded market to European manufacturers while retaining safeguards.

New Delhi has agreed to tariff cuts for the EU that it has not offered to any other partner, giving European firms a significant competitive edge in India’s fast-growing market of 1.45 billion people.

One of the biggest breakthroughs for the EU is in automobiles.

In good news for BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, India will allow up to 250,000 European-made vehicles a year to enter at sharply reduced duties, with tariffs on higher-end cars falling over time from as high as 110 per cent to 10 per cent.

Cheaper mass-market vehicles selling below Rs 25 lakh will remain protected, a move intended to spur European manufacturers to produce locally in India.

Tariffs on premium European wines will also be cut in stages, falling from 150 per cent to as low as 20 per cent over seven years, while lower-priced wines are excluded.

Duties on olive oil and a range of processed foods will be eliminated, though India has drawn firm red lines around dairy, cereals, meat and other sensitive agricultural products, reflecting food security and farmer concerns.

Beyond goods, services have emerged as one of the EU’s biggest wins.

Brussels says the agreement contains India’s most ambitious commitments on financial services in any trade deal. The EU has also opened 144 services sub-sectors in such areas as banking and insurance to India and made commitments on student mobility and post-study work visas.

For India, the services and digital chapters are critical. The agreement creates a more favourable operating framework for Indian IT, fintech and digital service providers operating in Europe. Indian manufacturers are also expected to become more deeply integrated into European supply chains for electronics, engineering goods, auto parts and pharmaceuticals, with customs and regulatory procedures simplified to make trade easier and cheaper.

Sustainability was another contentious area.

India resisted Europe’s carbon border tax, which threatens to raise costs for exports such as steel, aluminium and cement. While the EU granted India no exemption, it promised that any flexibility offered to other countries would also apply to India, alongside technical support. The pact also includes commitments on labour standards, women’s advancement and climate cooperation.

The pact, which comes on the heels of recent trade agreements with the UK, New Zealand and Oman, will now undergo legal vetting, known as “scrubbing”. That process is expected to take around six months, before the deal is sent to the European Parliament for ratification.

If approved, the FTA could enter into force early next year.

Bilateral trade in goods between India and the EU now stands at about $136 billion a year and is projected to exceed $200 billion within a few years. Services trade, already worth around $80 billion, is also expected to expand sharply.

Next on India’s trade agenda is a push for a deeper partnership with the Mercosur trading bloc made up of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as Modi seeks a deal that would give New Delhi reliable long-term access to key raw materials such as lithium and copper, while deepening energy cooperation.

source/content: telegraphonline.com (headline edited)