Category Archives: Records, All

Lucknow girl tops PCS-J exam

Education, Records, All

Allahabad :

Swarangi Shukla of Lucknow bagged the top slot in PCS (J) exams-2016, the result of which was announced by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) here on Friday evening. Vinod Joshi of New Delhi stood second while an IAF ex-sergeant Vinod Kumar Pandey of Pratapgarh clinched the third spot.

Talking to TOI, Swarangi Shukla credited her success to her parents. “I had not expected to top the exams as this was my first attempt,” said an elated Swarangi.

Swarangi had completed her schooling from Lucknow’s City Montessori School in science stream before joining the five-year degree course from Gujarat National Law University . “I think it is hard work and dedication which pays and not the years that one dedicates for preparing the exams,” she said.

Third ranker Vinod Kumar Pandey was motivated by Mumbai blast case proceedings in court to become civil judge (junior divi sion).Vinod had served as a sergeant in IAF for 19 years before superannuation.

“I used to closely follow the Mumbai blast case of 1993, in which public prose cutor Ujjwal Nikam made appearances.

This motivated me to study law and I started taking night class of LLB at Mumbai University ,” said Pandey, who is serving as an entertainment tax inspector at Allahabad.

Similarly , second ranker Vinod Doshi belonging to Uttarakhand is presently employed in CBI in New Delhi.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Allahabad News / by Vinod Khanal / TNN / October 14th, 2017

Varanasi man makes fourth Guinness record

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
Varanasi man makes fourth Guinness record. TNN | Oct 19, 2017, 14:25 IST. DM Yogeshwar Ram Mishra handed over the certificate to Jagsdeesh Pillai

Varanasi :

Jagsdeesh Pillai, a former employee of Banaras Hindu University, brought a Diwali gift to the city in form of Guinness record. It is his 4th successful entry in the Guinness Book of World records for a theme based on ‘Make in India’ by creating the largest envelop with waste paper.

The district magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra released the certificate at a function held on October 19. Pillai created the envelop of 25-mt (83.80 feet) in length and 14.40-mt (47-23 feet) in width using the waste paper from industrial estate.

According to him, earlier this record was in the name of Ajmal Khan Tibbiya from College of Aligarh Muslim University in the size length 17.86 meter (58 feet) and width 13.10 meter (42 feet). He had attempt for this record for the first time on June 21, 2016 on Yoga day, but unfortunately, because of breaking some rules of Guinness authorities while attempting the record, it was disqualified that time. In his second attempt he successfully made the record.

Earier, he had made three successful records. His first record was connected with Digital India by making an animation movie within a shortest time by breaking a Canadian’s record in November 2012. His second record was on the largest photo awareness campaign “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” breaking a record of Maharashtra in November 2016. Besides, he also broke the record of China by creating the longest line of post cards to spread awareness about Indian Flag in June 2017.

Pillai is the only person who holds a Guinness World Record entry from Varanasi. “Now I am planning to make next Guinness Book of World record on the subject of ‘Namami Gange’ and ‘Swachh Bharat,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Varanasi News / TNN / October 19th, 2017

Varanasi celebrates birth anniversary of Jhansi ki Rani Laxmi Bai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Travel

Varanasi:

To mark the 182nd birth anniversary of the warrior queen of Jhansi Laxmi Bai, a colourful procession was taken out at her birth place in Bhadaini locality on Wednesday. A function was held at Shri Goyanka Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya by by Maharani Laxmi Bai Nyas to celebrate the occasion.

Students from different schools took out the procession and performed a ‘Parikrama’ of the birth place of Rani Lakshmi Bai. The students of of Panini Kanya Mahavidyalaya recited ‘mangalacharan’ followed by a series of cultural events.

Speaking on the occasion V Shanta Kumari of Rashtra Sevika Samiti highlighted the bravery of Rani Laxmi Bai who struck terror in hearts of the British during 1857 war of Independence, and called upon girls to take inspiration from the life of warrior queen. The Trustee Rajendra Pratap Pandey said that the government should arrange ‘Akhand Jyoti’ and build a grand memorial of the queen at her birth place.

The district gazetteers of Varanasi record that in the city of Varanasi in 1835 was born to Moropant Tambe (a Maratha scholar) and his wife Bhagirathi a girl whom they named Manu Bai, and who later came to be known as Lakshmi Bai.

In 1844, she was married to Ganga Dhar, the king of Jhansi and, on his death in 1853, she herself became the ruler of Jhansi. She was destined to become one of the most famous personages who took active part against the British in the struggle for freedom in 1857. She lived in Varanasi for four years and, after the death of Peshwa Chimmaji Appa, Moropant Tambe along with his daughter returned to Peshwa Balaji Bajirao at Bithoor in 1839.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Varanasi News / by Binay Singh / October 18th, 2017

IIT-Kanpur scientist-led team designs nano-machines that can correct anomalies inside living cells

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

New Delhi :

In a feat that may be clinically significant in near future, researchers led by a young structural biologist from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur have created nano-size machines that can crawl inside living cells to correct anomalies often linked to diseases.

These ‘nano-machines’ are made of fragments of antibodies and can be made to selectively target signalling events inside living cells. “They can be designed in such a manner that they regulate one arm of the signalling mechanism while leaving others completely untouched,” said IIT scientist Arun Kumar Shukla, who led a multi-institutional team for this work, which appeared in journal Nature Nanotechnology on Monday.

The technique may have therapeutic potential in certain diseases which otherwise are considered untreatable, such as type I diabetes and retinitis pigmentosa, a class of genetic disorders that result in progressive loss of eyesight.

The scientists showed that these specially prepared antibody fragments work by targeting selective functions of a class of proteins inside the cell called beta-arrestins. Beta-arrestins are significant because they regulate the action of a family of receptors called G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) found on the surface of each living cell.

Physiological receptors

These receptors are at the centre of every physiological process in our body. For example, we see things when photons (light particles) fall on rhodopsin molecules (GPCR receptors present in the retina), get the smell when the receptors in nostril cells get activated, and flee when an impending danger approaches us as GPCRs in different types of cells receive chemical cues in the form of hormones. These receptors also regulate everything from heartbeats to immune response. Scientists have already identified nearly 1,000 different GPCRs in the human body.

According to Shukla, beta-arrestins play a critical role in impeding the normal function of GPCR, particularly in cells that are not healthy, normal cells. “Beta-arrestins that bind with GPCR proteins pull the latter inside the cells and form a complex with another class of proteins called clathrin. Such complexes are typically headed for doom.”

The scientists found that the antibody fragments prevent beta-arrestin proteins from binding to clathrin and thus help the receptors stay at the cell surface longer, where they continue to do their normal function. “What these antibody fragments do here is to hinter beta-arrestin-GPCR complex from binding to clathrin, which is a sure-shot way to destruct the receptor,” Shukla said.

He, however, said their work was currently only a proof of concept. As a next, they plan to find a way to deliver these tiny antibody fragments inside lab-bred cells so that they can explore their actual potential.

Apart from IIT-Kanpur researchers, their compatriots from the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, and a few universities in the US and Canada were part of the team.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> Science / by TV Jayan / October 03rd, 2017

Two ex-IIT-BHU students develop reverse osmosis-based water purifier

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

Kanpur :

Concerned over wastage of water from the RO water systems, two ex-students of IIT-BHU were successful in developing cost and energy efficient water purifier called ‘Aquvio’.

The patentable technology was developed two years ago.

In Aquvio’s cost and energy saving Reverse Osmosis-based water purifier, only 30% of water is rejected and 70% is available for drinking purposes. Recognising the potential of Aquvio, IIT-Kanpur granted a seed funding of Rs 20 lakh to the company run by these ex-IIT-BHU students.

The duo–Naveen Kumar and Rohit Kumar Mittal–who had developed Aquvio in just two years, were successful in getting 60 Aquvio water purifiers installed across schools and colleges in Varanasi. Four such water purifiers were also installed at an Army unit in the holy city. With fresh round of funding, Naveen and Rohit are hopeful that they will be able to take forward their mission of saving water. In the last one year, Aquvio managed to save one crore litre of water.

Talking to TOI over phone, Naveen, who passed out from IIT-BHU in 2014 said, “Aquvio’s water filters significantly reduce the amount of water wasted as compared to modern RO water systems. In water purifiers available in the market, 70% of the water is drained out, which is nothing but a wastage in the current scenario of water crisis in our country. In Aquvio’s cost and energy saving Reverse Osmosis-based water purifier, only 30% of the water is rejected and 70% is available for drinking purpose. Aquvio water purifiers also consume less power”.

Naveen said that while the first water purifier was developed and launched in the market in August 2015 after eight months of research, 60 products have been installed in different schools and colleges in Varanasi. “The technology used in Aquvio has already been patented. This patented technology only ensures that out of four litre of water only one litre gets drained and the remaining water is available for drinking purpose. It significantly helps in saving water”, he further said.

Aquvio has two water purifiers that can filter huge quantities of water (100 litre per hour and 50 litre per hour) and are fit for use in corporate offices or schools/colleges.

When asked about the cost of a single piece of Aquvio, Naveen replied that Aquvio, dispensing 50 litre of water per hour costs Rs 50,000. “We are in the mode of expansion. At present our company is based in Malviya centre in IIT-BHU but soon we will have a manufacturing unit out of the institute campus. We shall base ourselves somewhere in Delhi/NCR. At present 16 full time employees are working in our company”, said Naveen while talking about the expansion plans of his start-up. He said that he had accepted the job offer from a company during the campus placement drive but he did not join and after completing his BTech in 2014 he started with his water purification project.

“The fact that Aquvio purifiers are cost and energy efficient as well as helping in water conservation is what aligns the start-up with the aim of the INVENT programme, under which SIIC (SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Centre) has funded the company. IIT-Kanpur has granted a seed funding of Rs 20 lakh to a cost and energy efficient water purifier start-up called Aquvio (iMinbit Technologies Pvt. Ltd.), based in Varanasi”, said Prof Sameer Khandekar, associate dean, Innovation and Incubation, IIT-Kanpur.

“We are excited to welcome Aquvio into IIT Kanpur’s social incubation programme which has seen rapid growth over the last six months. With a majority of India’s cities and towns reeling under water crisis, Aquvio’s water-saving ROtechnology not only reduces water wastage but also provides sustainable potable water to the underprivileged communities,” said Prof Khandekar.

Aquvio has been recognised by Startup India Standup India, a Government of India initiative, Naveen said.
INVENT is a collaboration between the Technology Development Board, Government of India and the Department for International Development, Government of the United Kingdom.

As on June 30, IIT-Kanpur has received the highest number of incubation applications approved among the three other INVENT incubators in the country. The institute’s INVENT programme has been operational since August 2016 and has so far funded nine social enterprises.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kanpur News / by Abhinav Malhotra / TNN / July 14th, 2017

Women to get 2 new birth control options today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Science & Technology

Lucknow :

Contraceptive created by city-based Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) will get national launch when it is made available in government hospitals on World Population Day on Tuesday.

Earlier known as Saheli, the oral contraceptive has been renamed Chhaya and is a non-hormonal (no effect on hormonal milieu of the body) pill that will now be freely available in all government hospitals.

Another contraceptive, an injectable variant Antara will also be launched the same day by state minister for women, child and family welfare, Rita Bahuguna Joshi at Veerangana Avanti Bai hospital.

The two contraceptives launched by the government sector will give women additional options, especially during their postpartum period and in the lactation stage.

Organising a programme for the launch at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) that will be held later in the day, Dr Vinita Das, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department said, “There was huge demand for contraceptives in these two stages when women are highly vulnerable but can also be counselled. The rate of institutional deliveries and contraceptive acceptance has increased and the government has also changed its policy from permanent contraception to giving ideal space between children.”

Informing about the benefits of Antara and Chhaya, Das said, “Antara is a three-monthly injectable, safe and highly effective way for contraception in lactating mothers and fertility returns within six to eight months of stopping the injection. Chhaya, on the other hand, is the only non-hormonal contraceptive, to be taken initially twice weekly for three months and then once a week till contraception is desired and it can be stopped whenever a woman wants to conceive.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kanpur News / TNN / July 12th, 2017

Cell to innovate, incubate young entrepreneurs

Business & Economy, Records, All

Lucknow :

A provision of Rs 5-crore for setting up incubators in Lucknow is a first in UP budget, say experts. It’s probably for the first time that that the government has focussed on entrepreneurial development in the state. UP never had an incubation centre or cell beyond institutions like IIT, Kanpur or IIM, Lucknow .

“It will turn students into employers and not employment-seekers,” says Prof Manish Gaur, founder director, Institute of Advanced Studies, APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, and a member of the innovation and incubation cell. In UP, since students do not have the money for start-ups, they mostly hunt for jobs. That’s where the role of incubation cell becomes important.

These cells are meant to support under-graduate and post-graduate students willing to set up industrial units or a start-ups. They provide a conducive environment to students as far as designing the product, finding the market and addressing legal issues is concerned.

Once the start-up or the industrial unit becomes matured and strong enough to be a stand-alone set up, the entrepreneur can migrate. The incubation cells can be set up in universities or private institutes which are matured enough to provide the support an incubation cell.

Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2017 emphasises on promoting start-ups by reducing regulatory burden on them; creating venture capital fund; setting up incubation centres to connect start-ups with resources for running their businesses and connect them to network of experts and opening up incubation centres in government and private engineering colleges, management institutes and other technical organizations.

“But government should guard against start-ups migrating to other states once matured,” the professor adds.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / July 12th, 2017

Faqeer Khera village in Uttar Pradesh electrified 69 years after Independence

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Majra Faqeer Khera finally became one of hundreds of villages across the country that has been provided electricity for the first time since independence in a special drive to electrify all the villages of state.

35 connections have been given to below poverty line families.(HT Photo)

Power reached Majra Faqeer Khera village in Mohanlaganj area of state capital 69 years after independence. Villagers danced when the first bulb was switched on in the house of a villager Bechan.

The village finally became one of hundreds of villages across the country that has been provided electricity for the first time since independence in a special drive to electrify all the villages of state.

On the first day, 35 connections to BPL families and 1 to APL family was given, said GM LESA Ashutosh Srivastava who adopted the village and ensured power lines within 20 days of adoption of village.

“ I have directed all the engineers to adopt a village in their respective areas which do not have power yet. However, in this village under Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana of the centre, only Rs 21 lakh were spent for creating the power infrastructure ,” said Srivastava.

For Bitana Devi 31, Electrification means a lot as her son can study any time he wants. “My son, a student of Class 5 was not able to study at nights. Now he can do so,” she said.

Shatrughan, 59, another resident, said, “ We have studied and spent our lives using lanterns. Now our kids can live a better life.”

Chandan, a shop owner said, “ Earlier our day started with sun rise and finished with sunset but now we will have a life after sunset too. Electrification will help students, traders and farmers in increasing their output. ”

Gaj Prasad cleaned his refrigerator today which he received in his marriage as a gift from his in laws five years back. H would be able to use it at last, he said, adding gleefully, “Now we can drink chilled water and save our food from rotting.”

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Lucknow / by HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / June 12th, 2017

Research needs to be multi-disciplinary: Award-winning duo

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Bengaluru :

The scientific landscape in India must move in an organic way towards an environment that encourages multi-disciplinary research so as to address the challenges that the country and the world face, scientists say.

G Mugesh from the department of inorganic and physical chemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), said: “There is no doubt that people working with different interfaces need to be encouraged. The challenges before us have shown that just one discipline is not enough, for example, to tackle several diseases that the world at large and India face.”

Mugesh was conferred the National Prizes for Interfaces between Chemistry and Biology (2017), instituted by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, in collaboration with CNR Rao Education Foundation. The award is donated by AVRA Laboratories, Hyderabad.

This year’s award is also being conferred on Sandeep Verma of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur.

“Compared to 20 years ago, when I joined IIT-Kanpur after my PhD and postdoctoral research in the US, there is a lot of change. All my training in the US was on how to do multi-disciplinary research and when I returned I found that the scientific landscape in India was still very puritan. Researchers like working in their respective areas and seldom interacted with other disciplines.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Bangalore News / TNN / June 06th, 2017

Meerut shooter makes India proud; wins one gold

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Meerut :

Twenty nine-year-old Anubhav Pratap Singh’s happiness knew no bounds when it was announced that he has won a gold as well as a silver medal in two different categories at Indo-Bhutan Big Bore shooting championship.

After all, Anubhav had not just participated in an international championship for the first time but also won laurels for the country. With 588 points, Anubhav bagged the gold medal in 300 metre Free Rifle Prone Men at an individual level and bagged a silver medal in the same category with same points in a team. He had shot the first time when he was only 10 years old and ever since then there was no looking back for Anubhav who is the son of Ved Pal Singh, range in-charge, Meerut district Rifle Association. While his father could play only one national match due to lack of funds for the rifles, Anubhav is living his father’s dreams.

“It is a matter of pride for me and my family because it is my first international medal. The event is still going on in Gurgaon and will end on April 13 but my competitions are over and will be awarded with the medals on April 12. I aim at getting selected in Common Wealth Games and World Shooting Championship now,” said Anubhav, who was awarded Laxman Award in 2016 by former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Anubhav has participated in over 60 shooting competitions at national, All India and state level and bagged various medals since he started shooting at the age of 10. His younger brother Anant Pratap Singh is also a shooter, who has played at international level and is currently a shooting coach in Haryana-based university.

Talking about the challenges he faced during the championships, Anubhav said, “Shooting is an expensive game and I only have a 0.22 bore rifle until now, which had cost me Rs 3.11 lakh with accessories. But I need to purchase more rifles to gain expertise over the game. In this championship, too, I had to share the rifle with the fellow shooters. Since I get scholarship from Khalsa College in Amritsar from where I am pursuing MA in English and got money from UP government too last year, in all probability, I will purchase a new rifle by this year end,” he said.

Not just the Indo-Bhutan Big Bore Shooting Chammpionship, Anubhav also won bronze medal in 60th National Shooting Championship Competition (Big Bore) 2017 in 300 metre prone men civilian championship, gold medal in 300 metre rifle prone national championship (team) and 300 metre rifle prone men civilian championship (team). The 60th National Shooting Championship was held from March 28 to April 5, 2017.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Meerut News / by Ishita Bhatia / TNN / April 11th, 2017