Category Archives: Records, All

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath applauds work of Devi Award winners

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Yogi also commended the ‘seamless’ implementation of NRC and said it would be adopted by the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and The New Indian Express Group Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla with the Devi Award winners in Lucknow on Wednesday (Photo courtesy| CMS)

Lucknow :

The Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya will be followed keenly by the people of India, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said while speaking at the Devi Awards function in Lucknow on Wednesday.

He said his government was fully ready to effectively implement the order. Yogi also commended the “seamless” implementation of NRC  and said it would be adopted by UP. “A survey is currently underway in the state and it will be implemented once the initial report is received,” he said.

The CM was honouring women achievers with Devi Awards to recognise their contributions in diverse fields. Twelve women were honoured at the fifth awards function organised in Lucknow. Yogi, while lauding the fact that the UP Assembly currently has the highest number of women legislators in the country, said, “Devi Awards have been for the last few years an important platform to highlight great talents in society… The Devis being awarded today have crafted their own stories of success through much struggle. They all are shining examples of women’s empowerment.”

Enumerating the steps taken for women, he said measures like anti-Romeo squad have made them feel secure. Rani Awasthi, one of the awardees, has created a school for the hearing and speech impaired children in UP. Similarly, Sneha and Suman, famously known as ‘Pad women’ of UP, helped dispel myths around menstruation.

Their work also figured in the Oscar winning short film Period. End of Sentence.  Among other winners was Sharda Dubey, who encourages youths to keep alive the spirit of Bhojpuri songs and teaches scores of people.

Lucknow girl Mohsina Mirza inspired youths by becoming a drone pilot and trains children in newer technologies. Neelam Agarwal of Agra motivates youth to help in the conservation of sparrows, now an endangered species.Ranjeet Srivastava from Bahraich was awarded for the hope and joy she brought to the differently-abled people.

Ranjana Gaur who has been at the forefront in fighting child abuse in UP for years said, “At one point, families would see me as a monster who had come to wreck their homes. After tremendous effort, I have been able to change a few lives.” Sagrika Rai who has set up her shop, ‘Warp n Weft’, in Mumbai, has been showcasing the variety and richness of master weavers of Varanasi on the world stage and changed several lives by bringing employment to UP.

Reeta Devi was a farm labourer who learnt masonry to give a better life to her children by building a toilet at home. She then set out to do the same for society and has built 150 toilets across the state. The New Indian Express Group Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla presided over the function, which saw many eminent citizens join hands to applaud the achievers.

Big achievers

Juhi Chaturvedi, script writer of many acclaimed films, and Sudha Singh, who won a Gold medal in 3,000 metre steeplechase at 2010 Asian Games, were among the winners

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Express News Services / October 31st, 2019

He gave eye sight to hundreds in selfless service, now battling cancer alone

Amazing Feats, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Dr Ashok Jain is the founder of Roshni Eye bank and Charitable Eye Hospital running in Saharanpur since past many years.

Roshni Eye Bank and Charitable Hospital in Saharanpur (L). Dr Ashok Jain in Hospital. (SNS)

The eye man of the area, Dr Ashok Jain, who served the society selflessly by bringing the vision back to the eyes of hundreds of people was lying on his death bed in the absence of medical help until the Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur Sanjay Kumar initiated help and ensured that he gets the best of treatment.

Dr Ashok Jain, 72, was admitted to Saksham Hospital on Thursday morning by the district health officials of Saharanpur.

“My father has been moved to the hospital and would be getting proper treatment,” his son Suraj said adding that he is grateful to the Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Kumar for his kind gesture.

Dr Ashok Jain is the founder of Roshni Eye bank and Charitable Eye Hospital running in Saharanpur since past many years. Its brand ambassador is Bollywood actress Kainaat Arora who also hails from Saharanpur.

“So far I have extracted 648 Retinas and given to the Himalayan Institute Jolly Grant and earlier LLRM Medical College of Meerut,” said Dr Jain in a faint voice adding that, however, he could not extract any retina since past four months.

Dr Jain is suffering from the cancer of food pipe and is not able to swallow food due to which he is on a liquid diet. Living in a state of poverty, the family of Dr Jain, which comprises of son Suraj, his wife Anshu, and a seven-year-old grandson is finding itself helpless in getting any relief for him.

Unfortunately, the man who had served the society for years was not reciprocated in kind by society.

“People come here, click photos, and then vanish but no one came forward for any help,” told daughter-in-law Anshu. Suraj is the only breadwinner for the family who makes a living by working as an electrician. Hence, he could not afford to provide better treatment to his father. He was on Ayurvedic treatment, told Anshu.

The family lives in a three-storied charitable eye hospital in Preet Vihar colony of Saharanpur.

“Though Suraj has been trained to extract retina by me the mission has received a serious jolt after the news of my illness spread,” claimed Dr Jain, saying that his desire is to extract one last retina before his death.

The news of the illness of Dr Jain and his poor condition somehow reached the commissioner Saharanpur who immediately called the district health officials and instructed them to visit Dr Jain and report to him. AD health and City Magistrate  Saharanpur reached there with a team which performed the check-up and reported to the commissioner. “He is also having heart problem besides cancer and is in a poor condition,” told Kumar, on whose instructions Dr Jain was taken to the hospital on Thursday in an ambulance and his treatment started.

The life of Dr Ashok Jain is truly inspirational. He originally hails from Moga of Punjab. Inspired by his father who was in the Navy, Ashok became a boxer. In the early years of his life, he lost his vision in a boxing match. He experienced the world of blindness and turmoil faced by the visually impaired. He somehow got donors of the retina and got back his vision. It was then that he started working to create awareness about eye donation. In this mission, he got the love and support of his wife Kusum who died in an accident a few years back.

Dr Jain toured the entire country on a bicycle and encouraged people for eye donation. He got a pledge of eye donation from many celebrities as well. Meanwhile, he did a course of paramedical from LLRM Medical College of Meerut and learnt to extract the retina. He settled in Saharanpur and opened Roshni Eye Bank in which he got the support of his wife as well.

Impressed by his selfless service to mankind, DM Saharanpur Alok Kumar helped him in forming a trust and getting funds to build Roshni Charitable Eye Bank and Hospital. Dr Jain continued to provide his services. He used to extract retinas and give them to Himalayan Hospital of Jolly Grant for which he would get Rs 500 each. From Saharanpur to Jolly Grant, Dehradun, he would go on a bike which was also given to him in charity. OPD for Rs 20 per head is still functional and free check-up is done for the extremely poor.

Dr Jain has no bank balance or property but lives with the satisfaction of bringing the vision to the lives of 648 people.

source: http://www.thestatesman.com / The Statesman / Home> India / by Swati Sharma / Meerut / August 22nd, 2019

One on top of the other: Agra Christians decide to bury their dead in a single grave

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

The centuries-old graves in Agra are still preserved by the cemetery committees for the European descendants who may want to visit the grave of their ancestors. However, this also means that Agra is now short of space in the cemeteries for Christians to bury their dead. In a bid to resolve this problem, the Agra Cemeteries Committee has taken a controversial decision which is not sitting well with most Christians living in the city.

Father Lazarus Moon, the chairman of the Agra Cemeteries Committee, said the committee passed a unanimous decision in which it was ruled that graves will be dug very deep in the cemeteries of Agra. (Photo: Krishanveer Singh Rawat)

Being one of the oldest cities of India where the Catholic Christian community established its roots in the early ages of European exploration of the Indian subcontinent, Agra has some of the oldest cemeteries in the country.

The centuries-old graves in Agra are still preserved by the cemetery committees for the European descendants who may want to visit the grave of their ancestors.

However, this also means that Agra is now short of space in the cemeteries for Christians to bury their dead. In a bid to resolve this problem, the Agra Cemeteries Committee has taken a controversial decision which is not sitting well with most Christians living in the city.

Father Lazarus Moon, the chairman of the Agra Cemeteries Committee, told India Today that the committee passed a unanimous decision in which it was ruled that graves will be dug very deep in the cemeteries of Agra.

Moon said that the coffins will be placed in tiers inside the graves, burying one dead of the family on top of another, thereby, conserving valuable space for other graves. This way, he said, the family will stay together even in death with their bodies separated by stone slabs.

Father Lazarus Moon said that this decision was taken to conserve and salvage space in the already congested cemeteries of Agra and it will give a respectful send off to the departed family members.

The committee has also decided to open the graves that have not seen any relatives visiting them in decades and that the space will also be used to bury new dead.

However, the committee will preserve the details of the grave that is being opened. This move will recover a lot of space in the cemeteries for the future generations of Christians.

Father Moon said that this decision will be announced in the Sunday prayer meetings in all churches of Agra so that the people understand the reasoning behind this decision.

Criticising this move, cleric Mufti Mudassar Khan Qadri said that this is desecration of ancestral graves.

Mufti Mudassar Khan Qadri said that Christians and Muslims are often referred to as the ‘Followers of the Book’, which meant that there was no need for changing religion for a Muslim to marry a Christian woman or vice-versa. However, this decision by the Christians to pile up the graves of their ancestors with dead bodies from the rest of the family is something that is hard to fathom.

source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> India / by Siraj Qureshi , Agra / July 26th, 2019

Software Developed By IIT Kanpur Scientists To Guide Chandrayaan-2’S Pragyan Rover On Lunar Surface

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Software Developed By IIT Kanpur Scientists To Guide Chandrayaan-2’s Pragyan Rover On Lunar Surface
Pragyan rover (ISRO official website)

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur developed a motion planning and mapping generation software for the Chandrayaan-2 mission which is now on its intended path towards the moon.

This software will help the rover Pragyan in its landing and movement on the lunar surface, reports  New Indian Express.

The IIT Kanpur team comprised of Prof Ashish Datta of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Prof KS Venkatesh of Electrical Engineering wing. The 27 kg rover runs on 50 W of solar power and can travel up to 500 m at a speed of 1 cm per second and communicates directly with the lander.

The made in India software would help the rover in drilling the lunar surface, to explore for traces of water and minerals before beaming back its findings for further research and examination.

The rover is expected to soft-land on the lunar surface in the first week of September.

source: http://www.swarajyamag.com / Swarajya Magazine / Home / by Swarajya Staff / July 24th, 2019

Lucknow diary

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Four youths from Uttar Pradesh will represent India at the WorldSkills International Competition 2019 to be in Kazan, Russia from August 22 to 27.

Four UP youths at world skills meet

Four youths from Uttar Pradesh will represent India at the WorldSkills International Competition 2019 to be in Kazan, Russia from August 22 to 27. Govind Sonkar, Amit Yadav, Utkarsh Kumar and Saurabh Baghel will be part of the 48-member Indian contingent at the event that is also called the ‘Olympics for Skills’. Over 1,500 competitors from 60 countries will pit their skills at 55 skill contests at the event. Govind (21), of Kanpur, would be contesting as an auto-body painting technician. While Amit, from Sant Ravidasnagar, will be contesting in the concrete construction work category, Utkarsh (22), of Gorakhpur, would take part in hairdressing category.

Light & sound show to be back


The unique light and sound show, demonstrating the selfless sacrifice of the freedom fighters, is set to be revived after nearly a decade, on Independence Day. Back in the day, the show used to draw plenty to Residency, a group of buildings on the same premises which served as the residence of the British Resident General, who also had a seat in the court of the Nawab of Awadh. What’s more is that locals and visitors can now enjoy the show at a nominal I100. The show aims at taking viewers back to the Revolt of 1857 in a bid to make them aware how and, to what extent, the City of Nawabs contributed to the freedom struggle.

Wonder kid to sit for boards at age of 10

Rashtram Aditya Shri Krishna, an eight-year-old wonder boy from Lucknow, is ready to take his first high school examinations in 2021, at the age of 10 years. Even the UP Board has granted him special permission to take admission to Class 9 in one of its affiliated schools. Though the board’s standard rules allow a student to be at least 14 years of age to appear in Class 10 board exams, exceptions are made once in a while in some special cases. And Aditya, who will turn 9 on October 17, is one of them. As per his astrologer father Professor Pawan Kumar Acharya, Aditya has never been to a school. 

Dress diktat for teachers


The principal Karamat Hussain Muslim Girls’ PG College in Lucknow recently asked teachers to come to the institution dressed in a “decent and appropriate” manner. The minority institution is affiliated to the University of Lucknow (LU). Earlier, the institution had put out a diktat, asking teachers to come in sarees. However, in the face of opposition from the staff and LU Associated College Teachers’ Association (LUACTA), the order was modified. College authorities claim the order came only after it was observed that new appointees were coming to college wearing outfits deemed unbecoming of teachers.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Express News Service / August 09th, 2019

RAW@50: Remembering RN Kao, India’s first true spymaster

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Rameshwar Nath Kao (centre) | The Kaoboys of R&AW / Revolt Press

R.N. Kao, whose team was called ‘Kao-boys’, became India’s first RAW chief in 1968. He is also known as ‘architect of Bangladesh’ for his role in 1971 war.

New Delhi :

Around June 1975, a betel-nut exporter arrived in Dacca (now Dhaka). Over an hour-long meeting, he tried to convince the then President of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, that a coup to overthrow him was imminent. He also named the military officers behind the conspiracy.

Rahman refused to believe him. A few weeks later, Rahman and 40 members of his family were slaughtered by the very military officers this betel-nut exporter had named.

The exporter was India’s “philosopher-spymaster” Rameshwar Nath Kao in disguise.

Kao served as the first chief of India’s external intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). As the agency marks its 50th anniversary this month ,  ThePrint looks back at the incisive “father figure” who first led it.

A deputy director at the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Kao took over as director of RAW in 1968 after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi split the former to carve out an intelligence agency focused on international threats.

He began with a small team, 250 handpicked agents from the IB who would later be called the mysterious “Kao-boys”.

‘Architect of Bangladesh’

Known to be ruthless, Kao has come to be identified as the architect of Bangladesh for his role during the third war between Pakistan and India in 1971, when the erstwhile East Pakistan was liberated.

India’s intelligence forces had been operating in East Pakistan before 1971, becoming “active” only after the war began. Kao was in charge of the silent operations.

In the war, which lasted 13 days, RAW actively helped Mukti Bahini, the Bangladesh liberation force, triumph over West Pakistan. RAW is believed to have trained one lakh people who fought to free the country.

General Zia-ur-Rehman, president of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981, is said to have told Indira Gandhi once that “this man [Kao] knows more about my country than me”.

In 1974, Kao was reportedly one of the first to warn Gandhi about a possible coup in Sikkim against the then ruling Chogyal dynasty. Fears that the Chinese may step in, and reportedly at the Sikkim ruler’s behest, India took over the state. A subsequent referendum saw most Sikkimese vote for a merger with India, and the erstwhile protectorate went on to join the country as its 22nd state in 1975.

After Gandhi’s government lost power in 1977, Kao too retreated into the shadows. Many say that this may have been because Moraji Desai’s government was suspicious of the agency’s role, especially during the Emergency.

The return

As Gandhi was re-elected in 1980, Kao returned and stayed on as her security adviser till her assassination in 1984.

“A little-known secret is Kao’s visit to China in 1984, laying the ground work for the subsequent ‘historic visit’ of Rajiv Gandhi to China in 1988,” wrote former national security adviser and IB chief M.K. Narayanan in an obituary for Kao after his death on 20 January, 2002.

“For much of this period, Kao continued to function as the ‘eminence grise’ of the security establishment,” he added.

Kao was also entrusted by Gandhi to develop a better and more stable relationship with Mossad, the intelligence agency of Israel.

“Some analysts say Kao also had a substantial role in arming Tamil guerrillas in the late seventies and eighties and played a pivotal role in Sri Lankan affairs, even though he was no longer the hands-on man,” journalist Ranjit Bhushan wrote about Kao in another obituary.

Fiercely personal

Kao was born on 10 May, 1918, to wealthy Kashmiri Pandits in Benares.

He graduated with a Master’s in English Literature from Allahabad University, and went on to join the Imperial Police, the predecessor of the Indian Police Service, in 1939.

On 21 January, 1942, Kao married Malini, the daughter of Justice Tej Narain Mulla of Allahabad. They had a daughter.

Kao was known to have been a fiercely private man, and was rarely seen in public.

On 3 June, 1947, Kao was deputed to the central intelligence bureau, one of the few Hindus on a turf dominated by British and Muslim officers.

After Independence, Kao’s first assignment was to guard VIPs. When Elizabeth II, the Queen of England, visited Independent India in 1961, Kao was assigned to her security detail.

He was also the personal security chief of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. He was sent to Ghana in 1957, where he worked for a year and formed the country’s intelligence agency, Foreign Service Research Bureau (FSRB).

Kao also played an integral role in setting up the National Security Guard (NSG), an elite force that has proved invaluable in dealing with hijackings and terrorist attacks. Along with B.N. Mullick, he helped form the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Aviation Research Centre (ARC).

As a person, he had been described as “suave, brilliant, loving, caring, self-effacing”, with most remembering him as a father figure.

“Kao pulsated warmth and was essentially a father figure to all those who worked with and under him…” Narayanan added in the obituary.

“He was not only the founder of RAW… He is a legend,” former RAW chief A.S. Dulat said

source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India> Governance / by Deeksha Bharadwaj / September 18th, 2018

Over The Moon: Lucknow Residents Celebrate City’s Chandrayaan Connection

Education, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

The mission director for Chandrayaan-2 Ritu Karidhal Srivastava did her MSc in Physics from the University of Lucknow in 1996.

Lucknow : 

As the nation celebrated the launch of Chandrayaan-2, people in Lucknow are over the moon revelling in mission director Ritu Karidhal Srivastava’s connection to the city.

Congratulatory messages poured in for teachers, batchmates and relatives of Ritu Karidhal Srivastava in Lucknow.

“The entire department is feeling proud on the achievements of Ritu Karidhal, who did her MSc in Physics from this department in 1996,” Poonam Tandon, head of the Physics department at the University of Lucknow, said.

“She was a very bright student and is certainly a role model for the current batch of students. The entire department is excited over her success and that of the ISRO. She is indeed a proud alumnus of the department,” she said.

Ms Tandon said the department is chalking out a programme to felicitate the Chandrayaan-2 mission director.

In the state assembly on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded ISRO scientists, specifically mentioning Ritu Karidhal Srivastava.

Meanwhile, a batchmate of hers recalled the ISRO scientist’s days at the University of Lucknow. “She was a brilliant student and had a good command over the subject,” said Vikal Saxena, who teaches Physics at a private university in the city.

“In fact, on couple of occasions she cleared my doubts as well,” he said, recalling that she helped all students and was also popular with those from the junior batches.

Ritu Karidhal’s cousin Ajay Srivastava shared the sentiment. “She is very polite by nature and used to encourage her siblings in every aspect of life. She guided us. Be it her educational qualifications or behavioural attributes, she is very good,” he said.

India’s moon mission Chandrayaan 2 lifted off from its launch pad at Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota at 2:43 pm on Monday on board a giant heavy-lift rocket. India’s space scientists had a narrow one-minute window for their second attempt at launching the moon mission, a week after the mission was aborted 56 minutes before lift-off.COMMENT

The success of Chandrayaan 2 mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to pull off a soft landing on the moon.

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Sections> Lucknow / by Press Trust of India / July 23rd, 2019

Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express set to be first train to be run by private operators

Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel
The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Anandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh (PTI)
  • The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express was announced in 2016 but was introduced in the new time table released recently
  • The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Annandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi :

The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express is set to be the first train to be operated by private players, sources said Monday, indicating that the Railways is going ahead with its 100-day agenda of handing over operations of two of its trains to the private sector, despite protests from its unions.

The Railway Board is deliberating on a second such route, which too would be within the 500-km distance range.

The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express was announced in 2016 but was introduced in the new time table released recently.

The train, one of the most-awaited trains on the route, is currently parked at the Annandnagar railway station in Uttar Pradesh and will be handed over to private players after an open bidding process for operationalisation.

However, the custody of the trains will be transferred to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) , which will pay for it, including their lease charges, to the financing arm, IRFC.

“These two trains will be given on an experimental basis and we hope that within the next 100 days, we will be able to run at least one of them. The idea was to identify routes which have low congestion and connect important tourists spots. The second tain too will be identified soon,” a senior official said.

The Delhi-Lucknow route is currently served by 53 trains but does not have a Rajdhani. The Swarn Shatabdi has the highest demand on this route and takes around 6:30 hours.

The IRCTC, which will be given the two trains to run initially, has been asked to finalise a proposal by July 10 and submit it to the Railway Board after a meeting of the Member, Traffic, with officials of the Railways’ tourism and catering arm on July 4.

The proposal of the Railway Board in its 100-day plan was to offer two trains to operators who would be willing to be part of the bidding process for rights to run private passenger day/overnight train sets connecting important cities. The Railways also said that it would float a Request for Proposal (RFP) and a Request for Quote (RFQ) in the next 100 days.

The proposal, however, has come under severe criticism from the railway unions, who have threatened large scale protests over the issue.

source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Explore / by PTI / July 09th, 2019

Lucknow: Kalhalth Institute bags the JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

The inaugural JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship, in association with AD, was awarded to Lucknow’s Kalhath Institute for embroidery

Photo caption: Maximiliano Modesti and Sangita Jindal at the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow. All photos courtesy Neville Sukhia

Hanging on the walls of the JSW office in Mumbai is a symbol of gratitude—a unique interpretation of a painting by French artist Anne Pesce.

But where Pesce’s medium is oil-on-canvas, this piece uses thread and glass beads to translate her abstract expressions of landscape into tangible reality. Its embroidered surface softly catches the light, and the textured shades of grey, white and pink make viewers stop for a second glance, then lean in closer to admire the dexterity that went into creating it.

The work was gifted by the Kalhath Institute as a gesture of thanks, from the recipients of the inaugural JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship, which was founded in 2018, at the AD Design Show in India.

It also signifies a turning point for the Lucknow-based institute, whose pursuit of embroidery education uncovered a new opportunity for craft production.

Photo caption: The facade and campus of the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow, which was founded by Modesti in 2016

Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: Serial Skiller

After over 20 years of working with karigars (craftsmen) and luxury houses, French-Italian craft entrepreneur Maximiliano Modesti  realised that pride in one’s work was a big driver, and that formalising recognition was as important as addressing wages.

He founded Kalhath in 2016, and its mission has been to recognise, promote and sustain craft excellence. His approach to create an impact across craft is now through measured interventions. What this means is that engagements must be deep, long term and, to begin with, in smaller numbers.

Sangita Jindal confesses to being completely taken by her visit to the institute, housed in a heritage building in Lucknow: “The work of Kalhath was very inspiring to see first-hand. It is a unique institution and they are doing a commendable job.”

Photo caption: Embroiderers at the Kalhath Institute, Siraj Ali and Amir Khan, working on artist T Venkanna’s Holy Tree artwork

Fourteen karigars recently celebrated their convocation. The faculty had introduced them to a wide spectrum of skill-building engagements, including spatial perception, colour, costing and design.

They learnt through practical application, and the programme concluded with an art residency that had them co-creating artworks with artist T Venkanna.

Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: French Influences

But it all began with the initial experiment. The first artwork interpreted by the karigars during the initial stages of the programme was the Pesce piece.

Titled New York #14, karigars Mohammed Ishtiaque Ansari and Mohammed Tabriz Shaikh worked on it over a period of two months.

Modesti shares the reasoning behind this piece being chosen as the gift: “I wanted to acknowledge the kindness of Sangita’s award with the first-ever artwork we worked on at the institute. This work travelled to the AD Design Show as well.”

Visitors to the last year’s show might recall a young man, Ishtiyaque Ansari, working over an adda (a rectangular wooden frame), intently focused on transforming into three dimensions, Pesce’s two-dimensional work.

Photo caption: Embroiderers at the institute working on an artwork titled Incomplete Circle

Lucknow, Kalhath Institute: Bridging the Gap

Embroidered works of art are not new, but the opportunity lies in creating production facilities dedicated to, and experienced in, managing the expectations and the relationships between artists and karigars.

Modesti’s view on the final product being classified as either a work of art or craft is telling: “It depends on who the artist is, and what kind of work they want to create.

For instance, there is no difference between a painting by Venkanna and his embroidered works: he is using embroidery as [a medium].

However, in the case of Pesce, it is a translation of her work. What is emerging is so different for each artist—and that is the great potential: It is not only one language, it is multiple ways of creating and translating work.”

Photo caption: A piece titled Fire being shown by Venkanna (left) and Zeeshan Ahmed, a member of faculty at the Kalhath Institute

That Pesce’s work is being translated into five editions almost undermines the understanding of each as a unique work that reveals the potential, and need, of new classifications between craft, art and design. It is perhaps in these new classifications that the future of craft lies.

The recipient of the second edition of the JSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship will be announced at the AD Design Show 2019.

source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Architecture & Design> Craftsmanship / by Malika Verma Kashyap / May 27th, 2019

IIT Kanpur identifies novel molecule to control hyper inflammation

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Multitasking molecule: Unlike the molecules now being tested, our peptide molecule also reduces the amount of IL-6 being released, say Arun Shukla (right) and Shubhi Pandey.  

Hyper inflammation compromises pathogen-clearing ability, also destroys the tissues surrounding the inflamed area

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have identified and characterised a novel small protein molecule that can effectively control inflammation leading to better treatment outcomes. In contrast, inflammation control by molecules that are undergoing clinical trials may not be optimal due to inherent drawbacks. The work was done in collaboration with the University of Queensland.

Hyper inflammation

While some amount of inflammation at the site of infection is required for effective clearance of pathogens, too much inflammation compromises pathogen-clearing ability. Hyper inflammation also destroys the tissues surrounding the inflamed area leading to inflammation disorders such as sepsis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

A small protein (C5a) that is a part of the innate immunity (immediate defence against pathogens that have never been encountered before) gets activated when a pathogen enters the body. The C5a protein then binds to a particular receptor (C5aR1) found on the surface of certain cells such as macrophages and neutrophils to begin the process of inflammation and pathogen clearance.

Neutrophiles are already present in the body and circulate in the blood. Once the small protein binds to the C5aR1 receptor found on neutrophils, there is increased migration towards the site of infection leading to hyper inflammation. At the same time, binding of the small protein to the receptor on macrophages reduces the amount of a pro-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin-6 (IL-6) that is released, which is desirable to overcome inflammatory symptoms.

Therapeutic agents now undergoing clinical testing prevent the C5a protein from binding to the receptor found on neutrophils leading to reduced migration of neutrophils to the site of infection. Hyper inflammation is thus prevented. However, it has the opposite effect on interleukin-6 release. Unlike the C5a protein, the drug candidate molecules do not reduce the amount of IL-6 being released thereby causing more inflammation.

Role of IL-6

“There is more inflammation when the amount of IL-6 at the site of infection is more. So it is desirable to reduce the amount of IL-6 being released to overcome the inflammatory symptoms,” says Arun Shukla from the institute’s Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering. He is one of the corresponding authors of a paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The small protein molecule identified by IIT Kanpur researchers addresses the shortcomings seen with the drug molecules now undergoing clinical testing. The drug molecule that IIT Kanpur team used for this study is already known to bind to the C5aR1 receptor. But its effects were not characterised in term of IL-6 release and neutrophil migration.

“Our peptide molecule binds to the C5aR1 receptor found on neutrophils and reduces their migration to the site of infection. And unlike the molecules now being tested, our peptide molecule also reduces the amount of IL-6 being released,” says Prof. Shukla. Under in vitro conditions, the combined effect may lead to reduced inflammation.

“The molecule only reduces and not blocks neutrophil migration. There should be sufficient inflammation at the infection site to clear the pathogens,” says Shubhi Pandey from IIT Kanpur and first author of the paper.

The peptide molecule identified by the team is smaller than the C5a protein so the binding to the receptor is weak. “So we have to use higher concentration of our synthetic peptide to achieve better results. Future work would be to increase the strength of binding by improving the molecule so that less concentration is needed,” Prof. Shukla says. The team plans to carry out animal studies in future to measure the therapeutic potential of the molecule.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Science / by R. Prasad / May 04th, 2019