Tag Archives: India World Record

INTERNATIONAL / REGIONAL: SPORTS / TENNIS: Asian Games Gold Medalist Rutuja Bhosale eyes Olympics berth

I’ve set my sights on the Paris Olympics. Unlike in other sports, winning at the Asian Games doesn’t guarantee a tennis player an Olympic quota, Rutuja said.

 Riding on the success of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Indian tennis star Rutuja Bhosale is now aiming to secure a 2024 Paris Olympics quota and break into top-200 to ensure more Grand Slam presence in her career.

“I have trained my eyes on the Paris Olympics. In tennis, one cannot book an Olympic quota despite winning at the Asian Games like other sports. I have to better my ranking and make my way up from 320 to top-200 to ensure a berth as well as secure entry in Grand Slams,” Rutuja commented after being felicitated by Punit Balan Group (PBG) Chairman Punit Balan in the presence of Janhavi Dhariwal Balan, former captain of Maharashtra Ranji cricket team and Rutuja’s husband Swapnil Gugale and her mother upon her arrival in India.

Bhosale has made significant progress in her world ranking resulting in a career-high ranking of 313 in singles. She has also clinched seven ITF titles in the last two years including six in the doubles category.
“It was a proud moment for me and Rohan (Bopanna) to represent India and win an Asian Games gold medal in mixed doubles after 13 long years. I am thankful for all the help and support that has gone into making us stand at the podium,” Rutuja added.

On the other hand, the financial assistance made her more relaxed and helped her to focus on her game rather than worrying about a shortage of funds and various other challenges.

“Rutuja is a role model for many young aspiring athletes in the country. PBG as a group is committed to supporting talented sportspersons like Rutuja and provide them with the necessary financial help. I am certain Rutuja will continue with her hard work and quest for competing at the Olympic and ensure Grand Slam appearances,” Punit Balan said on the occasion.

source/content: telanganatoday.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / REGIONAL: First Indian Diplomat Indra Mani Pandey named Secretary General of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical & Economic Cooperation) becoming the First Indian Diplomat to hold the position

Indra Mani Pandey, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1990 batch, is currently the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

Indra Mani Pandey will be the first Indian official to hold the post of secretary general of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Pandey, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1990 batch, is currently the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

A statement from the external affairs ministry on Friday said he will be the next secretary general of BIMSTEC.

“This is the first time that an Indian will hold the position of the secretary general of BIMSTEC,” the statement said.

Pandey will take up the assignment shortly.

BIMSTEC is a regional organisation established in June 1997. Its secretariat was established in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka to provide an institutionalised framework for deepening and enhancing cooperation.

“India has attached a high importance to BIMSTEC with a view to expanding regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. Having an Indian diplomat, with long experience in multilateral diplomacy, as secretary general of BIMSTEC will contribute to India’s endeavours in strengthening the grouping,” a person familiar with the matter said.]

Cooperation within BIMSTEC initially focused on six sectors – trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries – and this was expanded in 2008 to incorporate agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people-to-people contacts, and climate change.

The member states of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: MEDICAL RESEARCH : The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) completes Clinical Trials of World’s First Injectable Male Contraceptive; study claims it’s safe

The findings of the phase-III clinical trial, which involved 303 candidates aged 25-40 years, were published in the international open-access Andrology journal last month.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has completed the clinical trials of the world’s first injectable male contraceptive which showed that it is safe and highly efficacious without any serious side effects.

The findings of the phase-III clinical trial, which involved 303 candidates aged 25-40 years, were published in the international open-access Andrology journal last month.

The open-labeled and non-randomized, multi-centre hospital-based phase-III clinical trials were carried out at five different centres (New Delhi, Udhampur, Ludhiana, Jaipur and Kharagpur) and coordinated by the ICMR, New Delhi.

Permission to conduct phase-III clinical trial was granted by the Drugs Controller General India (DCGI) and approved by the institutional ethical committees of the respective centres.

As part of the study, 303 healthy, sexually active and married men and their healthy and sexually active wives who came to the family planning clinic and department of urology or surgery for vasectomy or No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) were identified.

The men were injected with 60 mg of Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance (RISUG).

“The overall efficacy of RISUG with respect to achieving azoospermia was 97.3 per cent and based on pregnancy prevention was 99.02 per cent without any serious side effect,” the study stated.

“In the history of contraceptive development, RISUG presents the highest effectiveness compared to all other contraceptives both male and female as they were at the threshold of induction into a mass contraception program,” it said.

According to the study, with an ever-increasing world population, there is an urgent need to develop modern methods of male contraception for population control.

Even though vasectomy is quite effective as a contraceptive measure, some major limitations of this method call for the development of improved techniques.

An ideal male contraceptive approach should have minimally invasive drug delivery system with a one-time injection, long-term effectiveness with negligible side-effects and the option of reversal.

“To achieve these goals, a novel male contraceptive approach of Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance (RISUG) has been developed, which has the potential to become for mass use as once injectable and reversible male contraceptive method. Significant features of this method include localized injection and no detectable interaction with other body parts unlike the hormonal injectable contraceptives,” the study said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPACE INFORMATION / I.T. : Union Minister launches Web Portal ‘Apna Chandrayaan’ on ‘Mission Chandrayaan-3’ for School Children

Developed by NCERT under the aegis of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), the Ministry of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan also released 10 special modules on Chandrayaan-3.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday launched a web portal ‘Apna Chandrayaan’ having activity-based support material, including colouring books, online quizzes, and jigsaw puzzles for school students on Mission Chandrayaan-3.

Developed by NCERT under the aegis of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), the Ministry of Education, Pradhan also released 10 special modules on Chandrayaan-3.

This offers a comprehensive overview of its various facets, including scientific, technological, and social aspects, as well as the emotional journey and team spirit of the scientists involved.

On the lines of the Mission Chandrayaan-3 module, the ministry plans to come up with more such modules on 14 different topics, including women empowerment, COVID-19 vaccination, India’s G20 Presidency, etc.

“Success of Chandrayaan 3 is one of the most significant achievements of the 21st century that has inspired the children of the country the most,” he said.

He suggested the development of the app of the web portal to make it more accessible in facilitating self-learning among students.

“Chandrayaan 3 has ignited confidence among students and inspired them to understand technology, which will help in developing scientific temperament among them,” Pradhan said.

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, Chairman, of ISRO, and Secretary of the Department of Space, to take Chandrayaan 3 stories to the children of the country.

He also urged him to make science fun for the students.

“India will be the Viswa Guru sharing knowledge for the global good,” he said.

He suggested to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to bring out social stories that will make education accessible, affordable, and qualitative, and help in bringing gender parity.

At the occasion, Dr Somanath said India completed the Chandrayaan 3 Mission by using indigenous technologies and requested students to watch the launch of Gaganyaan on October 21.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

WORLD / NATIONAL: WORLD RECORD SPORTS : Sibling Sisters, 10-year old Ovee Malve and Ruchi Malve from Bengaluru become World’s Youngest Certified Scuba Diver Sisters

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving.

A day after turning 10, Bengaluru-based Ovee Malve set a world record of becoming the youngest certified scuba diver.

With this, both Ovee and her sister Ruchi, daughters of Bangalore Mountaineering Club founder Neeraj Malve, have become the youngest certified scuba diver siblings in the world. Neeraj himself has been a scuba diver for 16 years now. Ovee achieved the feat in Puducherry at 7.18 am on October 11, becoming the youngest Professional Association of Diving Instructors-certified open water diver. 

Elated and proud, Neeraj said he understands that adventure sports are not easy, especially at a young age. He never pressured his children and ensured that they underwent proper training. The daughters were water babies since they were little and were fascinated with his scuba diving videos.

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving, he said. Ovee enrolled for a junior open water diver course at Temple Adventures, Puducherry and trained under coach Shreya Mehta. 

Her sister Ruchi (14) trained under Shaurya Tarni of Dive Goa in Goa. Ruchi enrolled for the Junior Open Water Diver certification course on October 27, 2022 and received the Scuba Schools International certificate on October 30, 2022. At the age of 10 and 13, both Malve sisters have become the world’s youngest scuba diver sisters.

Previously, a Mumbai-based boy, Dwit Nandu, at age 10 set the world record around 8 am on August 25, 2023.

Both the sisters underwent two-day rigorous training which included a 200-metre nonstop swimming and floating for 10 minutes without any support. 

They studied five chapters of theory about performing underwater skills in confined waters, passed a written exam and successfully performed four dives in open water up to 18-metre depth to earn their open water diver certification.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: IIT Madras develops Steam-based method to Sterilise Medical Equipment

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a solar-thermal steam-based system that can help sterilise medical equipment in remote and rural areas, where access to electricity and water could be an issue.

The project, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, uses portable steam cylinders charged by renewable energy-based stations (like solar energy) that are placed strategically in rural areas for power generation, steam generation and other uses.

The team also designed special sterilisation chambers to utilise such portably stored steam and effectively sterilise the tools.

“A portable steam storage canister can be a great contribution by facilitating minor medical interventions in the developing world by sterilising surgical instruments and combating infections in rural areas,” said Prof. Sathyan Subbiah, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, in a statement.

“The portable canister is developed with multi-layer insulation, which can retain useful heat of steam, generated via solar plants for longer duration thus making it a viable option to sterilise equipment in remote areas. The steam that is produced in the solar plant or any other means can be stored in the portable canister which can be transported to remote locations to carry out the sterilisation activities,” he added.

Safe sterilisation of surgical instruments and other medical tools are important aspects in the health care sector. It involves cleaning and disinfecting the previously-used contaminated surgical tools before subsequent use. Steam sterilisation is one of the best disinfecting methods.

Currently, doctors carry with them a set of sterilised tools, which limits the number of patients they can see at the camp.

The project was demonstrated during a medical camp at IIT Madras campus on October 14, and is all set for further trials, following which it is intended to be deployed in the field.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE & AVIATION: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) hands over First LCA Tejas Twin Seater Aircraft to Indian Air Force (IAF)

HAL said the twin seater variant has all the capabilities to support the training requirements of the IAF and augments itself to the role of fighter as well in case of necessity.

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first LCA Tejas twin seater to the Indian Air Force in the presence of Union Minister of State for Defence & Tourism Ajay Bhatt at a ceremony in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 4.

The LCA Tejas Twin Seater is a lightweight, all-weather multi-role 4.5 generation aircraft. It is designed to support the training requirements of the IAF and augment itself to the role of a fighter in case of necessity.

It is a huge boost to self-reliance, said the minister in his address to the audience. “I am proud to be part of this historic occasion and salute the spirit of HAL which has been spearheading Swadeshi manufacturing in defence,” he said.

Mr. Bhatt unveiled the twin seater LCA. “In all, the development of LCA Tejas has also brought about a shift in our approach to defence procurement. It has demonstrated that India has the talent, knowledge and capability to design, develop and manufacture world-class fighters,” he added.

More LCAs to be procured

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said that IAF would be going ahead to procure 97 more LCAs, and with this it will have 220 LCAs in its inventory.

C.B. Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Addl. Charge), HAL said that the company is committed to deliver all the twin-seater aircraft pertaining to Initial Operational Configuration (IOC) and Final Operational Configuration (FOC) contract to IAF in the current financial year.

“With this, we are moving one step closer towards achieving self-sufficiency on the fixed wing segment. These trainers also ensure smooth transition for the pilots from trainer to fighter aircraft in this class,” he added.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, HAL CMD (Addl. Charge) C.B. Ananthakrishnan, Director General, ADA, Girish S. Deodhare, A.P.V.S Prasad, CE (A), CEMILAC, officials from IAF, MoD, DGAQA, DRDO, HAL and production partners attended the event.

The Release to Service Document (RSD) and the Signalling out Certificate (SOC) were also handed over during the event.

Entering the elite club

The LCA Tejas twin seater boasts of technologies such as relaxed static-stability, quadraplex fly-by-wire flight control, carefree manoeuvring, advanced glass cockpit, integrated digital avionics systems and advanced composite materials for the airframe.

The production of the LCA twin seater variant adds India to the list of very few elite countries who have created such a capability and have them operational in their Defence Forces.

IAF had earlier placed orders for 20 IOC standard aircraft and 20 FOC standard aircraft, including eight twin seater trainers. Thirty two Mk-1 single seater aircrafts have already been inducted by the IAF.

In 2021, the Defence Ministry had signed a ₹48,000 crore deal with HAL to supply 83 LCA-Mk1A, a more capable fighter than the current LCA-MK1 in service.

As per contract, three LCA-MK1A are scheduled to be delivered to the IAF in February 2024 and 16 aircraft per year for the subsequent five years.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : ARTS & CRAFTS / PHOTOGRAPHy: Photographer Gauri Gill Wins the Prestigious 10th Annual ‘Prix Pictet Photography and Sustainability Award’

Gill was selected from the shortlist of 12 photographers for her series ‘Notes from the Desert’.

Photographer Gauri Gill has won the prestigious 10th Annual Prix Pictet Photography and Sustainability Award, securing the massive prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs (approximately $109,219). This award is recognised as one of the world’s most significant, if not the largest, prizes in the realm of photography.

The award was announced on Thursday, September 28.

“On my many visits to rural Rajasthan, I have witnessed a complex reality I knew nothing about as a city dweller. To live poor and landless in the desert amounts to an inescapable reliance on oneself, on each other, and on nature,” said Gill.

The Prix Pictet is described as the world’s leading award for photography and sustainability. Founded in 2008 by the Pictet Group – a Swiss multinational private bank and financial services company – the award’s goal is to harness the power of photography to draw global attention to critical environmental issues.

Entry to this competition is only allowed to individuals nominated through Prix Pictet’s  global network of over 300 nominators which includes critics, curators, and other specialists in the visual arts.

Nominators are asked to recommend portfolios that have the power and artistic quality demanded by the prize.

Since it was founded, the organisation says that more than 5,000 photographers have been nominated, “all of whose work in one way or another testifies to the fragile state of our planet.”

“In a world facing unprecedented challenges, from social inequality to environmental crises, it was crucial to turn the lens towards humanity itself. The theme Human provides a platform to explore the complexities, vulnerabilities, and strengths of the human condition. It allows the artists to capture and communicate the stories, struggles and triumphs of individuals and communities around the globe,” Executive Director of Prix Pictet, Isabelle von Ribbentrop, said.

“Through this theme, Prix Pictet aims to foster a deeper understanding of our shared humanity and inspire meaningful conversations about the issues that impact us all. Especially when thinking about the theme Human, I strongly believe that instead of the future of photography, we should think about photography of the future. The power of the image lies in its ability to foreground critical and urgent environmental issues in a visually impactful yet direct way.”

Gill’s work emphasises her belief in working with and through community, in what she calls ‘active listening’. For more than two decades, she has been closely engaged with marginalised communities in the desert of western Rajasthan, Northern India and for the last decade with Indigenous artists in Maharashtra.

Her winning series ‘Notes from the Desert’ began in April 1999 when she set out to photograph village schools in Rajasthan. Having grown up mainly in cities, she soon realised that rural schools were a microcosm of a complex reality she knew nothing about.

Visiting the same people and places over decades, she witnessed the whole spectrum of life: drought years and great monsoon; dust storms leading to widespread fevers and floods leading to the rebuilding of homes; epidemics; overwhelmed hospitals and understaffed school; festivals, feuds, celebrations, and prayers.

source/content: thewire.in (headline edited)

NATIONAL: AGRICULTURE : SCIENCE : Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) Bhopal team conducts Genome Sequencing of Indian Gooseberry Plant (Amla)

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have for the first time unravelled the draft genome of the Indian gooseberry plant, popularly known as Amla.

Understanding the genetic composition of Amla can help us understand their origins, evolution, and how they create the biochemicals that are of medicinal value.

While Amla holds significant pharmaceutical and nutritional importance, its genetic composition has hitherto not been studied in detail.

“We analysed the genome and transcriptome of the amla plant using leaves from our campus. We employed advanced sequencing technologies, including 10x Genomics and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) long-read sequencing, along with transcriptomic sequencing,” said lead researcher Dr Vineet Sharma, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at IISER Bhopal, in a statement.

Amla is a well-known plant indigenous to South Asian countries and has been used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine and home remedies for centuries.

The stone-fruit of the Amla tree is believed to have high Vitamin C content, in addition to being a rich source of various phytochemicals, minerals, and amino acids. Amla has been thought to be effective in treating conditions like unhealthy levels of fat, Type-2 diabetes, chronic gum diseases, symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, and more.

Apart from obtaining the draft genome structure of the Amla for the first time, the researchers also identified genes responsible for vitamin C biosynthesis and compared them with genes in other plants that bear vitamin C-rich fruits.

The team found that Amla’s exceptional antioxidant power comes from the adaptive evolution of certain genes involved in the production of antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids.

Amla’s abundant vitamin C content and the remarkable capacity of each tree to yield up to 100 kg of fruits make it superior to other vitamin C-rich fruits such as the West Indian cherry from Mexico and the camu camu fruit found in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela and makes it a perfect choice for switching from the synthetic to a natural source of Vitamin C.

According to the research team, the adaptive evolution of this plant could be one of the key reasons for its easy adaptation to various climatic zones and environmental conditions.

“The analysis of the whole genomic landscape of the Amla also helped us in understanding its evolutionary descent in comparison with 26 other plant species. It will also help in developing improved nutraceuticals, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products, and for further horticultural and genomic studies,” Dr Sharma said.

The findings have been published recently in the open-access journal, Frontiers in Plant Science.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL RECORDS: WORLD RECORD FOR AN INDIAN ARTIST: Amrita Sher-Gil’s ‘The Story Teller’ sets Record for Highest Price of Rs.61.8 crore, Achieved by an Indian Artist on September 16th, 2023 by-passing the Previous Record held by S H Raza’s ‘Gestation’ of Rs. 51.7 crore

Amrita Sher-Gil “sought inspiration in Pahari paintings” to paint The Story Teller.

Painted during an important period in her oeuvre, Amrita Sher-Gil’s 1937 canvas The Story Teller sold for a whopping Rs 61.8 crore ($7.44 million) on September 16, setting a world record for the highest price achieved by an Indian artist.

The iconic work led Saffronart’s Evening Sale: Modern Art, which featured more than 70 artworks from prominent artists, including significant works by modern masters V S Gaitonde and S H Raza, and early works by Tyeb Mehta, M F Husain, F N Souza, and Akbar Padamsee.

Before this sale, the most expensive Indian artwork sold at an auction was S H Raza’s Gestation, which had fetched ₹51.75 crore.

Describing the significance of the Sher-Gil artwork, a note released by Saffronart before the auction had pointed out it was executed “during an important formative period in the artist’s oeuvre that saw her European and Indian influences merge into a unique artistic language”.

In one of the “few works that she painted en plein air”, the release added, “The dominant subjects are women—who feature in many of her works—depicted as close-knit figures, crafting an inherent intimacy within the canvas. The work is an example of the artist’s most honest and expressive compositions, one that Sher-Gil herself was especially fond of as evidenced by the numerous mentions of this work in her letters.”

A note on The Story Teller on the Saffronart website quotes art connoisseur Karl Khandalavala suggesting that “it sought inspiration in Pahari paintings”. “The cows, the women folk, and the setting, though all far removed in technique from those of Basohli miniature, are pregnant with its lyricism and vivid colour,” states Khandalavala.

Born in 1913 in Budapest to an Indian Sikh aristocrat father and Hungarian-Jewish opera singer mother, Sher-Gil was eight when she moved to Shimla. Though she was already painting, her uncle Ervin Baktay encouraged her to develop her own vocabulary and pursue formal training.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)