Allahabad University alumnus Prashant Kumar Rai has bagged the prestigious Young Scientist Award from the Council of Science and Technology (CST). He was selected for the honour by an expert committee constituted for science awards – 2011-12.
The award, conferred by the UP government, includes an amount of Rs 25,000, a citation, a shawl and a memento. Rai has done his PhD from Allahabad University’s Medicinal Research Lab (MRL), department of chemistry, under the supervision of senior faculty member Geeta Watal.
The award function was organised at Sir CV Raman auditorium of CST in the state capital recently.
For his post-doctoral, Rai went to University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and is currently working in the department of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging at AIIMS, New Delhi.
“My work in MRL was on screening of some medicinally important plants like Tricosanthes dioica (pointed gourd or parwal), cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass), psidium guajava (guava), emblica officinal (Indian gooseberry), ficus bengelansis (Indian banyan tree), etc, for diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. I also purified few compounds from Tricosanthes Dioica and the fraction pointed gourd was found to be active mycobacterium,” shared Rai about his work done at AU while expressing happiness over receiving the award.
With 47 research papers published in referred journals of high repute, five book chapters and two Indian patents including on oral delivery of insulin, which is in order to be granted to his credit, Rai said currently he was working at AIIMS on metabolomics or identifying the metabolites from natural products using high resolution NMR (700 MHz).
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / June 26th, 2014
Dr Surya Prakash Singh, a scientist at the Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Division of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, has been given the prestigiouYoung Scientist Award by the government of Uttar-Pradesh. The Council of Science and Technology UP Government selects bright and young scientists below 35 years age for this award every year for the recognition of their significant contributions in their respective area of research. The award has been bestowed to Dr. SP Singh on his contributions in the area of chemical sciences particularly on solar energy research.
Dr. Singh is working as a Scientist at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. He studied chemistry at the University of Allahabad, India, and obtained his Ph. D in 2005. After working at Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, as a postdoctoral fellow (2006-2008), he joined, as an Assistant Professor at Osaka University, in 2008. He worked as a researcher at Photovoltaic Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan (2010-2011).
He has been involved on novel C-C bond forming reactions and synthesis of New and Highly Efficient Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Organic-Thin Film Solar Cells and published over 85 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 5 patents, editor of two books and author of two book chapters. He is guest editor in chief for several international journals like Advances in Optoelectronics, Journal of Nano Energy, Current Organic Chemistry, and Power Research etc.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Ch. Sushil Rao, TNN / June 28th, 2014
It was time for celebrations for the students of CLAT Possible, from the house of Team Satyam located at Sikanderabagh Chauraha, Lucknow, who recently cleared their CLAT 2014 exam. Aditya Wakhlu
The spotlight was on Aditya Wakhlu, who was the Lucknow topper in CLAT 2014 with an all India ranking of 27, along with other 15 students, who made it to the most sought-after national law universities in India.
The do started with the felicitation of the students by Satyam Shanker Sahai and Surabhi Modi Sahai, chief mentors at the coaching in stitute. Surabhi then gave tips for college life to the students: “The new style mantra for col lege is, un style,” she said.
However, Satyam was quite excited about the successful results of his insti tute. “You are a CLAT Possible success sto ry and make sure you carry this legacy to your law schools and make us the number one brand in Law,” he said.
Tokens of appreci ation and mementos were later distributed to successful aspi rants by Himanshu Kumar, Principal Secretary , Finance, Government of UP .
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / June 29th, 2014
From an ancient temple of Lord Jagannath in Chinhat bearing Awadhi Muslim architecture to a Muslim putting up water kiosks during the yatra, tales of religious amity dot the cultural landscape of the city.
Historian Yogesh Praveen, said, “The temple was built by a devotee of Lord Jagannath, but given a facelift by the then-Nawab of Oudh Asaf-ud-Daullah in 1785. The temple’s uniqueness can be spotted on its dome. Instead of the traditional chakra or trishul, there is a crescent.”
In Aishbagh, Rafiq ‘bhai’ for the past decade has been putting up water kiosks at Tikaitganj, the first halt of the yatra by Shri Bhagwan Jagannath Seva Samiti, to help the hundreds of chariot pullers quench their thirst.
“It gives me immense satisfaction that I am able to help hundreds of devotees,” said Rafiq.
Thanking him, office bearer of the Samiti Saket Sharma said, “We hope the practice continues”.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / June 29th, 2014
The Lucknow-based Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has been assigned a lead role in the Indian Ocean in introducing a system of certification of medicinal plants and their products with a view to promote marketing and utilisation of value added products in Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) region. The development comes close to the heels of another Lucknow-based CSIR laboratory, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research getting the GLP certification.
This decision to assign the current role to CIMAP was taken in the first meeting of medicinal plants focal points of IORA Regional Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (RCSTT) held at Salalah, Sultanate of Oman from June 23 to June 25. IORA is an apex organization, which includes 20 countries Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, Yemen and 6 dialogue partners including China, Japan, Egypt, France, UK and USA.
According to the Salalah declaration adopted by the participating countries, an ad hoc committee on standards and standardisation for medicinal plants and herbal medicine has been established. The committee chaired by Prof Anil Kumar Tripathi, director of CIMAP will draft a document to introduce a system of certification of each member state in order to introduce a minimum standard acceptable to all member states for commercialisation of value added products of medicinal plants and related technology in the IORA region.
Tripathi who represented India at the meeting at Salalah said that the recommendations made in the meet would help the IORA member states and other developing countries in formulating their plans to ensure cooperation for applied research, technology transfer and commercialisation of medicinal plants and herbal medicine in the IORA region.
It was also proposed that CIMAP will host a meeting of the IORA in 2015 besides organising an international training course on the processing and quality control of medicinal and aromatic plants for the member countries at CIMAP soon.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / June 28th, 2014
A city-based school chain with over 50,000 students in its various branches has been registered as an official NGO of United Nations, the school said on Saturday.
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Jagdish Gandhi, founder of the City Montessori School, told reporters that the school was registered with the department of public information of the UN as a non-governmental organisation.
This special status will give the school the privilege of “participation in various programmes, conferences and seminars organised by United Nations and put forth its ideas on world unity and world peace in order to safeguard the future of 2.4 billion children of the world”, he said.
CMS was declared the biggest school, as per student population, in the world by the Guinness World Records last year.
(Agencies)
source: http://www.post.jagran.com / Jagran Post / Home> States News / by Jagran Post News Desk / Jagran Post Editorial / June 28th, 2014
What gives late 19th century photographer Raja Deen Dayal’s work the acclaim it has received? An exhibition showcasing arguably India’s first professional photographer’s works tries to dissect.
LISTENING TO THE PHONOGRAPH: DEEN DAYAL, GHALIB JUNG AND FRIENDS AT HYDERABAD 22ND MAY 1891The palpable excitement of Nawab Ghalib Jung and his friends whilelistening to the first phonograph in Hyderabad is visible. Such naturalexuberance is seldom seen in 19th century photography
Lala Deen Dayal was to Indian photography what his peer Raja Ravi Varma was to painting. As a 20-something civil engineer, Deen Dayal was working at the draughtsman office at the Indore Public Works Department when he heard an ominous rumour — all draughtsmen were to be replaced by photographers. It was 1866. Dayal decided to brush up his photography skills; a subject that he had learnt during his final year in college. A decision that paved the way for Deen Dayal to eke out a successful career in professional photography.
Vikram Sampath, Executive Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), says: “The heavy Bellow cameras of the 19th century would have been cumbersome. But his photographs are so extensive that they can be the starting point for fleshing out the socio-cultural aspect of that period.” IGNCA is presenting the exhibition Raja Deen Dayal Photographs, a collection of 150 rare period photographs which will be shown in the city for the first time.
Sampath says he can imagine how hard it must have been for Deen Dayal to get people to be photographed, considering the superstitions around the act. “People believed that if photographed, their life span would be reduced.” It was not uncommon for him to break the glass-plate negative in front of the subject after giving them their photographs, probably to assure them that it wouldn’t be used again. But he would have stealthily kept another copy in the archive.
Grand old man
Here was an Indian photographer appreciated by Indian maharajas (the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, in fact, wrote a verse in praise of him) and British Viceroys. His photographs were exhibited to great reviews in international exhibitions. He was appointed the court photographer for Hyderabad (1885); Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad, conferred on him the title Musawwir Jung Bahadur (the Bold Warrior Photographer) and referred to him as Raja Deen Dayal. In 1897, Queen Victoria granted him the Royal Warrant, which meant he could cover the Delhi Dubar (1903). He had flourishing studios in Secunderabad, Indore and Bombay that were operated by his firm Deen Dayal & Sons. And even after his death (1905), his fifth generation has photo studios in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Not bad for a man who was born (1844) in a small town near Meerut.
Luck and talent
In 1870, when Deen Dayal was hired by the Archeological Survey of India, his brief was to capture 78 monuments of Central India. The technique used was refreshingly different. The monuments stood out against the sky as he captured them from a low angle, making them imposing and grand. Some, like the Gwalior Fort, had an extraordinary view of the sharp precipice below the steep path leading up to the main entrance. The portraits of the monuments form an extensive collection of places across India.
Deen Dayal quit his government job to pursue photography when he realised that the albums prepared by him on Indian monuments were a hit with the British officers returning to Britain. Sir Henry Daly appointed him the official photographer for the Prince of Wales’s tour of India in 1875. He started accompanying the Viceroys, Lord Dufferin and Lord Elgin, on their tours. His interactions with Indian royalty gave him unmatched access to their world. By being the court photographer of the Nizam, Deen Dayal secured a generous patron and an easy access to British officers in the cantonment. He was probably the first Indian photographer to have a Zanana (ladies only) studio at Hyderabad which was run by a specially-appointed employee, Kenny Levick.
From glass plates to digital
Deen Dayal’s family had preserved the glass-plate negatives with history recorded on them. Those negatives required long exposures and hours of work. Each comes with documentation of the place and year, apart from the name of the royals or nobles. The commoners were categorised broadly with captions such as ‘Maratha’ and ‘Brahmin’. IGNCA has reproduced the originals after the entire collection of about 3,000 negatives were handed to them by the family in 1989. These were then digitised and the first exhibition took place in New Delhi in 2010. For all aficionados of photography, this show remains the best place to know how it all began for one photographer, arguably the first Indian professional photographer.
Raja Deen Dayal Photographs, 10 am to 5 pm till July 20, NGMA
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Lounge / by Jayanthi Madhukar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / June 23rd, 2014
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certificate awarded to Lucknow-based Indian Institute of Toxicology Research has brightened prospects of those involved in micro, small and medium-scale enterprises as also cultivators of mango and betel leaves that are exported all over the world.
IITR is the first among 37 CSIR laboratories in India to receive the coveted certificate (initially for a period of three years). Speaking to media, IITR director Dr K C Gupta said “GLP is a quality system concerned with organisational process and conditions under which pre-clinical health and environmental safety studies are planned, performed, monitored, recorded, archived and reported. The national and international regulatory authorities/agencies require the safety data of all new products including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs, pesticides, cosmetic products, food products, feed addictives, etc prior to their launch in the market.” He added that GLP is a system evolved by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and is used for achieving such safety goals.
Dr A B Pant said “this certification states that specified studies in toxicity and mutagenicity studies conducted at CSIR-IITR are in compliance with the principles of OECD principles for GLP.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / June 27th, 2014
Governor B L Joshi will leave for Jaipur from Raj Bhawan on June 23 at 9am and will be given Guard of Honour by the Indian Army at Raj Bhawan, here at 8.45am. The police will give Guard of Honour at the airport before his departure.
The governor designate Aziz Qureshi will arrive at Amausi Airport the same day in the afternoon. Chief justice of Allahabad HC justice D Y Chandrachud will administer him oath of office in Gandhi sabhagar of the Raj Bhawan at 6pm on June 23. It may be mentioned that governor of Uttarakhand Aziz Qureshi has been given additional charge of UP after resignation of governor BL Joshi.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / June 22nd, 2014
The inauguration of Deepa Iqbal Khare’s art exhibition yesterday was attended by aesthetes like Dr Veena Vidyarthi, Sunanda Prasad, Arun Srivastava, Yogesh Praveen and Krishna Singh.
Jayant Krishna, head, TCS Lucknow, inaugurated the exhibition and was mighty impressed with the works on display .
Deepa showcased a collection of mythological paintings with embossed work, along with portraits of famous personalities like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Be nazir Bhutto and Rekha.
While talking about her art, she said, “This is the first time that I have worked on mixed mediums like fibre, brass and ceramic using acrylic colours as well as oil paints. I have also used polyresin art technique in some of my paint ings.” Deepa was a student of the first batch of MFA to pass out of Lucknow Arts College. N Khanna, her professor from college, was also there to attend the exhibition.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Vidita Chandra / June 22nd, 2014
